Kathmandu, July 26:

Indigenous Newar Dalit Peoples Rights’ Forum (INDPRF) said today that Newar Dalits should not be removed from the Dalit list.

The forum organised a sit-in in front of the National Dalit Commission premises yesterday and handed over a memorandum to this effect to its president Ram Lal Biwokarma.

The memorandum signed by INDPRF general secretary Nirmal Deuja and president Dil Babu Pode states that their organisation would be forced to lock up the commission office if Newar Dalits were removed from the Dalit list.

Khadgi and Kapali communities have been demanding that NDC remove them from the Dalit list. Taking their demand into account, the NDC is considering removing the Newar Dalits from the list. According to Deula, NDC president Biswokarma has ensured the forum that their groups would not be removed from the list.

Deula said they had to pressure the NDC as people were hatching conspiracy to remove the most discriminated groups among the Newar communities from the Dalit list.