Baidya faction's action committees to thwart land return

DHANGADI, Nov 22: A day after the Maoist establishment faction started concerted efforts to return properties seized during the conflict, cadres close to the Mohan Baidya faction vowed to defy the party directive to return the properties to their rightful owners.



The Baidya faction on Monday initiated formation of a village development committee (VDC) level action committee to thwart the land return process. [break]



A 13-member action committee has been formed under the leadership of Harilal Badi, a landless squatter, in Shreepur VDC to prevent the return of properties. Meanwhile, discussions are underway for the formation of action committees in various other VDCs also, informed Maoist Kailali in-charge, Hari Gyawali.



Badi said that they won´t return the seized lands until alternative arrangements are made for landless squatters. “We won´t leave the land unless alternatives are provided to us.”



Similarly, Gyawali informed that that they would form district level action committees after forming committees at VDC level.



“We won´t allow the return of seized land until revolutionary land reforms are implemented. We started forming action committees to retaliate if the party establishment tries to return the land forcibly,” he said.



All these committees will obstruct the land return process, Gyawali said, adding, “Where will all these squatters, who have built their houses on seized land, live?”



The formation of action committees has prompted doubts about the return of seized lands.



The maximum amount of land was seized in Kailali during the Maoist insurgency. Around 2,000 bigha belonging to 147 individual is yet to be returned.

Secretary of the Conflict Affected Society, Ganesh Malla, said that victims are losing hope of getting back their lands as the Baidya faction is continuously reiterating that they will not return seized land.

“This is a strategy of the UCPN (Maoist); one faction shows its willingness to return the seized lands while the other faction protests the decision,” Malla said.



In 2009, the Supreme Court (SC) had ordered the government to return seized properties to their rightful owners.



Conflict Affected Society and 18 people, whose lands were seized, had filed a joint writ petition at the SC on May 2, 2011 for implementation of the SC´s previous order.

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