National Land Rights People Forum   National Land Rights Forum is the national people's organization of all the people working in the land.   Read More..

National Land Rights Concern Group   National Land Rights Concern Group (NLRCG) is a participatory network advocate for the people who are deprived of their rights to land.   Read More..

News & Events

Sit-in Protest of Haruwa/ Charuwa adjourned

The Haruwa/ Charuwa in both Saptari and Siraha districts organised a sit-in protest in front of the District Administration Office from the 25th of December 2009 for 11 consecutive days demanding that the Haruwa/ Charuwa system be brought to an end. Their first demand is: real record of the Haruwa/ Charuwa, debts that they have, wages received by them, area of tilled land must be collected by the Village Development Committee (V.D.C.) and the team responsible for the collection of this data must include representatives of National Land Rights Forum (NLRF) and Haruwa/ Charuwa Forum. Other demands include: after the collection of data the Haruwa/ Charuwa should be provided with land ownership rights in the land of their landowners as per the necessary policies and regulations, all debts of the Haruwa/ Charuwa should be cancelled, organise capacity development training programmes for the them so as to improve their livelihood, formulate justifiable minimum wage system for then and implement all the afore mentioned rules and regulations. Their demands also include proper monitoring of the rules and regulations by the V.D.C.

On the 12th of July 2009 the Haruwa/ Charuwa of Siraha and Saptari had met the current Prime Minister Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal, as well as Land Reform and Management and Forest Ministers. Although the ministers had assured on meeting their demands they have not been addressed till date. The annual budget for the fiscal year 2009/2010 had declared that the oppression on the Haruwa/ Charuwa would be brought to an end and necessary steps will be taken so as to secure their right to a dignified and secured livelihood; however there have been no efforts regarding this.

In this context, after 11 days of sit-in protest an agreement has reached between the Chief District Officers (of both the districts) and the rights deprived that within 15 days a meeting will be held to discuss about sending a representative of the Haruwa/ Charuwa in the Squatters' Commission, collect actual data of the Haruwa/ Charuwa and cancellation of their debts. The meeting will consist of 3 rights deprived, political party leaders of 22 parties, Chief District Officer, Local Development Officer, and Chief Police Officer. Although the rights deprived had organised the sit-in protest to be free from this slavery system during the peak harsh winter month of December, the government is yet to address their demands. The protest had the participation of 50 rights deprived on a daily basis.


 

National gathering of land rights activist<

National gathering of land rights activist was organised in Gaidakot, Nawalparasi from the 30th of December 2009 - 1st January 2010. The gathering was organised with the following major objectives:

° To provide a platform for the activists to get to know and share their experiences amongst each other.

° To discuss on the present context of land rights movement from grass root to national level and analyse activists' role and responsibilities in the movement.

° To increase theoretical understanding of the activists' so as to improve their work in the future.

In this context, group works were conducted by the activists' on various reflective topics like: creative work undertaken by the activists in the community; remarkable changes brought forth by them; challenges faced within and outside the community during the movement process; changes observed among the activist after being involved in the movement; other remarkable issues apart from land rights issues raised by them; areas of improvement in them; problems faced by the activists'; necessary steps to be taken by them in order to improve their work and the movement.

Similarly deeply discussions were held on topics of 'Activists and Popular Education training'; 'Land and agro reform for food security and activists' role'; Natural resources, politics and role of activists'; and 'Activista and its upcoming movement'. Facilitation of these sessions was conducted by Mr. Roshan Chitrakar, PhD, Mr. Jagannath Adhikari, PhD, Mr. Krishna Paudel, PhD, and Mr. Raj Rajak respectively. Discussions on issues of 'Land Rights and Constitution'; 'Our concept of land reform, peoples' organisation and the movement' were conducted by Mr. Jagat Basnet and Mr. Jagat Deuja respectively. Sharing on the present progress of land reform commission and squatter commission was also done.

Different cultural songs were also presented by the activists' in-between the programme while Ms. Sunita Maji, Dang; Ms. Lila B.K., Dang; Ms. Pabitra Aryal, Bardiya; Mr. Shiva Pasi, Banke; Ms. Anarkali Chaudhary, Dang; and Ms. Renuka Malla, Udaypur shared their experiences of working as activists' in land rights movement. The activists were also shown a 2 hour documentary on land rights issues every evening. On the last day, reflection of the gathering was done and achievements of the programme were concluded:

° A total of 130 land rights activists from 26 districts have successfully gotten to know each other making them realise that   they are not alone in this movement.

° Understanding on issues of popular education, food security, land rights in the constitution, present situation of land rights   movement and peoples' organisation has deepened.

° Utilisation of natural resources and its link with land rights movement.

° Critical reflection of the activists, sharing of their learning, challenges and experiences.




 

Farmers of Sindhupalchowk protest for their rights on land

Around 350 land rights deprived of Sindhupalchowk held a sit-in protest in front of the Land Revenue Office from the 4th-8th of December. The protest was organised by National Land Rights Forum (NLRF). Registered and unregistered tenants; farmers tilling in Guthi, Ukhada, Birta and public land from Helambu, Kuil, Ichwok, Mahankal, Jyamire, Shikharpur, Palchowk, Bhimtar, Fatakshila, Sipapokhare, Nawalpur, Badegaun, Phulpingkot, Ramche, Mankha, and Gaati V.D.C.s of Sindhupalchowk had walked a day before to reach the land revenue office for the sit-in. Rice and vegetables were collected from all the villages for the sit-in protest. Converting Guthi land into Raikar, tenancy rights on the basis of tilling land, and registration of public land were the major demands.

Top political party leaders of CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) Mr. Rajkumar Shrestha and Mr. K.P. Oli respectively had shown their solidarity to the protest. With the support of Mr. Oli the protesters had met with the Prime Minister and Land Reform and Management Minister to put forth their problems. On the 8th of December, chief of land reform and management department Mr. Keshar Baniya, viceadministrator of Guthi organisation Mr. Hem Subedi, Mr. Kedar Silwal of land reform and management department and representatives of NLRF had held a meeting and reached an agreement after which the protest was withheld.

In the agreement it was decided that the Government of Nepal would develop a mechanism to convert Guthi land into Raikar, provide tenancy rights on the basis of tilling the land, register public land in the name of the farmers tilling on it, issue joint ownership land certificates. Similarly, other agreements were to register birta land in the name of the tillers of Jyamire, Shikharpur and other relevant areas, issue land certificates to tillers whose registration have already been approved by the land registration committee, collection of actual data of unregistered tenants by the V.D.C., and sending it to the District Development Committee (D.D.C.) and the land registration office distributing necessary credentials according to it.