Asserting Freedom from Central Control NEPAL Country Paper Land Watch Asia SECURING THE RIGHT TO LAND 144 Acknowledgments Society; Sarad Samaj Bikas; Shidarth Samajik Bikash Sang; Society Welfare Action Nepal This paper is an abridged version of the Nepal Land Watch (SWAN); Sustainable Livelihood Forum (SLF); Country paper for Land Watch Asia on the status of access Women Support Society, Nepal; local clubs to land and opportunities and strategies for civil society and civil society organizations; and advocacy. This is a collective effort of more than 37 community support groups. individuals and civil society organizations in Nepal. • International Non-Government Organizations: ActionAid Nepal; Canadian Cooperation This work’s principal authors and researchers are Organization (CCO); CARE Nepal; Danida/ Jagat Basnet and Jagat Deuja, Community Self- HUGOU; Danish Association for International Reliance Centre (CSRC); Baburam Acharya, former Cooperation Nepal (MS Nepal); Oxfam GB; Secretary of Land Reform and Management; Ghanshayam Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC); and Pandey, FECOFUN; Yamuna Ghale, Swiss Development Saplaneer (a Japanese NGO). Cooperation (SDC); and Krishna Pathak, Programme Coordinator, Lutheran World Federation (LWF). It was Particularly, the Ministry of Land Reform and Management prepared under the overall guidance of Jagat Basnet, and its departments, including district offices, have executive director of CSRC, which acts as the focal been involved. point for Land Watch Asia in Nepal. The Federation of Community Forest Users, Nepal (FECOFUN) and NGO We dedicate this work and our collective commitment Federation of Nepal (NFN) are partners to these processes. to Asia’s rural poor and their pursuit for equitable access to land and resources for their sustained development. The paper greatly benefited from comments and suggestions of the participants of the validation This abridged paper is made possible with the support workshops organized in Kathmandu, Nepal and carried of ActionAid International (AAI), International Land out the study from July 2007 to March 2008. Editing Coalition (ILC), and MISEREOR. The views and the work was undertaken by Alex Linghorn, CSRC volunteer information provided in this paper do not necessarily and Teeka Bhattarai, independent consultant. reflect the views or policies of AAI, ILC, and MISEREOR. We would like to acknowledge all the institutions and individuals who were involved in the process of generating this Country Paper listed as follows: • Organizations Involved: Abhiyan Nepal; Centre for Rural Community Development (CRCD); Centre for Social Development and Research (CSDR); Community Development and Environment Protection (CDEP); CSRC; Dalit Samrakshan Samaj; Dhanusja Sewa Samiti; Diyalo Pariwar; FECOFUN; Community Development and Environment Conservation Forum (CDECF); Gramin Sayamsebak Samaj Saralahi; Indreni Samajik Bikash Sangh; Janachetana Dalit Sangam; Kapilvastu Institutional Development Committee; Kisan Adhikar ka Lagi Sahayogi Samuha; MODE Nepal; NAF, Rasuwa; National Land Rights Concern Groups; National Land Rights Forum including the district Forums; Nepal Chepang Sangha; RCC Nepal Bardiya; Rastriya Dalit Network (RDN); Rural Development ASSERTING FREEDOM FROM CENTRAL CONTROL 145 Acronyms and Abbreviations Jamindar Landlord Jimidar An individual responsible for land tax ADB Asian Development Bank collection at the village level in Terai APP Agriculture Perspective Plan region who was responsible for autocratic BS Bikram Sambat (Nepali calendar) regime before 1951 CBS Central Bureau of Statistics Kamaiya A bonded labor system widely prevalent CSRC Community Self-Reliance Centre in the five districts in the Mid-Western Danida Danish International Development Assistance and Far-Western development regions of DDC district development committee Nepal DLRO District Land Reform Office Kipat A system of communal land ownership ha hectare prevalent among the Limbus and other HLCLR High Level Commission on Land Reform Mongoloid communities in the hill regions HUGOU Human Rights and Good Governance Land holding An agricultural economic unit of Advisory Unit agricultural production. The holding km kilometer includes all land operated by a holder LWA Land Watch Asia whether rented or owned. A holder is the NALAR National Alliance for Land and Agrarian Reform person who exercises management NLRCG National Land Rights Concern Group control over the operations of the land NLRF National Land Rights Forum and may or may not be the same person NPC National Planning Commission as the household head (CBS) NSCA National Sample Census of Agriculture Limbu Ethnic and indigenous nationalities in SDC Swiss Development Cooperation Nepal VDC village development committee Mukhiya A village head appointed by the government to settle dispute in the hill regions Glossary Muluki Ain Civil code Munda A kind of indigenous community of Nepal Birta Land grants made by the state to Mushahar A caste of Terai falls under Dalit group individuals in the form of reward or gift who are discriminated and humiliated usually on an inheritable and tax-exempt Panchayat The autocratic regime whereby the King basis, which was abolished in 1969 exercised absolute state powers for the Charuwa Cattle herder period 1960–1990 Chepang An indigenous community of Nepal (still Raikar Lands on which taxes are collected from highly marginalized) individual landowners; traditionally Dalit A group of caste discriminated as so regarded as state-owned called ‘untouchables’ or ‘impure’ Rakam Unpaid and compulsory labor services Deuki A traditional system practiced in some due to the government from peasants society where a girl child is offered to cultivating Raikar, Kipat, and Raj Guthi A the god and kept in the temple. The lands; abolished in 1963 SIAN child is not allowed to enjoy human Rana Surname of group of elite people who NGO C freedoms until the age of 14 ruled Nepal from 1846 to 1950 OALITION Guthi An endowment of land made for any Ropani A unit of land measurement used in hill religious or philanthropic purposes districts, comprising an area of 5,476 FOR A Haruwa Plowman (a kind of bonded system square feet GRARIAN mostly practiced in Terai) Talukdar A village-level revenue-collection R Jagir Arable lands assigned to government functionary in the hill region EFORM employees and functionaries in lieu of Tenant Tillers of a landlord’s land AND their emoluments, which was abolished Terai The plain land of the southern part of R in 1952 the country URAL D EVELOPMENT SECURING THE RIGHT TO LAND 146 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890Quick Facts 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890Nepal’s total land area is 1 NEPAL 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890147,181 square km. Only 20% 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890is cultivable. 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 Overview OF Access TO Land 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890According to the 2001–2002 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 LAND TENURE SYSTEM 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890agricultural census: 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 The system of land tenure in Nepal has evolved into 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890¾ 94.1% of holdings is 1 various forms and phases over the years. Historically, 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 state ownership was the traditional form of land tenure 1234567890123456789012345678901212345678901234567890agricultural land, covering 1 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901