Hundreds of landless squatters staged an anti-government demonstration in Kathmandu on Thursday, protesting against the eviction drive carried out across Nepal, including the capital.
The protesters, agitating under the banner of the National Landless Squatters Front at the Maitighar Mandala area, demanded compensation for families whose settlements were bulldozed by authorities with the deployment of armed security personnel.
They carried placards reading “No Balen government, no bulldozer”, “Stop forcible eviction, halt bulldozer terror” and “We need justice, no bulldozer”.
Scale of displacement
In the Kathmandu Valley alone, around 4,000 structures belonging to landless people have been demolished by authorities over the past three weeks, displacing at least 15,000 people, according to officials.
The eviction drive has targeted squatter settlements along riverbanks and public land, where thousands of landless families had built makeshift homes over the years.
Government considers rent aid
Chairman of the State Management and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives, Hari Dhakal, informed a committee meeting that the government was considering providing a monthly allowance of Nepali Rs 15,000 to each evicted squatter family towards house rent.
The proposal, if approved, would offer some relief to displaced families struggling to find alternative accommodation in an already expensive Kathmandu housing market.
Rights groups and opposition react
The Federation of Non-governmental Organisations Nepal, in a statement, said its serious attention has been drawn towards “inhuman treatment, disrespectful behaviour and arrest” of landless squatters by the state. The federation alleged that authorities were undermining basic human rights and constitutional guarantees related to housing.
It urged the government to deal with squatters in a humanitarian manner and ensure accommodation, education, healthcare and livelihood support for displaced families.
Opposition parties have strongly raised the issue in the ongoing Parliament session. They demanded an immediate halt to the eviction drive, besides seeking shelter, food and other necessary arrangements for the displaced.
The political context
The protests have intensified pressure on the government led by Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, who has pursued an aggressive campaign to clear encroachments from public land. While authorities argue the evictions are necessary to restore riverbanks and public spaces, critics say adequate notice and rehabilitation plans were not provided.
The slogan “No Balen government, no bulldozer” on protest placards directly targets the mayor’s approach, reflecting growing political tension over how to balance urban planning with the rights of the landless poor.
With around 15,000 already displaced and more evictions possible, the issue is likely to remain a flashpoint in Nepal’s political discourse in the coming weeks.
