ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC UAC-012-2021
22 October, 2021
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NEPAL: A Dalit man is brutally assaulted and killed
ISSUES: Caste-based discrimination, minorities
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Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is bringing to your notice an incident where a Dalit man was brutally assaulted and killed for merely wanting to enter a temple and worship goddess Durga during an annual festival.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma (58), a resident of Durgachowk in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-4, was brutally murdered for reportedly ‘wanting to enter a temple’ on 14 October 2021. It was the day of Navami, the 9th day of the Hindu festival of Dashain – the day when animals are sacrificed in temples to satisfy the goddess Durga.
Dalits are not socially allowed to enter temples. This is an unwritten provision in many temples across the country.
About 9:30 in the morning, Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma reached the temple premises and argued against the provision. A local person, Sitaram Basnet, responded by hitting Bishwakarma’s back twice with a pipe. He ended up in the local pharmacy, “Pallavi”, where he was punched in the head by the owner, Dilip Shrestha, for reasons yet unknown. Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma fell down hitting his head on the road. According to eyewitnesses, Dilip Shrestha rendered CPR and rushed him to the emergency ward of the Chitwan Medical College. But Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma passed away before reaching the hospital. The Chief Administrator of Chitwan Medical College, Pratap Devkota, confirmed that when they brought Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma in around 10:15 a.m., he was already dead.
As a protest week, relatives of Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma have not accepted his dead body. The victim’s family members and local Dalit civil society members are demanding a fair and impartial investigation into this incident. They strongly believe that Bhim Bahadur, from the Dalit community, was assaulted and killed because he asked whether he is allowed to offer a goat at the local Durga temple during the festival.
Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma’s family accepts that he was drunk that day and usually speaks overmuch while drunk. But they question whether it is appropriate and justifiable to hit and punch him to death for reportedly scolding or inquiring into whether Dalits are allowed to enter the local temple and worship?
The Police have arrested Sitaram Basnet and Dilip Shrestha, and there is an ongoing investigation into this incident. The deceased’s family members, relatives and local Dalit activists have also requested an investigation into this incident. It is an incident resulting from prevalent caste-based discrimination.
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the killing of this Dalit at any time, but more especially during an annual festival, a time of celebration. If in today’s world, a human being cannot celebrate a festival with dignity and the State cannot provide security for its citizens, the State has failed its citizens. The Police must conduct a fair and impartial investigation, punishing the guilty appropriately according to the Law. A deterrent so that people are deterred from practicing such behavior in the future.
Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma must receive justice and the State must ensure it.
We urge the readers to send the following letter to the authorities mentioned below.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
NEPAL: A Dalit man is brutally assaulted and killed
Name of victims: Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma
Name of alleged perpetrators: Sitaram Basnet and Dilip Shrestha
Date of incident: 14 October 2021 to the present
Place of incident: Durgachowk, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-4, Chitwan District of Nepal
I draw your attention to the following incident where Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma (58), a resident of Durgachowk in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-4, was brutally murdered for reportedly ‘wanting to enter a temple’ on 14 October 2021. It was the day of Navami, the 9th day of the Hindu festival of Dashain – the day when animals are sacrificed in temples to satisfy the goddess Durga.
Dalits are not socially allowed to enter temples. This is an unwritten provision in many temples across the country.
About 9:30 in the morning, Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma reached the temple premises and argued against the provision. A local person, Sitaram Basnet, responded by hitting Bishwakarma’s back twice with a pipe. He ended up in the local pharmacy, “Pallavi”, where he was punched in the head by the owner, Dilip Shrestha, for reasons yet unknown. Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma fell down hitting his head on the road. According to eyewitnesses, Dilip Shrestha rendered CPR and rushed him to the emergency ward of the Chitwan Medical College. But Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma passed away before reaching the hospital. The Chief Administrator of Chitwan Medical College, Pratap Devkota, confirmed that when they brought Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma in around 10:15 a.m., he was already dead.
As a protest week, relatives of Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma have not accepted his dead body. The victim’s family members and local Dalit civil society members are demanding a fair and impartial investigation into this incident. They strongly believe that Bhim Bahadur, from the Dalit community, was assaulted and killed because he asked whether he is allowed to offer a goat at the local Durga temple during the festival.
Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma’s family accepts that he was drunk that day and usually speaks overmuch while drunk. But they question whether it is appropriate and justifiable to hit and punch him to death for reportedly scolding or inquiring into whether Dalits are allowed to enter the local temple and worship?
The Police have arrested Sitaram Basnet and Dilip Shrestha, and there is an ongoing investigation into this incident. The deceased’s family members, relatives and local Dalit activists have also requested an investigation into this incident. It is an incident resulting from prevalent caste-based discrimination.
I strongly condemn the killing of this Dalit at any time, but more especially during an annual festival, a time of celebration. If in today’s world, a human being cannot celebrate a festival with dignity and the State cannot provide security for its citizens, the State has failed its citizens. The Police must conduct a fair and impartial investigation, punishing the guilty appropriately according to the Law. A deterrent so that people are deterred from practicing such behavior in the future.
Bhim Bahadur Bishwakarma must receive justice and the State must ensure it.
I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
P.O. Box: 23312
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4211000
Fax: +977 1 4211086
Email: info@opmcm.gov.np
2. Mr. Top Bahadur Magar
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Pulchowk, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 55 47973
Tel: +977 1 5010015
E-mail: complaints@nhrcnepal.org, or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org
3. Mr. Ramesh Badal
Attorney General
Office of Attorney General
Ramshah Path, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4240210, +977 1 4262548, +977 1 4262394
Fax: +977 1 4262582 / 4218051
Email: info@attorneygeneral.gov.np
4. Mr. Shailesh Thapa Kshetri
Inspector-General of Police
Police Head Quarters
Naxal, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Tel: +977 1 4412432
Email: phqigs@nepalpolice.gov.np
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Program
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
