Kathmandu, December 7:

Freed Kamaiyas have threatened to revolt against the government if they are not provided with the promised land and are neglected.

They say the government has still been neglecting them and exploiting them seven years after they were declared free. “In the past we were exploited by landlords and now the government is neglecting us,” said Som Lal Tharu, a freed Kamaiya, at a press meet today.

Members of the Central Rehabilitation Committee of freed Kamaiyas expressed their anguish at the press meet.

“Though the government declared us free seven years ago, we are not free in the true sense. The government has taken no heed for our problems and pleas,” they said.

In districts like Dang, Banke, Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur, there are 16,791 freed Kamaiyas, of whom 9253 have been recognised by the government and very few have been provided with land.

Those who have land ownership certificates are unable to identify their land and the plots provided are not suitable for cultivation. And most of them, who are identified as Kamaiyas, are not given identification cards.

Jagat Bahadur Chaudhary, a member of the Central Rehabilitation Committee, said that while the whole country is rejoicing in democracy, freed Kamaiyas are still living in a desperate condition.

“Seven years after declaring free, the government has established a high-level commission for the rehabilitation of freed Kamaiyas, but it has not begun its work even two months after its establishment. If the government continues to ignore us we will come up with protest programmes,” he added.