One of the prominent news headlines in recent days has been the suspected custodial death of a young Dalit man in Sindhupalchok district, which has been linked to his inter-caste marriage. The police claim that it was a suicide, whereas the deceased’s family and Dalit activists allege that the police murdered him in custody, under the influence of the girl’s family.

I argue that the suspected police crime and the events that have followed are a lens to understand the persistent apathy of the state, of the newly elected Rastriya Swatantra Party government in particular, towards Dalit suffering. Furthermore, one can discern how shallow the Dalit movement itself has become.

What happened?

Shreekrishna Bishwakarma of Sindhupalchok district, then residing in Lalitpur, fell in love with and married Nirjala Magar. On April 16, the Lalitpur police called him for a ‘settlement’ with the girl’s family; he was then swiftly transferred to the police office in the town of Khurkot, Sindhupalchok. Then, on April 20, the Khurkot police informed his family that he had hung himself in the toilet of his custody.

Bishwakarma’s family, and gradually the Dalit politicians and activists, naturally suspected the police of murdering him, probably under the influence of the Magar’s family. The suspicions heightened after it emerged that the district authorities had pressured the family of the deceased to cremate his body swiftly.

So, over the past week, some Dalit parliamentarians and activists have been agitating both in front of the Sindhupalchok District Administration and at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu. This is the first time Dalits have had to fight for justice under the RSP government. Given that state bodies, not least the police force, are both highly corrupt and casteist, their outrage is not unfounded. They have rightly demanded the sacking of the Chief District Officer (CDO) and police officers in the district, and a full and impartial investigation into the alleged murder.

Irresponsible Balen administration

The much-vaunted government led by Balendra Shah—the charismatic and angry agitator—has shown no sensitivity whatsoever to the pain of the family of the suspected murder victim. There is no word from him, who also controls the Ministry of Home Affairs. He typically hides from the mass media, but there is not even a single line on the subject on his popular social media platforms. This is evidence of Shah’s utter lack of accountability and, more importantly, of his zero interest in Dalit issues.

Interestingly, not even our Dalit minister, Sita Badi, has cared to come out and reassure her community that her government won’t let the suspected criminals evade punishment. All she has done is write something on her Facebook page, which is better than nothing, but an official statement is still absent.

In response to the growing agitation, the government has formed a probe committee mainly comprising police officers under the leadership of the deputy CDO of the same district. It is unlikely that the civil servant and policemen will bring out the full truth at the cost of serious damage to the prestige of their own organisation.

If the Balen administration is serious about the matter, it must institute a parliamentary probe committee including members of the opposition from a range of caste groups. The RSP leadership, as well, must pressure Balen to do the right thing and stand against caste violence.

Opposition doesn’t care

It is equally frustrating that opposition parties, too, have shown little interest in the subject. Most leaders of the established parties are busy licking their own wounds, of course, following their disastrous electoral defeat. Yet, they must not forget the persistent pain and suffering of Dalits.

Some Dalit MPs and activists, along with the older parties, have taken part in sit-ins and small street protests, but there are no coordinated and strong protests yet. These movements are unlikely to grow in the absence of the political parties’ backing. Amongst the new kids on the block, Harka Sampang has made quite a splash in the Parliament. His speeches have been widely appreciated. Yet, even he seems silent on the Sindhupalchok case—even though the family of the deceased’s wife comes from Khotang, his place of origin.

Shallow Dalit movement

As in many cases of caste violence, a wrong issue has drawn the attention of both the masses and social media. The remarks made by the controversial Khagendra Sunar—a popular Dalit activist-turned RSP parliamentarian—at a protest rally in Sindhupalchok have angered many people. Addressing the protest rally, Sunar threatened to drag the police head of the district onto the street if he tried to conceal the suspected crime of his men. Many people seem pissed off at the lawmaker’s comment from the ruling party.

In a way, I agree with the media outrage. The actions and words of an elected MP must be responsible and lawful. Sunar and others in his place must realise that they have been elected to deliver, not to show anger and please the crowd. I don’t mean to say, however, that Sunar and other Dalit parliamentarians from the ruling RSP must not fight for justice to the victim’s family. They do have a bigger role to play here. Instead of speaking nonsense on the street, they must directly meet PM Shah and party leader Rabi Lamichhane. They must pressure their leaders not just to resolve this case, but to work towards real societal change.

I am equally amazed by the shallowness of the Dalit community. Dalit politicians and intellectuals are still reactive—not proactive. They agitate when a Dalit is raped or murdered, and fall silent until another outrageous incident occurs! I have spent a good many years trying to teach my fellow activists one simple thing: Treating symptoms alone won’t cure the illness. Angry demonstrations only in response to violent attacks on, or humiliation of, Dalits won’t change anything.

The Dalit movement does not debate the fundamental underlying causes of caste hate. The activists are somehow reluctant to open their mouths about religious beliefs and cultural practices, perpetuating the suffering. It’s time Dalit activists pressured the new government and the new parliament to bring out concrete measures to bridge the wide gap between state laws and traditional caste laws. Even though the law makes no distinction of caste, the widespread customs don’t tolerate inter-caste marriages, especially with the Shudra.

The Dalit movement doesn’t debate the underlying factors of caste violence. Even if Shreekrishna was actually killed in police custody, under the influence of the girl’s parents, it is not a surprising or isolated incident. So much so that many people of the deceased’s caste themselves would not accept marriage with Dalits from the castes deemed lower than them!

When will we see a more realistic and nuanced Dalit discourse on caste hate? Isn’t it time we tried to prevent incidents of caste violence in the first place?