Return seized properties

The Maoist party reportedly sold 3,000 square meters of land that rightfully belongs to Kali Bahadur Sahakari, Kalikot district in charge of Nepali Congress to the farmers close to the party. This is atrocious. The party is not only backtracking from its promise of returning seized properties to their rightful owners but compounding the problem even further. In another instance, about 150 families in Kailali are yet to get back their seized properties. These are examples of Maoist party’s blatant disregard to right to property and how it time and again takes a U-turn from its commitment to return seized properties and lands.



The issue of seized properties has been taking a heavy toll on our transitional politics. More precisely, it has remained a bone of contention between UCPN (Maoist) and the other political parties. Though UCPN (M) has been making promises time and again that the properties seized during conflict will be returned to their owners, it has willfully failed to live up to its commitments. The Kalikot incident is proof that NC and CPN (UML) are not for nothing trying to put a noose on the UCPN (M)’s neck with their persistent demand to return seized properties. It is, therefore, impetrative on the part of the UCPN (M) to take this issue seriously and immediately start the process of returning such properties.



We are aware that unequal distribution of land in Nepal is a chronic problem. It is also true that thousands of landless squatters are languishing in makeshift tents across the country and that Nepal needs sweeping land reforms. By no means, we are against land reforms and rights of the landless to get their fair share. Yet, nothing can explain the Maoists’ arbitrary seizure of land and the sale of the same to their cadres. This will only further contribute to widening the trust deficit between the Maoists and other political parties.



As the UCPN (M) has agreed to return seized properties umpteen times, in almost every deal that it signed with other political parties since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2006, it cannot delay the process any more under any pretext. Given that Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai directed government agencies to take immediate steps to return seized properties to their rightful owners on September 13, he has an important role to play here.



Considering that the Constituent Assembly’s term in expiring in the next 45 days, ignoring the issue will prove costly to the peace process. PM Bhattarai and UCPN (M) must come above the politics of promising and backtracking and expedite the process of returning the seized properties without further delay.

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