First Caste Based Discrimination Free Village in Mugu- declared by local people
Bir Bahadur Bam, Mugu. 21st March, 2010.

Dhuma village in Karkibada VDC # 5,6 of Mugu district is at 1 hour walking distance from district headquarter (Shreenagar) with 112 households living in the village among them 76 households are Dalits and remaining are of other caste especially Chhetri and Thakuri. Dalits family members were not allowed to touch drinking water of so called upper caste people, are not allowed to enter in temples and houses. These were the common practices in this area. Unknowingly if Dalits touched and entered in the houses of non Dalits and temples; non Dalits practice clean session thinking that Dalits are untouchable human being. 

Although Article 11(4) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 guaranteed the right against un-touchability and caste based discrimination, but it is not fully practiced. "Dalit Women Human Rights and Peace Group" in Dhuma led the process of declaring caste discrimination free village. Chief District Officer of Mugu district, Keshar Bahadur KC, officially declared the caste discrimination free village with having meal together in the programme that cooked by Dalits.

Now onwards the village will be remained model village in this regards to caste-based discrimination and untouchability. This move will prohibit the caste-based discrimination and untouchability practices from district headquarter Gamgadi to village which areas used to be highly sensitive regarding caste-based discrimination.

Community people highly supported Human Rights and Peace Groups morally in every aspect.  Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Center (KIRDARC) Nepal and Concern Worldwide supported technically and financially. During the declaration, local villagers, representative of political parties, chief of the Government Offices, NGOs, Human Rights Activists, were participated.

Different agencies in the district encouraged the local people by rewarding with amount 50,000 NPR to the villagers. The local people's faces can be read as so much delighted declaring the village caste-based discrimination and untouchability free village.