KATHMANDU, MARCH 27
Hundreds of landless squatters residing inside Kathmandu metropolis today staged protest in Kathmandu against the city government's recent eviction notice from their settlements within seven days.
A few days ago, Kathmandu Metropolitan City had issued a public notice giving ultimatum of seven days to clear the encroached land around the river banks of the city. The notice period will end on Friday midnight.
The squatter settlement dwellers, however, have been refusing to comply with the KMC's order to leave the place without giving them proper alternative.
They claim that the notice issued by KMC is against human rights and several other rights guaranteed in the constitution.
Today, protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards against KMC Mayor Balendra Shah, who has been accused of being hell-bent on forcing them out from the river banks.
They have also asked the government to withdraw false accusation filed against land activists.
Earlier on 28 November 2022, around two dozen municipal city police were injured after squatters hurled stones and bricks at unarmed and ill-equipped municipal police personnel who had attempted to evict the squatters in Thapathali.
Following the incident, the KMC had filed a case against four people for attempted murder. Among them, Hukum Bahadur Lama and Narayan Pariyar were arrested. They will remain behind bars until the court's final verdict.
The other two accused are on the run.
Amidst the threat from the KMC to evict the area, protesters have warned that they will intensify the protest if the KMC does not withdraw the notice.
Bhagwati Adhikari, a leader of the people residing in squatter settlement, said they were in no mood to retreat from the protest without ensuring their rights.
"The KMC is trying different ways to discourage and subdue our movements. But we will not back off until our right to live in a dignified way and other rights guaranteed by Nepal's constitution are ensured," Adhikari said.
The city government has received mixed reaction from people regarding its move to evict squatters from the river banks.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 27, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
