Agitating freed Kamaiyas call off protests

Freed Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) called off their strike from Sunday after the Ministry of Land Reform and Management agreed to form a high level commission within a month to expedite the process for their rehabilitation.

The pact was signed in presence of chairperson and members of the House of Representatives, Natural Means and Resources Committee, officials of Land Reforms Ministry and representatives of the agitating freed Kamaiyas.

They had been waging agitation at Singha Durbar for proper rehabilitation and demanding the government provide them land and grant facilities to help rehabilitate over 35,000 freed Kamaiyas.

Following the agreement, the agitating freed Kamaiyas have also announced the reopening of padlocked land reform offices in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts.

The government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba in July 2000 had freed a total of 35,621 Kamaiyas. Despite the government's commitment to provide them land, over 19,477 Kamaiyas are yet to get any land. nepalnews.com pb July 24 06

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