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Update (22 Sept. 2000)
Recent
updates from the field
A team of
the representatives of the Local Development Ministry, World Food
Programme and German Organization GTZ recently visited various freed
Kamaiya camps in Kanchanpur district to take stock of the relief work
being carried out under food for work programme for the freed Kamaiyas and
see what they can do for their rehabilitation.
In course
of the visit, the team was apprised by the Local Development Officer of
the progress in the identification of freed Kamaiyas and public land for
distributing them.
Some of the
freed Kamaiyas in various camps in Kanchanpur and Kailali districts are
getting some employment and food under the food for work programme, while
those taking shelter in the Children's Organization building at
Mahendranagar town in Kanchanpur complain that they have not received any
employment and food as yet.
Puran Devi
Chaudhari, who is a sort of leader of the freed Kamaiya women, said some
NGOs including BASE are doing their best to provide some food and health
care to those in the camps. But their stock of relief materials is also
dwindling fast. NNSWA, an NGO which has also been providing food and
medical care to the Camp inmates is fast running short of relief
materials, said the president of the organization indicating that it will
not be able to continue with the relief work any longer.
In addition
to hunger, the freed Kamaiyas are also falling a prey to various kinds of
diseases.
Meanwhile,
District Police Office, Kanchanpur has employed 10 out of the 68 freed
Kamaiyas in the nearby camps for some days promising to pay them Rs.
80/day, the minimum wage fixed by the local authority. This is the first
time these Kamaiyas are getting the minimum wage fixed for agricultural
labourers by the government.
With the
former Kamaiya masters protesting against the government decision to free
the Kamaiyas and waive the debt some tension is growing between the
landlords and their freed Kamaiyas. Given this situation, it has been
imperative on the part of local intellectuals, social workers, elected
representatives and journalists to contribute from their respective
quarters to building an atmosphere of goodwill and understanding.
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