Harisiddhi locals demand return of their lands acquired for Brick and Tiles Factory

25 February 2014

Locals of Harisiddhi village, around 8km south of Kathmandu,  have demanded that the Government return the lands acquired for Harisiddhi Brick and Tiles Factory as the lands are not being used for running the factory. They are knocking the doors of Supreme Court to get the lands returned as per Nepal’s existing laws and international human rights standards.

Around 700 ropanies of lands of local Newars was acquired at the rate of NRs. 1,500 per ropani for the establishment of the factory almost 50 years ago with assistance from China. Through an agreement in 1992 (2049 BS), management of the lands under the factory was handed over to Sundar Lal Bhawanani and Narsingh Bahadur Shrestha, after its machineries, buildings and other equipment were sold to them for meager amount of NRs. 220 million, without even informing the local agency and concerned stakeholders in the name of increasing the production and machineries of the factory.

हरिसिद्धि ईटा तथा टायल कारखानाको निम्ति अधिग्रहण गरिएको जग्गा फिर्ता गर्न स्थानीयको माग

२५ फेब्रुअरी २०१४ (१३ फागुन २०७०)

ललितपुरको हरिसिद्धिका स्थानीय हरिसिद्धि ईटा तथा टायल कारखानाको निम्ति अधिग्रहण गरिएको आफ्ना जग्गा  हाल आएर उक्त कारखानाको लागि प्रयोग नगरिएको हुँदा नेपालको कानुनतः र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मानव अधिकारबमोजिम फिर्ता गर्न सरकारसँग माग गर्दै सर्वोच्च अदालतसम्म पुगेका छन् । 

२०२१ सालमा चीन सरकारको सहयोगमा स्थानीय नेवारहरुको करीब ७०० रोपनी जग्गामा प्रति रोपनी रु. १,५००।– का दरले मुआब्जा दिएर उक्त कारखानाको स्थापना भएको थियो । पछि २०४९ सालमा स्थानीय निकाय तथा सरोकारवालाहरुलाई जानकारी सम्म नगराई कारखानाको मेसिन, घर टहरा, आदि सामाग्रीहरु सिन्काको भाउमा रु.२२ करोडमा सुन्दरलाल भवनानी र नरसिंह बहादुर श्रेष्ठको नाममा बिक्रि गरी निजिस्तरबाट सञ्चालित उद्योगले उत्पादन वृद्धि गर्ने र मुसिनहरु थप गर्ने नाममा कारखाना एरिया भित्रका जग्गाहरु व्यवस्थापन जिम्मेवारी हस्तान्तरण गरिएको थियो । 

Cases of persecution of indigenous peoples in Nepal under law against cow-slaughter reported in 2012/13

Indigenous peoples in Nepal continue to be persecuted under its law against cow-slaughter—a law deeply rooted and wholly justified by Hindu (and therefore non-secular principles) and one which historically has been used to carry out the State’s forced cultural assimilation of indigenous peoples and to forge a homogenous identity for Nepali citizens.

The act violates namely article 8 of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that states that “indigenous peoples and individuals have the right to not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.” Further, under Article 1 of UNDRIP and Article 3 of International Labour Organisation Convention No. 169 (ILO C. 169), indigenous peoples are due the full measure of human rights and fundamental rights promised to all peoples under international human rights law—including the rights to freedom of religion, equality before the law and minority rights to cultural expression as protected respectively in Articles 18, 26 and 27 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).