Master‟S Thesis a STUDY on FREED-BONDED LABOURER (MUKTA KAMAIYA) in NEPAL CHAUDHARY (THARU) BUDDHI RAM Graduate School For
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Master‟s Thesis A STUDY ON FREED-BONDED LABOURER (MUKTA KAMAIYA) IN NEPAL CHAUDHARY (THARU) BUDDHI RAM Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation Hiroshima University September 2011 Title of the A STUDY ON FREED-BONDED LABOURER (MUKTA KAMAIYA) Master‟s Thesis IN NEPAL Student ID Number Name of the Student CHAUDHARY(THARU) BUDDHI RAM Main Academic Advisor Professor MAHARJAN KESHAV LALL ABSTRACT Kamaiya system is the bonded labour system that used to prevail in the rural economy of western Tarai of Nepal. Kamaiya used to enter into contract with landlord (Jamindar) verbally for one year, but usually gets trapped in the debt called „Saunki‟ to fulfill their family‟s basic needs, and become bonded labourer for generations. Kamaiya freedom was announced on 17July 2000, and was made illegal in the country by “Kamaiya Labour (Prohibition) Act 2002”. The rehabilitation of Mukta Kamaiya is still not completed after more than one decade. They are one of the socio-economically most disadvantaged people. This study assesses the socio-economic status of freed-bonded labourer (Mukta Kamaiya) and also analyzes the effect of Kamaiya freedom on farm management of landlords (Jamindars). A survey was carried out in 120 households of Kohalpur Village Development Committee (VDC) of Banke district and Kalika VDC of Bardiya district (60 households in each district) and 30 Jamindars from two districts from August till September 2010. The average family size of Mukta Kamaiya was found higher (6.5) than the national (5.45) and district average (5.74 in Banke), but in case of Bardiya, it is slightly lower (6.52). The literacy rate was found to be 68% in Banke and 70% in Bardiya respectively, and it is higher than the district as well as national average. It is largely due to the contribution of informal education programme (28%). Formal education and literacy rate is higher in younger population, but limited in lower secondary level (8th grade). Due to the extremely small size of land (0.088 ha), many Mukta Kamaiyas are drawn into a daily labouring work. Wage labouring is the basic livelihood strategy that employed i 47% of households heads and contributed 68% of total annual income. In spite of several skill development trainings delivered to them, overwhelmingly large number of household-heads (85%) are involved in unskilled wage labouring. It is due to the less utilization of technical skill trainings learnt (44%). The second most important source of income is farming that contributed 12% of the total annual income. Average annual gross income (cash and non-cash) of a household is NRs. 98,354 and annual expense is NRs. 91,751 (1 USD = NRS 72). Food security is an alarming issue among the Mukta Kamaiya. Only 4% of the households have food self-sufficiency whereas more than 33% have less than 1 month food self-sufficiency. Based on the minimum calorie intake, a large fragment (36% of households) are in food insecure condition and their average calorie intake is quite low (<1400 KCal/AE/day) than the recommended (2,144 Kcal/AE/day) in Tarai region of Nepal. Kamlahri form of child labouring is still prevailing in Mukta Kamaiya. It was found that 11% of households are sending their children as Kamlahri. Among the employed children, the larger proportion is working as Kamlahri (65%) and the majority of them are girls (67%). Twenty per cent Kamlahri are not getting opportunity to go school from the employers‟ house.The majority of the Kamlahris (70%) are working just for education and meal. After the prohibition of Kamaiya system, Jamindars are managing their farming basically through share cropping. The animal power based farming is gradually substituted by farm machineries due to the decreased livestock size and labour shortage. According to Jamindar, yield of major crops (rice, wheat and maize) has not increased much due to inadequate management. Physical infrastructure development, skill enhancement and educational support should be continued. This study suggests the creation of awareness by Mukta Kamaiyato deal with the root causes of this problem. Long term educational programme is necessary for the returned and rescued Kamlahris. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the organizations and personnels who supported me to pursue Masters Degreeat the- Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University, Japan. Firstly, I am thankful to the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Programme (JJ/WBGSP), Washington DC and Helvetas Nepal for the scholarship sponsorship and support to pursue my post graduate study. Secondly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my main academic supervisor Professor Kehav Lall MAHARJAN, for his constructive comments and valuable suggestions. My sincere appreciation is due to Professor YOSHIDA Osamu, Associate Professor TOGAWA Masahiko and Associate Professor KOKI Seki, the members of the advisory committee for their constructive comments and suggestions. I would also like to devote my deep regards to the Explorers of International Cooperation Studies in Cross Borders (G.ecbo) project of IDEC, Hiroshima University, and Forum for Rural Welfare and Agricultural Reform for Development (FORWARD-Nepal) for providing fund to conduct the research and hosting me in Nepal during the research period. I would like to acknowledge G.ecbo Chairperson, Prof. Higo and other staff. Similary, I want to express my sincere thanks to the staff of FORWARD Nepal especially Mr. Netra Pratap Sen, Mr. Gam Bahadur Gurung, Narayan Khanal and Padam Sapkota, for their support in the office and during the field work. The data collection would not have been successful without the support from Mr. Mitra Lal Chaudhary, Mr. Shova Ram Chaudhary and Mr. Gyan Bahadur Tharu. I would like to express my heartiest thanks to them. I am also very thankful to all the respondents for giving their valuable information and time. iii I also would like to thank to all the seminar members from Professor Maharjan‟s lab for critical comments, suggestions and encouragements during the entire period of my study. I am thankful to Professor Dharma Raj DANGOL for his support and advice to organize the findings of the research. I am thankful to Dr. Niraj Prakash Joshi and Ms Luni Piya for their academic and day-to-day life support in Saijo, Japan. It was a wonderful and enjoyable stay with very cordial and lovely support from all Nepalese friends in Saijo. I thank my labmates Dr. Boga Thura Manatsha, Dr. Ani, Fujimura, Arija, Muavar, Nazgul, Makoto, Suman, Mrinila, Zakaria, Sutiyo, Aby and Sugihashi for their support inspite of quite busy studies. The moments and time I spent with all the classmates of IDEC in different classses and other extra curricular activities will always be memorable. Thanks to all the friends! It will always be less and not such wonderful word to express my sincere gratitude to my father Shree Shalika Ram Tharu, and beloved late mother, Shree Bikram Tharu, for their endless wishes and bleshings. My sincere thankful also goes to my eldr brothers, Pitamber and Kashi Ram, who are the source of inspiration and drivers of my academics carrier. Finally, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my soul mate, Laxmi, and son Pranjal, for their patiency and love during the hard time of this study. Buddhi Ram Chaudhary August 19, 2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF APPENDICES............................................................................................................. x ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................................. xi GLOSSORY AND TERMS..................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER – 01: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Problem ............................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Rationale of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER - 02: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .......................................... 9 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Research Method .............................................................................................................