It was reported, in 2008, that there were more than 11,000 children working as kamaiya
bonded child labour. Children who work in the kamaiya system perform domestic chores,
take animals to pasture, collect grass/hay, and participate in other farm activities. Many of
them work over twelve hours per day. The kamaiya system was commonly known as an
agriculturally based bonded labour system which were pervasive among Tharu
indigenous people in the mid- and far-western Terai of Nepal. In July 2000, the
Government of Nepal made a landmark decision to outlaw the kamaiya system and issued
the Bonded Labour Prohibition Act in 2002 which was intended to provide
comprehensive regulation prohibiting bonded labour. However, in the mid- and farwestern
Terai districts, children have been continuously affected by such practice.
The fact that the practice of kamaiya bonded child labour in the mid and far-western Terai
is still widely practiced a decade after the abolition of kamaiya system raises an essential
question about what preserves the practice. This study is an attempt to understand the
complex factors that contribute to the prevalent practice of kamaiya bonded child labour
in the mid- and far-western Terai of Nepal. In doing so, I use qualitative approach. I
analyse relevant legal and policy responses, and discuss socio-economic situation of
freed-kamaiya households. I also conducted a brief field research to gain more insight
about the socio-economic situation.
The study reveals that although various legal and policy frameworkss with regard to the
pertinent issue have been put in place, the implementation remains a big challenge. This
may then affect the socio-economic dimensions. Moreover, the interplay of different
factors such as poverty and household vulnerability; the elusive promise of education
from the employers; and the widespread societal acceptance of such practice, have likely
been preserving the kamaiya bonded child labour practice.