With government promises of rehabilitation and better living conditions unfulfilled, the Kamaiyas and the Haliyas have threatened to go on “decisive protests”. In this connection, the Kamaiya Pratha Unmulan Samaj (KPUS) submitted a nine-point memorandum to the Prime Minister and all the political parties on Tuesday. The agreement reached with the government at Tinkune following the formation of the Koirala-led government, the Kamaiyas allege, has only been a ruse to deprive them of their legitimate rights. It is noteworthy that the government declared the Kamaiyas free from slavery in 2000.

It is understandable that the government has too many difficult tasks to perform at once, including the fast approaching deadline for the constituent assembly polls and the agitation in the Tarai. However, the government should not have bitten more than it could chew by promising to fulfil most of the Kamaiyas’ demands when it was clearly not in a position to do so. But the Kamaiyas and Haliyas, who are demanding that all their demands be met prior to the CA polls, should also understand that one of the primary reasons for holding the elections is to draw a new constitution which would protect the interests of all sections, including those of the Kamaiyas and Haliyas. The government, on its part, should try to take the dissenting parties into confidence and implement the promises within a reasonable time limit.