Training To Freed Kamaiyas
The Need Has Been Felt

By Prem N. Kakkar

THE question was often raised in the past two months since the government declared that the bonded labour system was abolished. The estimates put that almost 70,000 bonded labourers were freed belonging to some 16,000 families.

Gesture

Prior to this particular and commendable gesture of the government the system of holding people in chains especially in the four districts of Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur of the far western region of Nepal was a blot on the conscience of mankind. That it took so long a time for measures to free such people from the so-called slavery was quite surprising

It may be surprising that it was over eighty years that the slavery system was effectually abolished in Nepal during the Rana regime. But the fact remains that despite the formulation and implementation of so many laws regarding the protection of human rights of the citizens of Nepal, the kamaiyas or the bonded labourers had to wait till the decision of the Council of Ministers some two months back.

It is no doubt a big achievement as far as the human rights situation in Nepal is concerned. In fact, human rights is such a wide area that it cannot be explained in a few words.

That the kamaiya system had existed till the beginning of the 21st century must be taken with a pinch of salt. It is not that the people, the conscious lot and the sufferers, had felt every need to do away with the heinous crime inflicted upon a section of the people by the powerful lot. The bold decision of the government must be welcomed in every way.

The fact that the bonded labourers have been freed legally does not end all the miseries that the concerned group faces. Compared to the population of the country a mere 70,000 people may not look so significant yet the fact remains that even one person who is denied his rights in a democratic set up makes a case that is worthwhile considering.

It is true that in democracy, anyone can express his views freely without any fear as far as his utterances does not play with the sovereignty of the country. In this respect, making the kamaiyas join the mainstream of the country means much when the overall national scenario is taken into consideration. Every citizen has the duty and responsibility to the state while enjoying his rights. In making your own fellow citizens as slaves to serve you is not the right thing. But now the situation has changed for the better.

But the better aspect as far as freedom is concerned can only materialise when those who had been denied their rights can lead a life of dignity backed up by the means to livelihood. This is easier said than done. The case has already been drawn up for providing house plots for the freed bonded labourers so that they can at least have a shelter.

But shelter alone does not suffice for people to live. It is but one part of life on earth. The whole story does not revolve around making donations for people to lead their lives. The main fact hinges on making the individuals able to generate income on their own without having to look upon others for meeting even the simplest requirements of daily need. The idea revolves in making the freed kamaiyas be able to stand on their own feet. Dependency can only create further problems.

This has made the government aware of the need to make the people and especially the kamaiyas be able to work on their own and meet the needs of their families.

The problem in front of the government at the moment is the identification of the genuine kamaiyas before steps can be taken to assist them in the beginning so that later on they would be able to better their lives as well as that of their children.

Many kamaiyas have now been facing problems of all sorts as they have no source to feed themselves. This has been somewhat met by the recent distribution of rice which can only meet the needs for a short time. In the long run, the freed people themselves have to work and earn their livelihood and create a better life for themselves.

Now, it has come as a welcome news that the government is committed to providing income generating programmes for the freed kamaiyas. This will, if implemented at the earliest, will help the kamaiyas gain the necessary expertise and skill in working their way out and lead a life of dignity as a citizen in a democracy wishes it to be. What is required is skill oriented training as Deputy Prime Minister stressed in Dhangadhi recently.

It must be remembered that only providing freedom is not enough, it must be complemented with making the people who belong to the deprived section the means to live as a human should.

It is encouraging that in the two months since the abolition of the kamaiya system, the government has not been idle in formulating necessary plan of actions to benefit the people concerned. The number of people to be benefited may not seem large if the whole population of the country is taken into consideration but the fact remains that every citizen who gains adds to the prosperity of the country. And, in Nepal, there is a growing pressure for every citizen to contribute his mite howsoever small it may be for the overall interest of the country.

Welfare

The very fact that the government has focused its attention on the welfare of the kamaiyas shows how concerned it is. And every individual who benefits has his loyalty to the country in the right sense of the word.

Rural Roads For Development

By Khilendra Basnyat

IN NEPAL, not many roads lead to where one wants to go. In fact, an important infrastructure for the balanced development of the different regions of the country requires the construction of roads.

Significant

Since the past few years the government has been placing emphasis on poverty alleviation. In reality, it is the road facility which can play a significant role on the government’s poverty alleviation agents amply emphasised in this fiscal year budget.

Most rural areas in Nepal feel better off with tracks and trails in their difficult terrain that do not lead then on their way to work or to the district headquarters or homes. Hence for the rural people who do not have easy access or roads for their movements, any development efforts without meeting this most basic of their needs is most likely to fail.

The topographical variation of our country has offered a rich variety in flora and fauna but that means nothing for the poor inhabiting except a hard life. For the planners, the same variation of land poses a big problem for meeting out the dividends of progress to the people who are diverse in their lifestyles or cultures.

Rural people’s lack of access to better modes of transportation to move from one place to another has accentuated their differences. Some people, especially those living in highlands, have to walk a long distance to get to a hospital or to a school.

As a matter of fact, the construction of roads in the mountainous terrain is not an easy job since it requires not only huge expenditure but also skilled manpower. Apart from this, Nepal on its own part has difficulty to initiating big road projects because of resource crunch. Thus arises the need of donor agencies in order to provide loans or grants to the degree required.

In the context of Mid and Far Western Development Regions, development activities have not gathered momentum because of transportation problems. Although air services is available to a few selected places, it is expensive for the common people and in this regard road construction can bring prosperity to these regions and their people. The potentials of these regions are immense if transportation facilities are enhanced. In fact, a reliable network of roads can do wonders in raising the living standard of the people especially in the remote areas of the country.

Roads for most of our distant villages, their link to the head-quarters and then convenient modes of transport in that order have to be put in place before real development process begins to work for Nepal’s majority of voters. In the absence of roads, people’s participation in democracy becomes almost impossible or even to vote, people need to travel to polling centres, and easy access matters.

With various road development projects, by the end of the Ninth Plan, sixty-eight districts will have motorable roads with Jumla and Kalikot also being linked. The proposed roads will help expedite development in the regions under consideration which so far had been neglected. These roads on completion will provide a basis for balanced development, and the mid and for western regions will no more be considered remote because of their accessibility.

The proposed roads under the recent programme are the 34 km Chameliya-Darchula road, 37 km Shaphebagar-Burtami road, 15 km Shanphebagar—Mangalsen road and 44 km Kalikot—Jumla roads.

Likewise, 135 km Surkhet—Kalikot road, 62 Dharpani-Chhedagada road, 59 km Gursinge—Sandhikharka road will be upgraded and 35 km Tansen road reconstructed under this programme.

The programme has hinted at establishing a road development board and a road development fund. According to the world bank, user groups are able to extend maximum contribution, bring about effective implementation and also meet financial needs for sustainability and maintenance of national district road networks. Aside from this, the programme will emphasise on supporting the Department of Roads for carrying out maintenance of the national road network with low cost and fixed time.

Compared to other regions, Himalayan region of our country lacks modern roadways. An about fifteen
per cent of the Kingdom constitutes the Himalayan region, the development of roads in this region will not only help develop its economy but will also help people there join the mainstream of national development endeavours in a more active and befitting manner.

No doubt, there have been some development in highway networking. The Mahendra Highway, snaking through the Terai, provides an artery from the east to the west. However, metalled north-south roads leading to this highway are few and far between because the importance of north-south roads linking hills with the Terai has not been will released. But the construction of north-south road is essential for the overall development of the country.

In fact, rural roads are giving a great service to people in many remote areas. Without them, movement of people or goods, would be limited. However, the story of rural roads in Nepal is a sad one with its health dependent on several elements. An intenese monsoon can create havoc with rural roads, the maintenance of which has forever been a stupendous task.

Just as road construction is essential for rural development so is its maintenance. For this labour-intensive methodology should be followed so that the local people will benefit both on a short and long-term basis.

It is of immense benefit to the rural people of Nepal if a well functioning mechanism to properly maintain rural roads are put in place. It seems His Majesty’s Government wants to do that despite several problems encountered.

An announcement from the Ministry of Local Development speaks of the approval of a national roads maintenance plan. That it is going to be implemented through District Development Committees (DDCs) is on the fitness of things because assigning this role to local bodies has raised the hope for a long-term sustainability.

Since rural roads maintenance fund at the central level and various other financial sources would provide the financial banking, it is unrealistic to expect a DDC well equipped with technical and managerial know-how that the local authorities need, would come from the local infrastructure development and agricultural roads development.

Important

Once the government, as per the plan, handover to DDCs the rural roads constructed by various government bodies, it is important that the DDCs gear themselves up to the tasks ahead. The DDCs are compelled to encounter some teething pains as the plan is put on the road. However, the imperatives of decentralisation and implementation offer no other alternative.