TNN, Kathmandu

Nepal’s new govt said it would issue a “formal state apology” to Dalits and other historically excluded communities within 15 days under Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s 100-point reform agenda, in what activists described as a historic acknowledgment of generations of caste-based discrimination and denial of opportunity.

The proposed apology is to be accompanied by measures on social justice, inclusive restoration and historical reconciliation.

The agenda said: “We will formally acknowledge the injustice, discrimination and deprivation of opportunities inflicted on Dalits and historically marginalised communities by the state, society and policy structures, and prepare the basis for social justice, inclusive restoration and historical reconciliation.”

It added that a programme would be announced too. The promise has drawn attention in a country where Dalits make up about 13-14 percent of the population but continue to face entrenched exclusion despite constitutional guarantees and laws against caste-based discrimination.

Activists said nearly 42 percent of Dalits lived below the poverty line, literacy remained below the national average, and representation in key institutions stayed disproportionately low.