Rajbiraj, Mar 20:Dom community gathering programme ad hoc committee, Federation of the Non-Governmental Organisations and Sarswati Community Development Forum of Saptari jointly organised a gathering of the community here Saturday.

Various speakers at the programme said that the local bodies should be serious on liberating the oppressed, exploited, and downtrodden classes from the evils of social discrimination and untouchability and the oppressed classes should also improve their conduct.

As Dom community is bearing the brunt of social segregation and their social, economic and political condition is also quite backward, the interaction programme has been oranised to launch campaign to raise people’s awareness the uplift of the community, constitute its an organisation, eliminate the prevailing out-moded customs and unite the oppressed classes to sensitise against untouchability.

The population of Dom community in the district is 1,700.

On the occasion, a memorandum was submitted to the Chief District Officer, demanding creation of environment for the entry of the Dom community in the temples to offer prayers and worship like any other community as enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990.

Action should be taken against persons involved in illegal activities such as beating up, imposing fine or giving physical punishment to the Dalits  as a result of the practice of untouchability. The memorandum also seeks legal action against those practising untouchability in public places and hurting the self-respect of the oppressed.

Superintendent of Police Sanandan Prasad Kurmi, president of the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations of Saptari district, Baidya Nath Jha, Sushil Sewa of the Nepali Congress, Manohar Pokharel of the CPN-UML, advocate Narayan Prasad Sah, Govinda Bika and Baldev Ram also expressed their views at the programme chaired by Dayawati Marik (Dom) of Daulatpur VDC.