With great excitement, we organized Haatemalo Festival – our new online music and arts festival that aims to connect artists across the Dalit and Indigenous Nationalities worldwide, raise awareness about Dalit Bahujan issues and fundraise to support the families who have experienced caste injustice and the loss of loved ones. We have always believed art is essential to activism and truly appreciate your music and the message you are bringing to the world.
Dalits and Indigenous Peoples face several challenges in Nepal. Apart from suppressing our voices and movements, the government and its different apparatuses continue to employ violence and prioritize economic profits over our collective relations and futures. Such social and political challenges have encouraged our team to formulate our collective vision and organize all Dalit Bahjuan Adivasis for social justice and equity. Raising awareness about Dalit Bahujans’ issues through the arts and music is one of our aims. “Haatemalo Festival”, live streamed online on the 20th of December 2020, incorporates such an aim, while we collect funds (Ongoing Campaign) to materially support those experiencing injustice and loss of loved ones. We believe that this way of centering Dalit Bahjuan Adivasi artists and musicians and our different forms of expressions will not only create a safe space for everyone involved but will also gradually connect and unite all Dalit Bahjuan Adivasis in our fight against the caste system, brahmanical patriarchy, and imperial structures. This space will also help us to honor and recognize the knowledge and experiences of our ancestors while revealing the power of Dalit Bahjuan Adivasi’s collective love and dreams.