KAILALI: It’s already 17 years since the Haliya Pratha, an exploitative system of agrarian bonded labour practiced in the districts of the Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces, was ended in 2008.
Abolishing the practice of bonded labour, the government had announced the resettlement programmes for the bonded labourers announcing their emancipation in nine districts of the Sudurpaschim and three of Karnali provinces.
The stakeholders have stated that some of the families of the Haliya are still not resettled as yet despite the government’s announcement long back.
Executive Director of Rastriya Mukta Haliya Samaj Federation stated that only 13,546 families were resettled out of the total 16,953 Haliya families verified by the government. Likewise, 1,104 families are still awaiting the final trance of the assistance.
The Federation has asked the government to be serious for the resettlement of the free Haliya. “This is disappointing. Those getting identity cards too were not resettled. And, some of the families are yet to get the identity cards,” Federation’s Chairman Ishwar Sunar viewed.
The activists have called for prioritizing the issues of education, health care, employment, sustainable livelihood, social empowerment and inclusion while working for the resettlement of the free Haliya.
In the recent years, some of the local levels in the two provinces have also developed their procedures for the resettlement of free Haliya.
As per the Federation records compiled by the Federation, 30 local levels in Sudurpaschim and one in Karnali unveiled such procedures.
The Sudurpaschim Province government has also prepared the Free Kamaiya, Haliya and Kamlari Resettlement Procedures.
The stakeholders have pressed for the implementation of such legal instruments.
Activist Hariram Shreepaili argued that the agenda of resettlement of the free Haliya would not be delayed if all three layers of government bear with their responsibilities.
A recent study by the UN agency ILO revealed that many freed Haliya families in Karnali Province still face poverty, discrimination, and lack of basic services.
The report titled “Analysis of situation of the freed-Haliyas in Karnali Province of Nepal” has also called for a coordinated, rights-based approach to ensure full inclusion and justice for all freed Haliyas while examining the socio-economic and political realities of freed Haliya families in Surkhet, Jajarkot, and Humla districts.
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