Manusmriti and caste-based discrimination in Nepal: What’s the source of the evil?

Two men, Santosh Pariyar and Sujan Lamichhane, have been arrested in Kaski for public humiliation and caste discrimination against a Dalit man. According to the news , the accused had reportedly humiliated Narayan Pariyar as he was blamed for touching and polluting the food items prepared for so-called upper-caste people. Interestingly, one of the perpetrators, Santosh, the host and the victim’s relative, is also a so-called Dalit .

It is not the first time we have had this kind of news in Nepali media. It is just one among a few reported cases of untouchability. Now, the question is: why do we still have the practices of untouchability and caste discrimination in our society? To understand that, it is better to understand Manusmriti, an ancient text in Hinduism that also supposedly worked as law and constitution and assess if it is the source of evil.