My Belief in Voice

RAMRATI DEVI RAM

Ramrati Devi Ram and others like her could never imagine standing in front of the village landlords and supposed superiors. Dalits or so-called untouchables like her would only work in the fields of landlords and it was these landlords who fixed their wages. Despite being an unlettered Dalit woman, Ramrati Devi Ram took the lead in rebelling against such inhumane behavior. Today, she is a member of Nepal’s Constituent Assembly. She believes in the power of expression, which serves as the foundation for justice and equality.

My Belief in Voice

I was born into a working class family of the Chamar community in the eastern terai 43 years ago. Those born as Chamars had to eke out a living as enslaved tillers, disposing of animal carcasses, and helping nursing mothers in a landlord’s family. People in our community were always reeling under cold, hunger, and illiteracy though they worked for many exhausting hours to serve others. This is a portrait of the suffering of Chamars.

          A woman successfully achieving a high school education in the terai is quite common. As for me, life itself has been my school. Though there was a veil covering my face, I somehow learned about the world from what my ears heard and what my eyes saw. Just because of their birth at certain places and times, there are communities that were oppressed and discriminated against. I did not want to tolerate this.

Gradually, our community became aware of human rights, health rights, and the value of education. However, we were still disorganized and too naive to be able to speak up for ourselves. But one day, we spontaneously formed a women’s group and started a fishery at a local unclaimed pond in the village. Soon the village authority started to inquire about the income we made from this pond, which nobody had cared about before we started using it. We retorted by asking about the income that the fisheries in the village made. Because of this, the local authority was forced to become transparent. That was the time I discovered the power of expression.

Many attempted to silence my single cry. I soon learned that a single voice was not enough for equality. I joined politics to strengthen my voice. My entry into politics was not for personal gain, but to struggle against discrimination, injustice, and poverty.

I have leaned the power of expression. When thousands of voices come together, it becomes the voice for justice. An example of the power in collective voice came in 1997 when we protested against collecting any more animal carcasses. Many supported the movement that challenged the system of treating humans as carcasses. Today, Chamars need not dispose of carcasses for others. Gone are the days when we bowed our heads in guilt and shame.

Because I have understood the power of expression, my social responsibility has changed greatly. I have transformed myself from a farm laborer to an elected Constituent Assembly member. I, too, have equal say in the constitution-drafting process where I echo the concerns of my community.

             At the parliament, I express myself in the same way I used to speak in the village. The parliament has to listen to the varied voices of people like me. I consider the power of expression as the vehicle for change. I have understood that I was wrong to believe the world would understand my problems without having them expressed. It is my belief that we get heard only after we speak and the same voice helps us to get justice.