Rita Pariyar Travelled Mahakali to Mechi Walking Tour Campaign
प्रकाशित मिति : असार ११, २०७६ बुधबार
In campaign to eradicate the vice of social/cast/racial discrimination, Nepali born social activist Rita Pariyar has travelled long and arduous journey on foot from Mechi to Mahakali. Ashok Daranal from Kathmandu and Homaraj Agarkai from Kapilbastuwere companion of Rita Pariyar. Together they travelled 1,028 kilometer in 54 days.
“The constitution of Nepal forbids any type of racial discrimination” she said, ‘is racial and social discrimination really a matter of practice? We traveled to find out and study that. We witnessed to several sad experiences, and we were utterly aghast to see deep rooted discrimination in our society. At many places, it is forbidden for the people belonging to lower class to enter in temples. People of high classes have designed social norms to completely ostracize lower class people. People of low caste can’t marry in high caste families. High caste families even forbid their children to play with the children from lower caste families. Lower class families have to spend their lives in complete seclusion and cannot intermingle with other families. In many areas, people even restrict lower cast people to drink water from taps that are used by high-class families. We are in 21st century; however, appalling conditions due to racial discriminations still persists and inflict lower caste people.
In her life, Rita has also been subjected to racial discrimination on countless occasions. Even her childhood was no exception. When she was studying in school, her teachers would often derogate her. Teachers’ behavior with lower caste children was contemptuous, and teachers would also always despise children from lower class families. Such discriminatory behavior always demoralized Rita and other children in school.
Rita believes that racial discrimination is an international problem. When she moved to London, she still had to face racial discrimination from Nepali community residing in London. Because of centuries-long creeds of superiority, discrimination is deep rooted in the mentality of people. We cannot eradicate discrimination until we change the beliefs of the people. In Nepal, MechiMahakali movement has been playing a crucial role in bringing the problem of cast discriminations in limelight. Rita said, the movement has invigorate her zeal and verve to struggle against racial discrimination, she would move mountains to make the people realize that we are all equal regardless of our caste and the family in which we born.