Mayadevi Thakuri's house is in Bhagyodaya Tole, Gaindakot Municipality-6, Nawalparasi (East of Bardaghat Susta). She says that her fate and the name of the tole do not match as she has not been able to obtain the title deed of the seven aanas of land she has been living there.

In 2067 BS, the land title deed was prepared in her husband's name. But the place where the chairman's signature and office seal were placed on it has not yet been created. 'At that time, the chairman of the Landless Settlements Commission was supposed to sign and seal it. We were happy that we had now received the title deed, but they said that there was a case. Since then, that's all there is to it,' Mayadevi said.

Maya from Sarlahi married Shankabahadur Thakuri from Dhading. There was no land in her birthplace, so the couple came to Gaindakot by wandering. They pitched a hut on the open land on the banks of the Narayani River in Gaindakot. Three daughters and a son were born there.

The son has gone to the Gulf countries as there is no possibility of earning in the country. The daughter got married. Her husband Shank Bahadur is still a laborer. ‘I have been living there for more than 30 years, where else can I go?’ She said. ‘We have no land in our name.’ She is always afraid that it will be taken away.’ She said. ‘I am still in the movement.’ Now, even if I have to die, I am not afraid. If I cannot get the red certificate of the small land I have lived in, whose government is this?’ Maya asked. ‘I am involved in the campaign to obtain land rights by joining the National Land Rights Forum Nepal. The ninth national council of the forum was held in Bharatpur Thimura for three days from Tuesday. Others like Maya, who are landless, also attended the gathering. Those who have spent decades hoping to get the land they have been living on.’

Ichcharam Pariyar, who came from Lalgadh, Mithila-10, narrated the situation of the landless people living on the banks of Ratukhola there. ‘Landless people have been living on the banks of Ratukhola for 40/42 years.’ Once, Devchandra Jha was the district chairman of the Slum Dwellers Commission. He said that he would distribute land titles within 15 days and even got the land surveyed. But the government changed at the center. Jha also left. After that, the work of the title deeds was done just like that,’ Pariyar said.

There is no doubt that 250 such households on the banks of Ratukhola will not be able to get the title deeds now.’ Rambinod Thakur Barhi, who has been living on the banks of Dhalkebar, Mithila-6, since 2055 BS, says, ‘Now they say that the land on the banks of the river cannot be distributed. That land is not numbered, but public. The river left by the river is the land of Ukas. Such land cannot be given.’

Neplu Majhi of Morang Sundar Haraincha-2 said that someone has claimed the land they have been living on since 2054 BS. ‘In a place called Ailanpur, more than 36 families have been living on more than one bigha of land.’ No one came when we pitched our tents. Suddenly, after three years, people came saying that the land is mine,’ Neplu said. She said that even if the land is mine, she could not show proof.’

Those who were affected by the Birta system in Rasuwa and Lalitpur also came to the council. ‘Prithvi Narayan Shah had given Birta to those who helped during the unification of Nepal. The Birta system was abolished in 2016 BS. But more than a thousand families in Rasuwa who have been earning such Birta have been struggling for land rights,’ said Bhawani Prasad Neupane, who came from Rasuwa.

He said that even though the Birta victims have been agitating for 31 years, not everyone has been able to get justice. ‘There was a big agitation in 2066 BS. Then, when Dambar Shrestha was the Minister of Land Reforms, 167 people from Rasuwa received land titles worth 1,500 ropanis.’ Even now, many are yet to get them,’ said Neupane.

Ram Kumar KC said that there is also a Birta problem in Lalitpur Godavari Municipality-14. ‘We were confused about whether it was Birta or Raikar. The registration opened around 2066/67 BS. At that time, when all the procedures were completed and the land title was issued, it was said that this Raikar was of a nature. The registration of Raikar opened in 68/69 BS. At that time, we stopped to think about whether it was Birta or Raikar,’ he said. He said that even though this dispute reached the district court and reached the Supreme Court, it was not finalized.

The Corona pandemic has had a negative impact on many. The place where Yama Prasad Jaisi, who lost his eyesight due to glaucoma, was about to disappear has been saved so far only because of Corona. He lives in a hut near the Surkhet Birendranagar-8 bus park. He had put up a hut on the vacant land between Ratna Highway and the campus in 2060. There are now 43 houses and huts there.

The municipality had issued a notice to remove the houses in that place in 2068. Yama Prasad said that the campus had also tried in 2072. In 2076, the district administration had issued a notice asking people to leave the settlement by Chaitra 16. 'But then Corona came and there was a lockdown after Chaitra 11. And they did not start removing the settlement. We have been living here till now. When will the information come again? He said.

He said that the administration wanted to raise the settlement as it is connected to urban beauty. ‘I went to India in Jajarkot without any solution. I came here after losing my eyesight due to cataracts. My wife is also blind from birth. They have four daughters. One of them got married. One son had gone to India. There has been no contact for two years,’ said Yamaprasad, ‘The state does not listen to such a person’s pain.’

Mayadevi Thakuri of Gaindakot also complained that she felt sad when the MP, mayor and ward chairman who won the election did not recognize her after winning the election. ‘The ward chairman himself says that we will not get land. A commission is formed but it does not seem to have done anything. Why form a commission if our problems are not going to be solved?' Maya said.

National Land Rights Forum Chairman Lyam Bahadur Darji informed that 88,895 landless Dalits, 168,441 landless squatters and 872,181 unorganized settlers have submitted applications to the Land Problem Resolution Commission. But he said that although three commissions have been formed since 2076, only 8,848 families have received land titles. He also informed that the council has demanded an environment for the commission to work effectively. He also said that the council held in Thimura has demanded a strong law for the rights of farmers affected by land tenure, guthi and birta to resolve issues related to the rights of the landless.

The forum has also taken a stand that government agencies should not forcibly remove people from their places of residence. Chairman Darji said that there was a debate on this issue in the ninth council. 'We are in favor of zero squatting.' "Landless families living anywhere in the country cannot be evicted without a proper alternative. If such land is in a forest or public area or is needed by the state for a special purpose, arrangements should be made for safe accommodation elsewhere before eviction," he said.