Kathmandu, March 26:

The Kamaiyas and Haliyas have warned the government that they will organise decisive protests if their demands were not met before the Constituent Assembly election. They have been demanding rehabilitation and better living conditions.

The Kamaiya Pratha Unmulam Samaj (KPUS) and Rastriya Haliya Mukti Samaj (RHMS) told mediapersons today that the freed Kamaiyas and Haliyas would boycott CA polls if their demands were not met before the polls.

Smile Chaudhary, coordinator of the KPUS, said, “The agreement reached between the government and the Kamaiyas remains only on paper.”

Chaudhary accused the government of creating misunderstanding between the Kamaiyas. The KPUS said it would submit a memorandum comprising a nine-point demand to the Prime Minister and all the political parties on March 27.

Basanti Chaudhary, a member of the Freed Kamaiyas Rehabilitation Central Committee, said though the government freed them from slavery in 2000, it has not freed them from hunger, diseases and illiteracy. “The 10-point agreement reached at Tinkune between Kamaiyas and the government was a ruse,” she said. “Nothing is being done for our rehabilitation.”

Fulmati Chaudhary, a freed Kamaiya, said they had been “living like monkeys”.

“We will gherao Singha Durbar and land reforms offices in the districts if the government does not address our problems.”

Haliyas, who till others’ land, also urged the government to free them from slavery by writing off their debts. They also sought compensation.

Dambar Bahadur Bishwokarma, a Haliya from Daud village development committee of Doti, was beaten up by a landlord and villagers for filing a case against the landlord.

He was forced to work as a Haliya after he could not repay Rs 7,500 to the landlord. Bishwokarma said, “My family and other relatives were also beaten up and threatened.”

Bishwokarma said he fled to the district headquarters after villagers threatened to kill him. There are over one lakh Haliyas in the far-western region.

They are living without proper food, clothes and shelter, states a survey.