Posted by redpines on November 18, 2011
Peasants with the ANPF(Revolutionary) flag
One of the aims of the People’s War (1996-2006), was to provide “land to tiller,” or free agricultural land for peasants to farm individually or collectively. To accomplish this, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) helped peasants confiscate lands from feudal lords or rich landowners. This was especially necessary in the heavily-populated Terai region in Southern Nepal, where arable land is scarce relative to the population.
However, according to the terms of the recent Seven-Point Agreement, peasants have been ordered to return much of this land. Peasants who are part of All Nepal Peasants Federation-Revolutionary are refusing to do so.
This development is especially interesting, as some leaders of the ANPF(Revolutionary) are aligned with Prachanda, who signed the seven-point agreement. What this means, if anything, is not clear.
Peasant Against Returning Land
by RedStar
Kathmandu, 16 November:
All Nepal Peasants Federation-Revolutionary (ANPF (Revolutionary) has declared not to return the land; which was confiscated in the period of People’s War. It was declared in a press meet held in capital city Kathmandu yesterday. ANPF-Revolutionary is standing against the returning of the land where the poor and homeless people are farming for their livelihood making their small huts.
Vice Chairman of the organization Thakur Prasad Chapagain has said that returning land without alternative option, as it was already said that revolutionary land-reform would be its scientific option, is against the people and the nation. The 7-point agreement, itself is traitorous and anti-people.
He said that peasants will protest and fight against the the ruling parties and the ruling factions if they mobilize soldiers and armed police forces to seize land for returning the land laords.
