Former `kamaiyas' freed, continue sit-in protests (news update)

Police on Tuesday has released nearly two hundred former `kamaiyas' (bonded laborers) after keeping them into custody for over seven hours.

Talking to Nepalnews, Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary, chairman of the Backward Society Education (BASE) -- the NGO that is coordinating the protest of former kamaiyas—said it was the gross violation of people's fundamental rights to express their grievances in a peaceful way. He said over half a dozen former kamaiyas were injured during the scuffle with police this morning.

Police took former kamaiyas into custody Tuesday morning as they marched from Maitighar mandala towards Singha Durbar demanding land and rehabilitation services from the government.

As monsoon showers continue to hit the capital, hundreds of kamaiyas have erected 'make-shift' tents at 'Maitighar Mandala'—at the crossroads of Maitighar, Thapathali and Singha Durbar—and continue to stage sit-in programme against the government's apathy.

Six years ago on July 18, the Sher Bahadur Deuba government had declared abolition of the 'kamaiya system' and had promised Rs ten thousand, five katthas of land and timber to construct house to each family of freed kamaiya. "Even after six years, only 8,000 out of over 35,000 kamaiya families have received land as promised by the government," said Chaudhary.

Former kamaiyas also organized protest programmes in Banke, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts on Tuesday demanding "land, rehabilitation or jail" for their families.

Dilli Chaudhary said that it was the decisive protest being launched by the former kamaiyas. "We won't return empty-handed this time," warned Chaudhary, a Reebok-prize winner for his work for the upliftment of backward Tharu community in mid-and far-western Nepal. "Thousands of former kamaiyas stand ready to march to Kathmandu if the government ignores our demands," he added. nepalnews.com by July 18 06