A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Biographies of Dalit Journalists

They are among the best journalists in Nepal. Besides making very little money, they also experience economic hardships because of their Dalit caste.  The ongoing struggle to make ends meet makes reporting on stories in far away places a difficult task to complete.

These journalists provide the e-Bulletin with an impeccable understanding of the social and political status of their respective regions.  They live and work in the communities where caste discrimination continues to thrive.  These communities are often completely isolated from the political currents of Kathmandu, but the e-Bulletin's network of journalists promise to give these communities the audience they deserve.

Bhim Nepali  (Kohalpur)



At just 27-years-old, Bhim is extremely well respected among the Nepali human rights and media communities.  He's a successful journalist contributing to three radio stations and 10 newspapers, but journalism wasn't his first career. Bhim used to be a teacher. It was a career he enjoyed immensely until he was attacked and nearly killed for being a Dalit in an esteemed position. Bhim was slashed across his face and neck by an angry villager. He spent several months recuperating. The attack was the most frightful experience of his life, but it  sparked a desire to spend the rest of his life fighting against caste-based discrimination, as a journalist. Despite the low pay, Bhim wouldn't trade his profession for one day of better pay. Explaining what his life as a journalist means to him, Bhim told us, "God is in every poor man... working for the poor man is my way of praying."   

Bhola Paswan (Suptari)


Bhola Paswan of the Saptari district in the Eastern Terai is another exemplary journalist chosen for the e-Bulletin. In his community, he has become well respected among both Dalit and non-Dalit communities alike for his professionalism and courage to report the facts in the face of intimidation. His reports have brought justice to rape victims and students whose scholarships were embezzled by school officials. He is active in civil society and serves on the Dalit Citizen Movement Central Coordination Committee in his spare time.

Rupa Bishwakarma  (Nepalgunj)


Rupa Bishwakarma is one of two women chosen for her knowledge of political and caste issues in Nepalganj.  She is an anchor for Radio Bheri Aawaj  (Regional Voice). In addition to being a Dalit herself, Bishwakarma also faces the challenges that come with being a female reporter. Women are not ordinarily seen traveling late at night for example, but she'll stop at nothing to get the story. Day or night. With this type of two-fold discrimination, she brings a unique insight to her reporting.
 
Prem Nepali (Pokhara) 


Prem Nepali lives in Pokhara where he has enjoyed a career in journalism for more than seven years. Angered by the fact that many of his Dalit-related stories are neglected by the national Nepalise media, he continues to look for ways to bring the issues to both a national and international news audience. He is exceptionally proud to be a Dalit, and knows their hardships since he comes from a family that has been bonded in agricultural labor. Consequently, he understands the plight of the people, and therefore gains their trust.

Kiran Kausal (Tansen – Palpa)


In Palpa, the largest cases of discrimination happen in the villages. That means Kiran Kausal must travel far away from his home to cover the issues that he contributes to Nepal's print and FM news media.  He was led into his career by a deep desire to uplift the marginalized Dalit community. He admits that sharing his own Dalit identity with victims allows him access to facets of the story he wouldn't otherwise get. Kausal is deeply committed to giving a voice to the voiceless.

Direndra B.K. (Dhangadi)


Having always wanted to work in the human rights sector, Direndra B.K. found his way through the channels of daily life in Dhangadi. Upset with the lack of coverage of Dalit issues in Western Nepal, he decided to try his hand at reporting at a local paper.  He wrote for the daily until it was shut down. Realizing his raw talent, JMC director Suvash Darnal got him enrolled in several media training courses. Despite the discrimination, he is now both a talented and successful Dalit journalist.

Umesh Biswakarma (Bhiratnagar)


For years, Umesh Biswakarma wanted to serve his community as a politician. He understood the impact he could have on society as an empowered Dalit lawmake. During his college years, he made significant strides towards becoming the regional President of the All Nepal National Free Student Union. However, due to the discrimination he faced in the office, he sought the means to broadcast the societal wrongs he and other Dalits face on a daily basis. Hence, his career in journalism was born. Years later, he successfully published articles in numerous local newspapers and weekly magazines. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief and an active reporter for Jana Sudhar, a local Nepali-language magazine that serves the Dalit constituency in Bhiratnagar.

Shivaji Gayak (Chitwan)


Several years ago, Shivaji Gayak found himself working in the mountain village of Khotang with the NGO ActionAid. Having little money or food, extortions by the Maoists proved to be too costly, and he was subsequently forced to return to his home in Chitwan. Having remembered the enjoyment of seeing his name in the newspaper for participating in a seminar in Kathmandu, he began writing for the local daily as a part-time journalist. Since then,  Gayak was recently among 5,000 Nepali journalists up for the prestigious National Education journalism Award. He is now one of the country's best reporters with a strong background in human rights monitoring.

Milan Pariyar (Doti)


Milan Pariyar is one of the most outwardly strong and inwardly driven journalists contributing to the e-Bulletin. He hails from the Doti district of far-western Nepal – long considered to be ground zero for caste-discrimination and Dalit rights in the country. Due to the retribution media awareness can bring on Dalits victimized by the upper-castes, Pariyar, must also pay close attention to each story to ensure safety for the victims. He personifies his own stated principle that there should be no difference between saying and doing by remaining active in the Dalit movement. In addition to his roles of journalist, advocate and human rights monitor, he is the editor of his own magazine called Jana Sahakerya, which means people working together.

Maya Singh Nepali (Kathmandu)


Hailing from the Dang near the Indian border, Maya Singh Nepali is a prime example of an empowered Dalit woman. She is from the music-oriented Badi caste – a group of people in South Western Nepal who live in utmost poverty. Often times, Badi women are forced to sell their bodies in order to ensure the survival of their families. As the only female journalist from the Badi caste, it is Nepali's hope to ensure the rights and dignity of all Dalit women across the nation. She currently serves as an anchor, reporter and production editor for Katwal, JMC's core radio program.

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