Nearly 26 years after the government officially abolished the Kamaiya (bonded labour) system, thousands of freed Kamaiya families in Dang, Bardiya and other districts of western Nepal are still waiting for full rehabilitation, land ownership certificates, identity cards and the opportunity to secure dignified livelihoods.
Freed Kamaiyas say the government’s commitment to their rehabilitation remains only partially fulfilled.
Baburam Chaudhary, 67, of the Kamaiya settlement in Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City–16, Dang, spent 25 years working as a bonded labourer. Although the abolition of the Kamaiya system in 2000 raised hopes of a new beginning, he says little has changed more than two decades later.
“We were freed from bonded labour, but our way of life has hardly improved,” he said, adding that he has yet to receive either an identity card or a land ownership certificate for the plot where his family has been living.
Another resident, Sushma Chaudhary, urged the government to provide land ownership certificates for the land occupied by Kamaiya families. She said that 44 of the 52 households in the settlement were excluded from the government’s official records, depriving them of identity cards and rehabilitation benefits.
According to Harish Chandra Chaudhary, Chairperson of the Kamaiya Women Awakening Society, the abolition of the Kamaiya system has brought some positive social changes, but economic and legal rehabilitation remains incomplete.
He said that, of the 32,509 families officially recognised as freed Kamaiyas, only 27,091 have so far received land ownership certificates. However, many were allocated land in unsuitable locations such as riverbanks, barren riverbeds or forest areas, limiting its practical use.
He further said that around 10,000 “excluded Kamaiyas” remain unrecognised across five districts, including 3,385 in Dang alone.
A study conducted in Geruwa Rural Municipality, Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality and Rajapur Municipality of Bardiya found that freed Kamaiyas have yet to be fully integrated into mainstream development. Although rehabilitation programmes have been implemented, their concerns have received insufficient priority in local government policies, programmes and budgets.
Biruni Tharu, Chairperson of the Kamaiya Women Awakening Society in Bardiya, said ineffective rehabilitation efforts have left many freed Kamaiya families facing persistent challenges in education, healthcare and employment.
Local elected representatives, however, have pledged to introduce programmes aimed at improving the living standards of freed Kamaiya communities through upcoming local policies and development plans.
Researcher Dilli BC, who has long studied the issues facing freed Kamaiyas, said that while the federal government has introduced relevant policies, local governments have failed to implement them effectively. He stressed the need for local authorities to formulate dedicated procedures, policies and budgetary provisions to complete the remaining rehabilitation process.
