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.

Other Story

• Rural Roads For Development