Kathmandu (Pahichan) February 24 – Now, there is a sort of competition in society to get human rights. Every individual are seeking rights. This is not focused on specific community, caste, religion and gender. People are seeking rights on individual basis. There is a fear that assistance could not been sought without rights.

As donor agencies are investing assistance in Nepal’s development process, there are flood of assistance in human rights movement too. Now, journalists are demanding right to freedom of expression. At the same time, they are warning media owners who think that minimum wage to journalist is maximum wage. Journalist cannot economically sustain receiving minimum wages.

As per labor act, workers work for eight hours but journalist take two hours rest and  then start working in another place for another next eight years. Journalists remain in their workplace for more than 18 hours and they are forced to work in double offices and double time to make sufficient money.

Journalist fight for the rights of other community but they are forced to live without rights. There are the problems such as lack of appointment letter and discrepancies in the salary mentioned in appointment letter and actual they receive.

Such problems are normal for the management but it is like a poison for the journalists.  Journalists are being cheated and they are facing breach of trust.  It is not easy for the journalist because even if they help other people, they feel it a betrayal. It is not easy f or the journalists.

Movements are not only confined in a particular color. Movements are same for all male, female and LGBTI community. The issues such as equal pay and women’s participation are not new. Very few have reached in political leadership level but they are denied from equal pay. Even if male are in leadership all males have not received equal opportunity. There are increasing voices that due to the reservations provisions, the chances of opportunity are shrinking.  Rights movements are not confined at the state level, rights are being demanded in every household and in every social. It seems that there is lack of equality among Nepalese.

In LGBTI community there is more discrimination than male and female. They are denied from the citizenship as per their gender identity. Similarly, they are denied from marriage rights. Due to the lack of marriage law, their relation is not sustainable relationship and there is a tendency of changing partnership frequently. The disputes related to property have escalated. A case of same-sex couple who were living together now has reached in court.

On the other hand, there are logics that there is not same-sex marriage law, on the other hand, there are logic that as per the Supreme Court order on 2069 Kartik 20,  two people who want to live together should be allowed to do so.  The institutions who are taking up these issues are not speaking about it. Few months ago, Parshuram Municipality of Dadeldhura district registered same-sex marriage. A third gender married with a married male. However, organizations were against such marriage with logic that it is a violation of women’s rights.

State is still not convinced that rights should be provided to this community.  The bill on citizenship act is yet to incorporate the issues of this community despite the pressure from various quarters. People who are raising voices institutionally have not received the citizenship as per their identity. State’s obligation does not end after providing citizenship.

Government introduced Federal Civil Service Act but issues of this community are not incorporated which is against the article 42 of constitution has which ensured the rights of inclusive representation.

Some members of this community have reached in upper level of political parties. But, no one has reached in the decision making level like Sunil Babu Pant reached in first Constituent Assembly (CA) election. LGBTI community has time and again acknowledged that credit goes to Pant for cementing the rights of this community in the constitution.

However, some institutions are not openly speaking about this fact. Now, there is no representation of this community in decision-making level. This community needs the help of male and female to reach in policy-making level.  So, this community is seeking help from male and female. Society is gradually accepting this community but state still remains illiberal when it comes to the rights of this community. So, there is a need of united pressure from this community because individual efforts cannot produce desired result. Former lawmaker Pant has already called this community to go for collective campaign. Pant, however, is not in Nepal but he frequently visits Nepal. There are no alternatives to standing together to secure rights.

As leadership is paying attention only on position and prestige, the movement is becoming weak.  The leadership should groom the new leadership but which is not happening which is affecting this community.  So every people should give up their narrow-mind set and start a collective campaign.