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Ex-Kamaiya
Driven away: no place to live in
Yesterday, the 9th of January, the Forest Office moved in and
destroyed four more kamaiya settlements in Kailali district. Following the
destruction of a settlement in December, the government has once again
show a sheer lack of sympathy and a sense of responsibility towards the
"freed" bonded labourers.
With a state of emergency in effect the army is active throughout the
country. Demonstrations are banned and newspapers are unwilling to write
articles that appear critical of the government actions. The kamaiyas are
left largely unable to resist the government actions.
The settlements destroyed yesterday were at Baskota, Athariya and Nanital
in Kailali and Bangai in Bardiya District. In all cases the kamaiyas had
been living there for at least a year now. They had farmed a rice-crop
during the monsoon to feed themselves. They had avoided cutting down trees
in the area, and stated that they
would resettle if the government provided them land.
The government is claiming that it is resettling the kamaiyas now.
However, many of the kamaiyas whose huts were burned down have still not
received ID cards, so they are not recognized by the government. They have
nowhere to go. Families who are registered have been directed to settle on
land already occupied by other kamaiyas in other settlements.
It is now cold winter in the Tarai. Once more the kamaiyas have been
thrown into homelessness by the government.
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