The land, owned by Nepali Congress (NC) leader Binaya Dhowj Chand and family members and seized by the Maoists some 11 years ago, was returned to Chand on Friday, but the party´s radical faction in the district planted the party´s red flag in the 43 bigha tract at Rajapur-7.[break]
The establishment faction of the Maoist party which inked the deal to return seized lands looks on helpless as the Baidya faction has launched an aggressive campaign against the decision.
Earlier in the day, the district-level taskforce comprising the three parties UCPN (Maoist), NC and UML, local facilitators and the local administration declared the land restored to the Chands.
After planting the party flag, Baidya faction cadres started ploughing the land with a tractor.
"They declared the land restored during daytime, but planted a party flag and seized the land again at night," a disappointed Chand told Republica.
There was a verbal agreement that the land would be leased out to those who are currently occupying it if the owners themselves don´t work it. Now the Chands are a confused lot as the Baidya faction has captured the land again, saying it was returned to the owners deceptively.
Taskforce member from the NC, Sanjaya Gautam, said: "The Maoists have flouted the seven-point deal. The land must be returned in earnest."
According to the district administration office, the private land holdings seized by the Maoists range from two khatta to 80 bigha.
Chief District Officer Ramkrishna Subedi stated that altogether 922 individuals have registered complaints about land seizures.
Some 250 individuals have applied for return of seized land at Manau, 95 have applied for land return at Patabhar, 86 at Rajapur, 85 at Manpur Tapara, 64 at Padnaha, 56 at Nayagaun, 49 at Badalpur.
In Banke district, where some 500 bigha is estimated to have been captured by the Maoists, 63 individuals have applied for return of their land. The district administration office stated that the office is yet to update the figures.
The Baidya faction leaders have issued a decree not to sell or buy the seized lands, and stated that they would not abide by the directives of party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai in this matter.
"The seized land will not be returned until the government introduces revolutionary land reforms," said Ganesh Aryal of the faction. He said that the faction has formally decided not to return the seized land.
While the district administration office in Bardiya has stated that 922 bigha belonging to 242 individuals has been sized by the Maoists, Pramod Upadhyaya, who leads a campaign for rehabilitation of internally displaced people, claims that 1,819 bigha belonging to 354 families was captured.
Meanwhile, our correspondent Gajendra Bohora reports that the Baidya faction has put up obstructions to the land return drive.
The party establishment faction, however, states that they would forcibly implement the agreement to return seized land.
While the party district in-charge and deputy in-charge, who are from the establishment faction, want to show "maximum flexibility" in returning seized properties, the party district secretary, who is from the Baidya faction, has stood up against the party´s official decision.
"I don´t know what has happened in other districts. But we will not abide by anyone´s orders unless there are alternative arrangements for the poor peasants," said district Secretary Suvash Pun from the Baidya faction.
Chairman of the Maoist-aligned peasants´ union Baburam Chaudhary has been appealing to those occupying the captured land for their cooperation in the implementation of the seven-point deal. But those from the Baidya faction have been telling occupiers of the land that the decision to return land it is not the party´s official decision.
"We will not let anyone implement a deal that is a betrayal of the peasants. The party chairman entered into some abstract agreement about the rights of the peasants. That´s why we first demand alternative arrangements for the peasants," said Pun.
Leaders from the party establishment have, however, stated that they would first try to reach an agreement with the Baidya faction and if the faction is not persuaded they would implement the deal by force.
"We are from the party establishment and we may move ahead forcibly to implement the deal. But we are trying to reach an agreement," said Raju Nepali, who is the Maoist in-charge of Harpur VDC.
There is no official record of how many bigha of land has been seized by the Maoists. But the Maoist party has stated that some 3,000 bigha of private and public land is under the party´s control.
Chief District Officer Rishiram Sharma stated that 42 people have lost their lands to the Maoists.
Land return decision not official: Gajurel
Meanwhile, Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel has stated that the decision to return seized land was a personal decision, not an official one, taken by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.
Gajurel, who is from the Baidya faction, stated that his faction would capture the seized land again if it is returned forcibly. "In a communist party we don´t abide by personal decisions. But we abide by democratic centralism," he said.
Gajurel said the party has alternative prime ministerial candidates and this would be discussed during the forthcoming Central Committee meeting. "There are many alternatives to Baburam Bhattarai. We will discuss handing over the government leadership to General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa."
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