Freed Kamaiyas : Life after freedom

(I) Kohali Chaudhari, along with her 7-member family, was forcefully evicted by her landlord a week back. Though her husband Jokhan Chaudhari had already repaid the sauki (debt) two years back, lack of economic opportunities forced him to stay with the landlord. None of the adult members in Kohali's family know any skill outside agriculture. Jokhan Chaudhary is the third generation kamaiya. Kohali was married to this kamaiya when she was old enough to serve the landlord as an orgini (house maid). Kohili cannot tell her age neither she remembers how many years back she was married to Jokhan. Jokhan's family served various landlords and was never allowed formal education. Since he left the landlord's household without having been allowed to collect his personal belongings, he has been searching for employment as unskilled labourer in vein.

(II) "I can die of hunger but would never return to the kisan," says Phul Bahadur Chaudhari who had the sauki of Rs. 12,000 to his lanlord Man Bahadur Chaudhari when the government announced sauki illegal. "During all those years as kamaiya me and my family were underfed for the backbreaking works we did for the landlord. But curse and misuse was fed to us regularly," comes a cynic remark. Series of maltreatment he and his family endured from the landlord finally ended when he left the landlord's household two weeks back. Phul Bahadur fought for his freedom even after the official abolition of kamaiya system. Though his family was finally able to escape the landlord's household, their belongings are kept by the landlord as deposits for repayment of sauki.

(III) A throng of freed kamaiyas had to physically frighten Govinda Bhatta to free Sahani Chaudhari's family from bondage. Though Govinda Bhatta had promised to pay Rs. 1200 per month for the family's word last Maghi (the annual festival when kamaiyas renew kamaiya-ship for a year ahead), Sahani's family never received the promised cash. Ten members of her family worked for Bhatta household. A debt of Rs. 5,000 was left behind by Sahani's father-in-law when he died. After seven years of incessant labour by Sahini, her husband her seven children and a daughter-in-law, the sauki later accumulated to Rs. 25,000. Now Sahani's family depend fully on the ration being distributed by BASE. The family is living in a hut covered by a plastic sheet, that too provided by BASE. Her eldest two sons and husband are out in rain to hunt for works everyday but they have not succeeded so far.

(IV) Although Man Bujhauna Chaudhari was able to secure a job as rikshaw puller for the first week he left his landlord he lost the job a week ago when another newly freed kamaiya offered to work for less than the daily wage of Rs. 60 Man Bujhauna was earning. Man Bujhauna is pessimistic about finding another job that would sustain his family. "The first time my kisan cursed, my daughter who was working as an orgini died without any illness. When I was leaving his household he cursed that my family endure a series of misfortune. I guess the cursing is effective now," says the illiterate former kamaiya.

(V) Sundari Chaudhari and her family were forced to spend the previous night out in open, when the nearby Gauri Ganga river flooded into her new makeshift hut. In the last two weeks, her family was distributed a ration of rice and lentils only once. Her husband was able to find work only for three days since they left the landlord two weeks back. Her husband has no skill outside agriculture and farmers nearby are against employing kamaiyas for wages. "We would die like dogs if we are not distributed food and drinking water soon," she says.

(VI) Dal Bahadur Chaudhari turned out to be very lucky. Only three days earlier, he entered a contract into an agreement with a farmer to work as a farm worker. The job will earn him Rs. 2100 per month. "This will sustain my family for sometimes," says a happy Dal Bahadur who was born to a kamaiya family and had worked for different kisans. But he is worried about unemployment of his sons who are depending on his monthly earning and the ration distributed by NGOs for the time being. "Government should provide us with farming land, otherwise we will end up worst than staying with kisans. We have no skill outside agriculture," he says.

(VII) Janjira Khuna was forcefully evicted by his former kisan who feared that Janjira might claim for tenancy rights over his land. However, the landlord is not willing to let his sauki of Rs. 12,000 go waived. Bal Chandra Bohara, the landlord, still holds Janjira's aged father as a guarantee for repayment of sauki that was outlawed by 17 July government declaration. "The ration we are receiving is too little to feed my family," says Janjira. But he is not willing to find employment for the time being. The reason? Janjira was told (when he was working as a road labourer) that those kamaiyas who find employment would not be given land for housing when the government distributed it.

(VIII) Hira Devi Chaudhari is a success story. She was one of the first batch of kamaiyas who filed a petition against their landlord Shiva Raj Pant on 1 May that kicked off the kamaiya freedom movement. Now her husband works as a loader for a carrier company and saves up to Rs. 100 daily. "There is less work and more rest after leaving the Pant household," says Hira Devi. Her husband enrolled their son to a local public school last week, and Hira Devi says her four-year old daughter has weight after their freedom. Hira Devi too wants to earn to supplement her husband's income when her daughter grows up and starts going to school. Now she is aware about family planning methods too. She feels two children are enough and wants to sterilise. "But the doctor said I am too weak for the operation at present. I have started eating vegetable with rice to get stronger. As soon as my body allows I will go for sterilisation," Hira Devi says with a beaming smile.