Rajbati's Journey from Agriculture Bonded Labour to Harawa-Charawa Leader for Voice and Concerns

Rajbati's Journey from Agriculture Bonded Labour to Harawa-Charawa Leader for Voice and Concerns

Ms. Rajbati Devi Mandal in her early forties (forty three years old) residents at Laxmipur Patari rural municipality ward-1 Pipara of Siraha district in province-2 works as agriculture bonded labour with the landlord Mr. Ram Narayan Yadav nearby. There are 6 members in her family including her husband, three daughters and one son.

In the past days, her family members were forced in labour work. They were not allowed to go out of the master for income generating activities. Therefore her financial condition was weak.  She said, 'Our master compelled us to work in his land as agriculture labour but we were not given the fair wage as per the value of our work. I had a fear to share something. I could not speak with other about my rights'

Once, Bhawani Integrated Development Center (BIDC) initiated to form a Harawa-Charawa group in her village. At the beginning, she was a treasurer of Laxmi Harawa-Charawa group. With the medium of group, she got opportunity to participate in various meetings, interaction programs and discussions. She was aware on the rights and emancipation of Harawa-Charawa.Then she also became a vice-chairperson of district Harawa-Charawa rights forum of Siraha. She also got opportunity to take part in the various network capacity development activities of HC organizations carried-out by RDN.  Her leadership capacity was being increased due to holding the position. As a result of this, now she has been elected as treasurer of national Harawa-Charawa rights forum from its 2nd national conference which was organized by Rastriya Dalit Network (RDN) Nepal.

Now she is actively advocating on the rights, emancipation of Harawa-Charawa. Recently she has participated in various advocacy activities at federal level. She took in the 13th National Human Rights Magna Meet-2021 and raised the voice and concerns of Harawa-Charawa in the various plate-forums. Actually, she participated in the following programs as;

  • Face to face meeting with ministry of land reform, cooperative and poverty alleviation, finance, agriculture, labour, employment and social security, national human rights commission and national planning commission
  • Federal level multi-stakeholders policy dialogue on the issue of agriculture bonded labours
  • Joint advocacy for integrated bonded labour Act
  • Synergy meeting with land commissiom

Now, she is able to systematically claim for the rights of Harawa-Charawa. Similarly, by observing his collective bargaining and negotiation skill, Nepal Television offered her for TV talk program. In that program, she confidently raised the issues of HC demands with government of Nepal. The link of the TV talk program of Rajbati Mandal is referred as;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar0g_z6r8xM

 

She further says, 'Now I am able to express my views with full my confidence. My daughter has completed 10+2 and son is also going to complete it. I am fighting for freedom. Our economic condition has also improved.' She finally gives the special thanks to the Freedom Fund (FF), its implementing partners and RDN that contributed in her overall empowerment.