Agitation for Land: Freed Kamaiyas Injured

Police intervened in a protest demonstration staged by the freed Kamaiyas demanding 10 Katthas of land as part of their rehabilitation on Nov. 24 leaving as many as 15 freed Kamaiyas injured.

Angered by the lackadaisical attitude of the government towards their rehabilitation, especially the land issue, hundreds of freed Kamaiyas marched in a procession towards the local Land Reforms Office to stage a sit in pressing for the fulfillment of their demand. The police tried to stop them thereby prompting a scuffle, according to the Kamaiya Liberation Movement Mobilization Committee (KLMMC).

However, the Land Reforms Officer claims that police intervened only after the demonstrators started vandalizing the office and that no one was injured in the incident.

With their demand for land falling into the deaf ear, agitated freed Kamaiyas staged sit in in front of the District Development Committee offices and Land Reforms Offices in all five districts in western Nepal-Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke, Bardiya and Dang on Nov. 24.

The KLMMC and the Kamaiya Liberation Action Committee have issued a joint press release condemning the use of force against the demonstrators and warning of serious consequences (should the government fail to fulfil their demand soon).

Government officials concerned say that the distribution of identification cards to the freed (registered) Kamaiyas has reached its final phase, while the ILO has recently announced an assistance of Nepalese rupees 250 million for the rehabilitation of the freed Kamaiyas.

However, both the identification card distribution and ILO announcement have created controversy. For the NGOs working for the good of the freed Kamaiyas are saying that the government has failed to register the names of all freed Kamaiyas and that the ILO announcement is likely to hamper the movement for land.

They say that even if organizations like ILO intend to help the Kamaiyas, they should do so only after the government provides the freed Kamaiyas with land as per their demand.