Hundreds of former bonded labourers (Kamaiyas) in Bardiya district have complained about not being able to plant crops on the land distributed to them by the government. They say the plots are already being used by other Kamaiya families who are yet to receive land from the government. 

Devi Tharu, whose family received 4 katthas of land from the government at Manpurtapara, said when he visited his plot he was surprised to see it being earned by another Kamaiya family. 

“I could not evict them even though I had legal ownership over the land, because this family had been living off the land for a long time,” he said.

There are many former Kamaiya families who are facing the same trouble as Devi: they own lands that they cannot use. Instead of living off their own land, they are working as tenant farmers. 

As part of former Kamaiya rehabilitation programme, the government has resettled 10,699 former Kamaiya families in Bardiya; of them, around 600 families have been provided with land titles so far. 

Krishna Tharu of Freed Kamaiya Society claimed not a single family that received land ownership documents from the government have been able to earn them.

“Since the people occupying or cultivating the land are also former Kamaiyas, we are not in favour of evicting them. This is a problem created by the government and we demand the government to solve it,” he said.

The former Kamaiya families living in Sukhar, Sangharshanagar, Nayagaun, Jogipur, Babuwaphant, Kapas Faram and Magaradi areas have started a campaign to press the government to address their concern.