KATHMANDU: Chairperson of National Assembly (NA), Narayana Prasad Dahal, has stressed the need of announcing the public holiday on the occasion of the National Day for the Elimination of Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability.

During his address to a programme organised by the National Dalit Commission here today on the occasion of the 19th National Day for the Elimination of Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability, the NA Chair urged the government to make necessary arrangements to that end.

“Even these days, Dalit community people have yet to have access to education, health, employment, housing, social security and representation in the State’s other bodies as per the expectation,” he said, adding that the Constitutional rights of the dalits are yet to be fully implemented. “Dalit children are still deprived of quality education.”

He went on to say that access of Dalits to healthcare facilities is weak and their participation in employment opportunities is discouraging.

Despite the illegalization and criminalization of the practice of untouchability since long, Dalits continue to suffer the caste-based discriminations including violence and exclusion.

According to the NA Chair, realising all these injustices against the Dalits, the NA has already instructed the government to implement the resolution motion regarding the guarantee of cultural, economic and political rights, rights to social justice of the Dalits with their progress and prosperity by eliminating all sorts of discriminations and suppression against them,

The Day is observed on 21st of the month of Jeth each year calling for action against the elimination of caste-based discrimination and untouchability and building an equitable society.