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“Freedom is not a universal and natural opposition to slavery that
can be created by a declaration or speech” Tim Whyte, Kailali, 2001.
It has been more than two years since the system of bonded labor was
declared illegal and to be abolished by the government in Nepal. In
the aftermath of the celebration of liberation the former bonded
laborers, also known as kamayias, found themselves in an awkward
situation.
The landlords, who they used to work for, kicked them out instead of
starting to pay salary. Suddenly they were free, but without food or
shelter in the middle of the monsoon rains. The ex-kamaiyas started
to gather in camps in the districts of Kailali, Bardia, Dang, Banke
and Kanchanpur. NGOs and INGOs tried to advocate on behalf on more
than 50.000 ex-kamaiyas left with no means to support themselves and
silenced by local authorities, in order to keep up the struggle for
getting the government to provide land to the ex- kamayias.
Two years after the freedom declaration the people in the camps
still have a long way to go before the camps are no longer necessary
and the people living there are all provided with land enabling them
to make a living. Many have already died in the camps. In the camps
of Bardia districts twenty ex-kamaiyas have died during the last two
years.
The ex-kamaiyas took the street in Dhangadhi to mark the date for
the declaration of freedom from bonded labor the 17th of july, 2000
and to give the message to the people outside the camps that they
will keep up the struggle not allowing the responsible authorities
to act as if the camps are invisible and the people living there are
non-existing.
We want peace and order, end of killings
and violence is our aspiration.
Don't
destroy public infrastructure,
end killings, violence and looting.
Let us
follow the path of peace.
Ex-kamaiyas
try to find shadow from the burning sun
during demonstration in Dhangadhi.
Ex-kamaiaya
women and children in demonstration.
Going to
the streets of Dhangadhi.
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