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Kathmandu,Saturday January 15, 2000 Magh 1st, 2056.
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Eliminate
Kamaiya system
Apart from the religious significance of
Maghe Sakranti which falls today, it is also an occasion to reflect upon a social and
economic injustice in the form of bonded labour that remains as persistent as it was a
century back. The Kamaiya (bonded labourers) decide on this day whether they want to renew
their yearly bonded contract with their landlord or enter into another contract with a new
master. Such are the conditions among the Tharus of western Nepal that it is almost
impossible for a Kamaiya refuse to walk into one bad deal from another. And it is
not just themselves who are sold into the bond but also their young sons and daughters.
Often, the children are used as domestic servants and are thus deprived of their rights
and opportunity. The fact that we have allowed this feudal exploitation to continue even
to this day, the laws of the land notwithstanding, speaks most eloquently of the human
rights situation in the country. To put it briefly, the existence of bonded labour in
Nepal is a disgrace to the nation.
The
Kamaiya among the Tharus are so indebted to their landlords that more often than not, the
labours of their life become a form of debt servicing. When the Kamaiya are paid at the
end of the year, they can hardly expect anything more than the paltry sum of two to five
thousand rupees. If the struggle for survival does indeed trap the Kamaiya in a life akin
to semi-slavery, then government apathy to their plight has condemned them to it. For
political parties, Kamaiya emancipation at best serves as a political slogan during
election. It is also a fact that many leaders who hail from the landed gentry especially
from west Nepal keep Kamaiyas. As for the NGOs involved in this area, their activities
have borne little fruit. Though awareness has begun to dawn among the Tharus, they are
trapped in helpless bondage.
Successive governments have not been able to eliminate this system of bonded
labour although it goes against the principles, the very spirit of the constitution and
the law of the land. This is failure to ensure the rights of the Tharus. The government
cannot allow this system to continue and it is within its power to put an end to it.
First, the laws must be strictly implemented. Secondly, the emancipation of Kamaiyas is
possible only if they are provided with the opportunities such as education, and income
generating schemes which will enable them to get out of the vicious trap of bonded labour
that has been continuing through generations. For this, government agencies and
non-governmental organisations must work together. It is indeed high time the government
began to take the issue of bonded labour in the country seriously.
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