Rakesh Prasad Chaudhary, Jaleshwor, Nepal

Musahars on the margins in Nepal

The Musahar community, a marginalized Dalit group residing in the eastern Terai region of Nepal and in Bihar, India, faces severe hardship exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a population of about 2.5 million, Musahars suffer from low literacy rates, landlessness, untouchability, and ethnic discrimination. Despite political reservations in India, Musahars rarely hold significant leadership positions. In Nepal, their political representation is negligible, with only a small fraction of Dalits elected to the House of Representatives. The community primarily works in agriculture, but declining opportunities have led to migration for work, including to countries like Qatar, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. The pandemic has intensified their struggles, with reports of starvation and job losses among the community, and their voices for government assistance largely going unheard.