May 18, Butwal — In Rupandehi, which has the second highest number of informal settlers and landless squatters after Kailali, a massive protest was held on Sunday, marking the second large demonstration since the formation of the current government led by Raswap. The first protest had occurred on April 7. The government’s use of bulldozers to clear public land for its protection has ignited anger among informal settlers and landless squatters. The government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah had included resolving squatter issues within 1,000 days in its 100-point agenda. On March 27, the government had committed to completing certification within 60 days. However, through an ordinance, the government has already dissolved the Land Problem Resolution Commission.
Stakeholders said that due to the misinterpretation and incorrect categorization of informal settlers and landless squatters—disregarding the work of past commissions—they have lost faith in the government and had to choose the path of protest. Although the Supreme Court issued an interim order on April 8 barring the use of bulldozers in squatter settlements, the government operated bulldozers in Kohalpur on April 9, fueling suspicion and fear among informal settlers and landless squatters. Virendra Bik, a landless resident of Butwal, commented that despite the government’s strong two-thirds majority and having five years to work, bulldozers being used in managed settlements, violation of the court order, and disregarding recommendations from bodies like the United Nations have terrorized millions of citizens.
“The government, which received a five-year mandate, hastily took measures without proper management preparations, as if the sky will fall and the earth will split,” Bik said. “Ignoring court orders and international recommendations makes it clear that the government will not properly manage informal settlers, forcing us to protest.” He added that the ordinance introduced by the government is unlikely to solve the problem and may complicate it further; as the government itself has violated the court order, protests will continue until fair solutions are negotiated with stakeholders.
Harish Giri from Dang echoed concerns that the ordinance incorrectly defines and classifies informal settlers and landless squatters, potentially labeling millions more as squatters. “The ordinance, passed circumventing Parliament, raises many doubts. It misclassifies informal settlers and landless squatters,” Giri said. He concluded that the provision granting land only to those without land for three generations is impractical, unscientific, and unjust.
“People did not vote for Raswap to be pushed into despair or be forced to commit suicide,” Giri emphasized. He warned that unless bulldozing without dialogue or consensus with stakeholders ceases, squatters and informal settlers nationwide will launch an intensified protest centered in Singha Durbar.
Risab Pokharel from Butwal stated that originally all land belongs to the government, but due to unfair distribution, many remain landless or informal settlers; he warned that if land titles are not promptly issued based on cultivation rights, protests will escalate.
Rajkumar Bhattarai, Secretary of the Struggle Committee, highlighted that fear of eviction from homes inhabited for decades has caused mental distress and stress among millions of citizens. He noted that when police imposed curfew-like measures to forcibly control squatters’ settlements, protests intensified. Rights activist and civic leader Padam Karki stated that bulldozing without alternatives violates the constitution and humanity, prompting widespread opposition.
According to recent data, there are 1,271,557 landless and informal settler families across the country. Among them, 96,339 are landless Dalits, 175,105 are landless squatters, and 914,618 families are informal settlers. The landless and informal settlers have organized a national-level struggle committee and convened a national conference in Butwal. Scheduled for May 18, this conference aims to engage experts in discussions to produce concrete resolutions for just solutions to their problems, according to Committee Secretary Bhattarai.
The Committee has presented 11 major demands to the government, maintaining their protest. These include an immediate halt to bulldozing, forced evictions, demolitions, and inhumane treatment of landless squatters and informal settlers. They also demand an end to repression, arrests, intimidation, violence, and human rights violations, with full protection of their constitutional and human rights. Additionally, they seek swift completion of remaining administrative and legal formalities for land survey and mapping to expedite issuance of land ownership certificates. Following previous land laws, they demand free land title deeds for landless Dalit squatters for housing and agricultural purposes. For informal settlers, they propose issuance of land titles within the maximum area specified by land law, with a registration fee set at 10% of revenue from related property registration charges. Similarly, they request that, for agricultural purposes, informal settlers receive land titles with registration fees constituting 5% of such revenue. The Committee also calls for effective enforcement of the fundamental right to housing as stated in Article 37 of the Nepal Constitution.
