User:Nirmal Kumar Bk

Introduction
Nirmal Kumar BK (Bishokarma) is a prominent young scholar in Nepal. He is currently PhD scholar and chair of IDS Nepal.He was born in Kapilvastu district, a western part of the Nepal where the lord Buddha was born. He has completed his SLC (School Leaving Certificate) from Bhrikuti Higher Secondary School Buddhi in 1990 while he took district top position in kapilvastu district in that examination. Then he studied his graduate study in Institute of forestry, Pokhara where he completed his BSc forestry in 1999. He was first student from dalit community of Nepal who completed this study from the country.

Currently, Nirmal is doing his PhD in Kathmandu University in collaboration with Zurich University Switzerland. His research topic is “Food security in Resource Scarce Areas and the Quest for Inclusion of Marginal Group”. His research area is Fulbari VDC (Village Development Committee)of Kailali, Birpath VDC of Achham and Barabise VDC of Bajura district in far western region of Nepal which area is already established as resource scarce area.

He has more than 15 years work experience in natural resource management, livelihoods, social inclusion and exclusion, climate change, safe and effective development in conflicts, etc. He has worked for DFID Nepal forestry programme for ten years in different progressive position including District Manager and Acting Area Programme Coordinator (in the absence of APC). Previously, he has worked for UMN (United Mission to Nepal) for a year.

Nirmal has published a dozen English articles in peer reviewed journal published in Nepal. He has also published more than five dozen Nepali articles in monthly and daily news papers of Nepal. More importantly, he has presented half a dozen papers in international conferences on the topics of climate change, social inclusion/exclusion, migration, natural resource management, etc.

Involvement in Student Politics of Nepal
Nirmal was very active student in political affairs during his graduate study tenure. He was secretary of Free Student Union of Central Forestry Campus Pokhara of Institute of Forestry during 1997 to 1999AD. During this tenure he had played instrumental role to solve student’s issues through regular dialogue with institute management. Also, he has played very historical role to organize students of dalit community. He was funding members of Udpidit Bidyarthi Union (Oppressed student Union) in Pokhara which was later converted and made federation as Nepal Free Dalit Students Organisaiton (NFDSO)in 1999. Nirmal was founding General Secretary and first elected President of Nepal Free Dalit Student Organization (NFDSO). He was active to organize dalit student in different college in all parts of the country. During this period the student committee was formed almost all districts of the nation. During the period different, numerous and regular dialogue among educational scholar about the dalit students issues were raised and tried to solve the issues in close collaboration with stakeholders. Also, there was regular submission of demand papers and dialogue with policy makers to concerning ministry especially to Ministry of Education and Priminister’s Office had been done. The NFDSO initiated the magazine “Utpidit Bidyarthy Awaz” (Dalit students Voice) which was much cited paper then. The student organization was common forum of all political sectors of dalit during that period. However, it was splited thereafter following the sprit of political affiliation the student they followed. Now, here are three major dalit students committee detached originally from the organization.

Contribution in Constitution Making Process of Nepal
Nirmal has played very instrumental role as a scholar from dalit community of Nepal in constitutional making process of the country which is in under going process. He is one of the academic person who has written the greatest numbers of Nepali and English articles about the inclusion issues needs to be addressed in new constitution and also publish these articles in different Nepal based papers. He has also coordinated a dalit's intellectual committee which analysed all drafts prepared by eleven sub-committee of constitutional assembly of Nepal. Then it was published in the form of book in 2010 which is very effective resources for politicians, scholars, activists and other stakeholders who are interested in dalits issues in new constitutions. The issues which are published as a book was given to prominent constitutional assembly members, activists and scholars and briefing was done to them.

Nirmal particularly argued about the territory based federalism to dalit community, proportionate representation of these community in all sectors (politics, civil service, legal sectors, army and police, etc.) based on their population in the country, revolutionary land reform process, caste based accountability as punishable, proportionate election process and obligatory fundamental right to dalits and other marginalized community of the country. He has led and coordinated following major intervention on constitution making process from dalit and inclusion perspectives:


 * He has coordinated a team of dalits experts for preparation of dalit's position papers from civil society perspective in new constitution organised by DNF (Dalit NGO Federation).


 * Organised and presented paper in national level academic dialogue on dalits issues in new constitution of Nepal. The dialogue was organised by IDS (Institute of Dalit Studies) Nepal and Bhagat Sarbajit Memorial Foundation. It was only high level discussion forum where four papers were presented by PhD scholar from dalit community of the country in one forum.


 * Advised and presented papers on two high level national level forum ( one conference and other round table discussion) on natural resources and dalits issues in new constitution of Nepal. The programme was organised by DANAR (Dalits Alliances for Natural Resources) Nepal in support of WB (World Bank), CARE, DFID, etc)

In addition, Nirmal has participated more than a dozen discussion and dialogue forum where he argued about dalits issues in new constitution.