Dalit community, comprising of people belonging to the so-called lower castes, in a Gulmi village are facing hardships to sell their dairy products due to caste-based discrimination. Dalits of Damar village of Bamgha VDC had resorted to cow rearing as a means to increase their family income but the prevalent caste-based discrimination had jeopardized their plan. "The so-called upper caste people here do not buy milk from me just because I am a Dalit. About one pathi of milk is kept at my home because it was not sold in the market," said Sita BK, a 35-year old Dalit woman from the village. She claimed that only Dalits buy milk from her. But since the Dalit population is not much in the area, only a small quantity of milk is sold. Sita said that the so-called upper castes like Brahmin and Chhetri communities refrain from buying milk from the Dalits. Dairy products from the Dalit community members are not even purchased by some commercial dairies, she said. The reason behind the reluctance, Sita said, is alluded to the fear among dairy owners of losing non-Dalit consumers. Such practice has posed serious concerns for Dalit families who have scarce means to earn a living. "Our sons live separately. My husband and I have to earn for ourselves. It would be easier for us to make our ends meet if the milk sales were good," said Sita. Due to the availability of resources, animal husbandry is promoted in the village and the Dalits had previously planned to increase their dairy produce sales by rearing more cows. "Buying anything from us is a faraway achievement. The so-called upper castes wouldn't even sit with us at the same table. They are so cautious about touching us in public spaces," Yashodha Bika, from the same village said. She added that Dalits are now forced to make ghee out of the unsold milk to save it from being wasted. These are just the two representative cases of all 25 Dalit families in the area. VDC secretary Premraj Khanal said, "Although Damar village has high potentiality for animal husbandry, we have not been able to put it into use due to prevailing social inequalities." According to him, the Dalits had been treated as untouchables in the past and the practice still continues though it is a criminal offense. Khanal suggested that the Dalits should search for new markets for their dairy products. "Dalits should make extra efforts to sustain their business. I believe that if they go out of this village to sell their products no one desist from buying their produces," Khanal added. Gajadhar Sunar, a Dalit rights activist said that it was the first time he heard about such problems in the area and asserted that it should be resolved immediately through legal measures by authorities. "It is difficult to report against such indirect cases of discrimination. But that does not mean that such cases should be taken lightly. Such acts of discrimination, both in private and public places, are legally punishable offenses and concerned authorities should seriously investigate them," he said.