Kamaiyas; from fire to frying pan

Regardless of the estimation of the gravity of the issue contained therein, the Nepali establishment has formed a habit of avoiding issues concerned on a temporary basis that evidently erupts again and becomes a real hassle for the government to tackle. It has rightly been stated by political scientists of international standing that it is every time the establishment that creates problems and later declares a fight to contain the problems which is of its own creation. Unfortunately, the abrupt stamping out of the bonded laborer system in the country, for example, by the government that came into effect last July could be put under the same category mentioned above. Indubitably, the move of the ruling government under Koirala to do away with this system or say a menace has been appreciated by men and governments within and without but yet the lack of timely proper homework prior to effecting the decision of such a high consequence has invited sharp criticisms equally from both the quarters. In fact, the government should have thought in advance on how to resettle or rehabilitate those impoverished and the penniless ones who constitute a considerable mass upon their coming out of the clutches of their former masters. The government should have formulated plans and policies that would have facilitated the basics for a human being that is the food, shelter and jobs to the Kamaiyas-the bonded laborers-immediately after theirs coming out of the dark ages where in they had been forced to live a miserable lives by their so called illegal masters. We wonder where have gone the champions of the Human Rights causes who day in day out clamor about the promotion and the protection of the HR in the society? We feel also disheartened viewing the total insensitivity exhibited by the newly formed HR Commission which houses self proclaimed number one champions of the HR in the country? Thanks the Nepali media that has to a greater extent been able to highlight the pains and the plights of the Kamaiyas after gaining freedom. Unfortunately those bigwigs who should have been in the capital to sort out the Kamaiya problem were on a foreign jaunt. Predictably the leaders currently on a trip abroad would remain bogged down the moment they land in Kathmandu in their never ending internal party rivalry once again thus leaving the bonded laborers to the mercy of the Almighty.

Now that the Kamaiyas have been freed through a government decree, however, the same lot today finds itself in pretty cold as the government and the dollar pocketing NGOs both have remained averse to their real issues that were related with living a minimum dignified lives. The situation in which the bonded Nepali brethren find themselves today is supposedly more poverty-stricken than what it used to be under the mercy of their former caretakers. At least their former masters had assured them of two times meal a day albeit the treatment meted out to the destitute were appalling. Media reports have it that the Kamaiyas are now forced to go on for begging simply to feed their small kids and that the girls in teens belonging to this deprived classes have started opting for some other “inferior and shameful” means to sustain their lives. If this plight continues for long then predictably the unemployed and the uneducated youths belonging to this set might find comfortable in joining the camps of unsociable elements thus adding to the burden of the establishment. And this they will do willingly only to feed their empty bowls. A hungry stomach will then not waste time in thinking which profession, good or bad, should be joined in. 

The freshly freed Kamaiyas perhaps find themselves coming out from the fire only to land on the frying pan.

It is time that the government considers the gravity of the issue and acts accordingly before it is too late.

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