KAMAL PANTHI

Over 1,200 of freed Kamaiyas, former bonded labourers, in Bardiya are awaiting their rehabilitation even 15 years after their liberation.

Narahari Tiwari, coordinator of the Ex-Kamaiya Rehabilitation Committee, said the government has already provided around 1, 915 bighas of land to the freed Kamaiyas. “As several areas of the farmland were eroded and inundated, the government is unable to allocate proper place for the remaining ex-Kamaiyas,” he said.

Freed Kamaiya activist Dukharam Tharu said various NGOs and INGOs working for their rehabilitation have not made their budget public. “Thousands of dollars has been invested in the name of freed Kamaiyas but the activities of the organisations have not been transparent,” he said, adding that the authority concerned should investigate into the matter.

Meanwhile, some of the former Kamaiyas, who have living in temporary camps, have returned to their former landlords. They complained that various programmes carried out for their rehabilitated have not yielded any positive results.

They also demanded that the government should immediately resettle them in the proper locations.

According to local authorities, 11, 875 Kamaiyas were liberated in the district.

Published on: 19 July 2015 | The Kathmandu Post