Weena Pun

Three Kamlaris were rescued on Saturday and one the day before from Kathmandu at the initiation of Freed Kamlaris Development Forum (FKDF), an organisation of former Kamlaris.

On Saturday, 15-year-old Sangita Chaudhary, a native of Kanchanpur, was rescued from her employer’s home at Koteshwor, 16-year-old Ridima Chaudhary from Kailali was rescued from Naxal and 15-year-old Richa Chaudhary, also from Kailali, from Samakhushi.

Twenty-year-old Sita Chaudhary from Kanchanpur was taken to the rescue team by her employer on Friday. Each of these girls had been working as a Kamlari for at least three years, with Richa serving for the longest period at 10 years. According to Phakala Tharu, central programme manager at FKDF, there are around 250 Kamlari s yet to be freed in the Valley alone.
“We rescue Kamlaris whenever we can. But we try to rescue those first whose relatives accompany us to the rescue and those who have been out of contact with their families for years,” said Tharu.

Sita’s mother, Sunchari Chaudhary, was happy to see her daughter freed from Kamlari service. Sita had been working as a Kamlari at a businessman’s house in Balkhu since she was 15. In return for her service, she was paid Rs 36,000 a year but was not allowed to go to school. “Oddly enough, I miss Balkhu. I was there for seven years,” said Sita, currently staying at a hotel in Sundhara.    

“Tomorrow we will rescue some more. This time from the clutches of those who work for the state,” said Pradip Dangol, child protection officer at Children and Women in Social Service and Human Rights.

Published on: 18 August 2013 | The Kathmandu Post