ARJUN SHAH

Shankar Lohar, a Dalit from Kailashmandau VDC-3 in Bajura, is tensed up as he is running out of food at a time when Dashain is on his doorstep. He fears that he may not get Khalo (wages given in the form of crops by landlords) during the festival with the harvest season yet to start. “We will celebrate Dashain only if our landlord gives us Khalo. We are waiting for it,” he said.

Not only Shankar, but many people from the Dalit community in the district are also awaiting Khalo, a traditional system practiced by Dalits. There is no limitation of how much Khalo one gets. It depends on the mercy of landlords. “We get crops in lieu of wages for our work,” Shankar said, adding that he makes and repairs around 100 iron items a day for landlords.

Meanwhile, some Dalits, quitting this traditional profession, have made their way to Indian cities in search of job opportunities. “We are forced to go to India to work as it is difficult to survive back home,” said Sher Bahadur Nepali of Barhabis. “We have to work for landlords the whole year, but we get Khalo only twice a year, which is not enough to feed our families.”

Pratape Aauji, chairman of the District Khaliya Society, said Dalits from Lohar, Damai and Sarki groups, among others, are forced to continue the system for want of alternative income sources. He said there are around 45,000 Khaliyas in the district.

Published on: 9 October 2013 | The Kathmandu Post