Marking the 13th year of the abolishment of the Kamaiya practice, the Freed Kamaiya Society and Kamaiya Women Awareness Society on Monday submitted a 14-point charter of demands to the government.

Among other things, the former Kamaiyas have asked the government to form a high-level Freed Kamaiya Rehabilitation Committee led by former Kamaiyas; increase the amount of financial aid provided to buy land from the Rs 150,000 to Rs 500,000; issue 75 cubic feet-long planks and Rs 30,000 to build a house; provide joint ownership of land distributed to former Kamaiyas to both husbands and wives; introduce a ‘one family, one job’ programme and send 250 former Kamaiyas a year to work abroad; and distribute ID cards to former Kamlaris and to children of former Kamaiyas and provide them a scholarship.

A statement issued by former Kamaiyas said Education Minister Madhav Poudel and Minister for Land Reforms and Management Riddhi Baba Pradhan expressed their commitment to fulfil the demands.

According to the statement, there are 32,509 Kamaiya families in the districts of Dang, Kanchanpur, Kailali, Bardiya and Banke. 

Published on: 23 July 2013 | The Kathmandu Post