Chief Minister of Madhesh Province Satish Kumar Singh has said that about 40 per cent of women in the Musahar community do not have citizenship certificates.
He made this statement while speaking at the sixth general assembly and annual review program of Rishivansh Ekata Sewa Samaj Nepal, highlighting that it is “a serious issue.”
He highlighted that due to the lack of citizenship, the Musahar community is being deprived of fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, and employment.
Chief Minister Singh stressed that as long as Dalit communities, including the Musahar, are deprived of education, they will not be able to fight for their rights.
He also advised parents from the Musahar community to ensure their children receive at least an education up to the SEE (Secondary Education Examination) level and to avoid child marriage by marrying off their sons and daughters only after the age of 20.
The event was chaired by the organisation’s president, Lochan Sada.
The Musahar community is found in Nepal’s Terai region as well as in various parts of India, such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. As a highly marginalised group, the Musahars live across both Nepali and Indian territories. They bear surnames such as Rishidev, Sada, Manjhi, Banbasi, Bhuiyan, and Rajawar.
