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Although a
trade of human organs is a crime in Nepal, abject poverty, illiteracy
and lack of public awareness have resulted in an alarming situation in
eastern Nepal after people went on selling their kidneys as an
alternative to meet basic needs of their own.
The practice of illegal trading of human organs has become so common in villages of Kavre district, some 45 km far from Nepali capital.
Some eight village development committees (VDCs) namely Hokse, Panchkhal, Jyamdi, Baluwa Kharelthok, Koshidekha, Mahadevsthan and Jaisithok of the district are notoriously known as the 'Kidney Bank,' as kidney racketeers easily lured the poor people assuring them to provide millions of rupees in return.
Three years ago, a 24-year-old Kanchha Budhathoki was working at a garment factory in Kathmandu when a fellow worker promised him a better job in India.
"He said he would find me a good job in India. When we reached New Delhi, the capital city of India we went to a hospital and they tested my blood. Another day they gave me alcohol then they gave me an injection. I became unconscious and when I woke up I was in hospital and they had already taken one of my kidneys," Kanchha Budhathoki told Xinhua on Monday.
Kanchha's mother Lalkumari Budhathoki said she was deeply upset that three of her sons have sold their kidneys. "If they had told me earlier, I would have stopped them. They told me that they wanted to earn more money. I never take one cup of tea from that money and in future I won't take anything from that money because it comes from organ selling," she said.
Most of the people living in the villages are from Dalit and Tamang community who are forced to live in abject poverty. Many are illiterate, so it's easy for the kidney brokers to take advantage of them. Among many others, Gyan Bahadur Tamang 49-year- old was one who also sold his kidney at the Silver Hospital in India last year.
The broker had taken him to Madras, India's kidney capital where the organs sell for more than 7,000 US dollars on the black market. Gyan Bahadur who was earlier assured of providing 2, 000 US dollars by Rajan Damai, a kidney trafficker had provided him just 900 US dollars.
"I did not have enough food to eat and debts needed to be repaid," said Gyan Bahadur.
Selling human organs is a crime under Nepali law and those found to be selling human organs or aiding the activity can face up to 10 years jail and a fine of 7,000 US dollars. The law only allows for a blood relative to donate a kidney to an ailing family member.
Badri Prasad Dhungana is a teacher and social worker in Kavre district who is trying to raise awareness against the growth of organ trade in the village.
"This is a serious problem in our village. Six years ago only four people had sold their kidneys in this place, but now I have recorded that over 300 people have sold their kidneys after undergoing surgery in India. In some families there are four or five members of a single house who have sold their kidneys," said Dhungana in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.
Dhungana said the local government is not serious about controlling it. In 2008, a notorious Indian kidney kingpin, Amit Kumar was arrested in Nepal. Earlier in May, a Nepali man was arrested in New Delhi for trying to sell his wife's kidney. The two arrests however, have not affected the trade in Kavre.
After various levels of awareness campaign some victims and locals have lodged complaints at the District Administration Office and the police, demanding action against the agents. They have submitted a memorandum with a list of the culprits at the Chief District Office.
District Police Office Surendra Prasad Mainali, Police Chief of the district said they were unable to nab the guilty as people who requires money and sell kidney deals with the agent secretly and they did not inform police as they were themselves in dire need of money to meet their basic needs.
Apart of police administration initiations, organizations like Asia Foundation, Protection of People's Rights (PPR) Nepal, Mahila Tamang Ghedung and LACC Nepal, had even come up with a list of victims who had already sold one of their kidneys and submitted it to the District Police Office.
According to Krishna Pyari Nakarmi, district coordinator of the PPR Nepal, these organizations have been conducting several programs to raise awareness among the vulnerable communities in the district.
"We provide legal advice to the victims," she said. However, none of the victims have helped police administration by officially registering their complaints.(globaltimes.cn)
The practice of illegal trading of human organs has become so common in villages of Kavre district, some 45 km far from Nepali capital.
Some eight village development committees (VDCs) namely Hokse, Panchkhal, Jyamdi, Baluwa Kharelthok, Koshidekha, Mahadevsthan and Jaisithok of the district are notoriously known as the 'Kidney Bank,' as kidney racketeers easily lured the poor people assuring them to provide millions of rupees in return.
Three years ago, a 24-year-old Kanchha Budhathoki was working at a garment factory in Kathmandu when a fellow worker promised him a better job in India.
"He said he would find me a good job in India. When we reached New Delhi, the capital city of India we went to a hospital and they tested my blood. Another day they gave me alcohol then they gave me an injection. I became unconscious and when I woke up I was in hospital and they had already taken one of my kidneys," Kanchha Budhathoki told Xinhua on Monday.
Kanchha's mother Lalkumari Budhathoki said she was deeply upset that three of her sons have sold their kidneys. "If they had told me earlier, I would have stopped them. They told me that they wanted to earn more money. I never take one cup of tea from that money and in future I won't take anything from that money because it comes from organ selling," she said.
Most of the people living in the villages are from Dalit and Tamang community who are forced to live in abject poverty. Many are illiterate, so it's easy for the kidney brokers to take advantage of them. Among many others, Gyan Bahadur Tamang 49-year- old was one who also sold his kidney at the Silver Hospital in India last year.
The broker had taken him to Madras, India's kidney capital where the organs sell for more than 7,000 US dollars on the black market. Gyan Bahadur who was earlier assured of providing 2, 000 US dollars by Rajan Damai, a kidney trafficker had provided him just 900 US dollars.
"I did not have enough food to eat and debts needed to be repaid," said Gyan Bahadur.
Selling human organs is a crime under Nepali law and those found to be selling human organs or aiding the activity can face up to 10 years jail and a fine of 7,000 US dollars. The law only allows for a blood relative to donate a kidney to an ailing family member.
Badri Prasad Dhungana is a teacher and social worker in Kavre district who is trying to raise awareness against the growth of organ trade in the village.
"This is a serious problem in our village. Six years ago only four people had sold their kidneys in this place, but now I have recorded that over 300 people have sold their kidneys after undergoing surgery in India. In some families there are four or five members of a single house who have sold their kidneys," said Dhungana in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.
Dhungana said the local government is not serious about controlling it. In 2008, a notorious Indian kidney kingpin, Amit Kumar was arrested in Nepal. Earlier in May, a Nepali man was arrested in New Delhi for trying to sell his wife's kidney. The two arrests however, have not affected the trade in Kavre.
After various levels of awareness campaign some victims and locals have lodged complaints at the District Administration Office and the police, demanding action against the agents. They have submitted a memorandum with a list of the culprits at the Chief District Office.
District Police Office Surendra Prasad Mainali, Police Chief of the district said they were unable to nab the guilty as people who requires money and sell kidney deals with the agent secretly and they did not inform police as they were themselves in dire need of money to meet their basic needs.
Apart of police administration initiations, organizations like Asia Foundation, Protection of People's Rights (PPR) Nepal, Mahila Tamang Ghedung and LACC Nepal, had even come up with a list of victims who had already sold one of their kidneys and submitted it to the District Police Office.
According to Krishna Pyari Nakarmi, district coordinator of the PPR Nepal, these organizations have been conducting several programs to raise awareness among the vulnerable communities in the district.
"We provide legal advice to the victims," she said. However, none of the victims have helped police administration by officially registering their complaints.(globaltimes.cn)
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