[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5940-S5941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING SUVASH DARNAL

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have spoken over the years about the 
political transformation that has been taking place in Nepal since 
2005, from a corrupt, autocratic monarchy to an emerging democracy.
  That process has moved forward by fits and starts, plagued by 
political infighting and the seeming inability of political and ethnic 
factions to unite for the good of the people. We are struggling with 
partisanship and divisiveness in this country, so I understand the 
problem, but Nepal is at a historic crossroads and cannot afford for 
this process to fail.
  Key issues that were at the heart of the internal armed conflict, 
such as impunity for crimes against civilians by both sides, have not 
been addressed. Shielding perpetrators of gross violations of human 
rights from punishment is incompatible with a democratic society based 
on the rule of law.
  There are many other challenges, like reform of the army, 
demobilization of former Maoist combatants, improving literacy, 
building effective, transparent government institutions, and reducing 
poverty. The United States is helping, but Nepal's competing political 
leaders must point the way forward by making the necessary compromises.
  Today I want to speak briefly about caste discrimination, which is at 
the core of Nepal's feudalistic history. I do so by paying tribute to 
an extraordinary leader of Nepal's Dalit community, Suvash Darnal, who 
was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident in Virginia on August 
15, 2011.
  Mr. Darnal was only 31 years old when he died, but he had already 
achieved far more than most people, even people with every advantage, 
do in a much longer life.
  Mr. Darnal was of humble beginnings, with nothing but hardship and 
unfairness to look forward to. Yet he managed to overcome daunting 
obstacles to become a respected leader with boundless energy, a 
quenchless thirst for knowledge, extraordinary vision, and a tireless 
determination to help improve the lives of his people.
  As I have said before in this Chamber, Nepal's democracy cannot 
succeed without the inclusion of minority castes, including Dalits, in 
political and economic decisionmaking. Mr. Darnal devoted himself 
passionately to that cause through journalism, research, and advocacy.
  He was an inspiring example of why caste discrimination has no place 
in the 21st century, and his death is a tragic loss not only for Dalits 
but for all of Nepal. He had the humility, integrity, intellect, and 
dedication to his people that Nepal needs in its leaders, and I hope 
others of his generation are inspired by his life and work to continue 
his legacy.
  Mr. President I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
an August 16 article in the Kathmandu Post about Mr. Darnal.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Kathmandu Post, Aug. 16, 2011]

                   Bidushi Dhungel, ``Palpali Flame''

       The tragic death of 31-year-old Dalit activist and media 
     entrepreneur Suvash Darnal is a huge setback to Nepal's Dalit 
     movement. Well known for being the founder of Nepal's first 
     ever Dalit-focused media organisation, Jagaran Media, co-
     founder of the Collective Campaign for Peace and most 
     recently, the Dalit-focused think tank, Samata Foundation, 
     Darnal made undeniable contributions to a burgeoning rights-
     sensitive society.
       Born in Mujhung in Palpa, and one of four siblings, Suvash 
     was schooled ``by accident,'' at a local school that just 
     happened to be in close proximity to his home. He was never 
     told to go to school, nor did he initially see it as 
     necessary, ``it just kind of happened,'' he would say. 
     Darnal's perseverance meant that he became the first Dalit to 
     pass the SLC from his village. That achievement, and the 
     positive reaction it garnered from the upper echelons of 
     society that once treated him as untouchable, gave him the 
     motivation to work harder.
       But behind every success story, there is a long, hard 
     struggle. Looking at Suvash in his last years, one could 
     never guess that he'd come to Kathmandu with nothing except 
     the fire of convictions. He spent months selling watches 
     immersed in a bucket of water on the Ratna Park roadside. And 
     having made a few contacts here and there, Darnal ventured 
     into writing for small media houses. The ideas for the 
     foundations of the Jagaran Media Centre came in these days. 
     It was to be the largest Dalit-led media outlet in South 
     Asia. Even now, Jagaran media has a radio station that 
     produces a radio magazine that is broadcast throughout India 
     and Nepal.
       These were turbulent times. By the time the media centre 
     was established and running smoothly, King Gyanendra took 
     over and attempted to reverse the course of history. Public 
     outrage was growing and so was the demand for the return of 
     democracy. At this crucial juncture, Darnal and his close 
     friend founded the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP). ``I 
     wanted to play my part in what I knew would be a momentous 
     time in Nepal's history,'' said Darnal. He often recalled 
     those days saying that at the heart of the uprising, it 
     became an unofficial ``secretariat'' for the civil democratic 
     movement in Nepal.
       It was after this that Darnal set off to undertake the most 
     mammoth of his life's work. He realised that democracy would 
     be of little use to Dalit society unless there was a way to 
     bridge the gap between politics and caste. This was where 
     Darnal's deep frustrations with society resided. The idea 
     that discourse at the policy level was necessary gave way to 
     the Samata Foundation. Initially called the Nepal Center for 
     Dalit Studies, late in 2009, the name was changed and became 
     an officially registered organisation.
       The Samata Foundation is now the hub of Dalit research. 
     Last year, under Darnal's direction, Samata held Nepal's 
     first ever International Dalit conference. An avid reader and 
     fan of B.R. Ambedkar, Darnal had set out to establish caste-
     based policies in the country. His book, A Land of Our Own: 
     Conversations with Dalit Members of the Constituent Assembly, 
     came out in 2009. Although enthused by the 2008 elections 
     that ushered in some 40 Dalit Constituent Assembly (CA) 
     members, it didn't take long for Darnal to realise it wasn't 
     going to be enough. He often said that it was only natural 
     that the Dalit CA members wouldn't be educated, but that it 
     was then his task to give them the information and competence 
     to stand out and be clear about their demands. In this 
     endeavour, he decided to publish a Nepali translation of 
     Ambedkar's book. The translation was done by Dalit leader and 
     CA member Aahuti, and was published earlier this year. Darnal 
     held a special prominence in his head and heart for the 
     personality and works of Ambedkar and the translation of the 
     book and its subsequent publishing was a source of joy to 
     him.
       The Dalit movement has a long history in this country, but 
     with Suvash Darnal it rose to new heights. From raising 
     national awareness to travelling abroad for guest lectures, 
     Darnal had the conviction to make Nepali society aware, not 
     only of the harsh realities of caste, but of the 
     repercussions of its perception in politics and society. 
     Suvash's Samata Foundation was in the process of achieving 
     precisely this. The organisation is now without its founder, 
     and the Dalit movement without a capable leader. The work he 
     undertook was as much professional to him as it was personal, 
     and that's what allowed for his success. Suvash Darnal's 
     close friends refer to him as very much of a family man. And 
     with only a few close friends, he maintained very close ties 
     with his family. He is survived by his wife and two year old 
     daughter.

[[Page S5941]]



                          ____________________