Nepal revokes legalisation of civil war land 'deals'

Under pressure from opposition, Nepal’s Maoist-led government Thursday revoked its decision to legalize land deals made by Maoists during the civil war.

Updated on: Feb 10, 2012, 24:27:54 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Under pressure from opposition, Nepal’s Maoist-led government Thursday revoked its decision to legalize land deals made by Maoists during the civil war.

Following a deal among Maoists and opposition Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) on Wednesday, the cabinet decided to roll back its earlier move.

The two parties had stalled functioning of the parliament since last month in protest against the legalization move and the peace and constitution drafting processes had also got affected.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai told parliament he was compelled to withdraw the decision made by the land reforms ministry due to protest by the opposition.

Acting on a PIL, the Supreme Court had earlier stayed the government move last month.

During the 10-year-long civil war, Maoist ‘peoples’ government’ had made hundreds of unlawful land transactions and the Bhattarai government had attempted to make them legal.

As soon as cabinet revoked the move, the Maoist standing committee met at party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence and the hardliner faction sought Bhattarai’s resignation.

“Since the cabinet decision amounts to surrender of the party’s ideals to feudalism, we demand the PM’s resignation,” said CP Gajurel, a leader belonging to the Mohan Baidya-led faction.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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