Landless Settlers Protest Evictions and Bulldozer Drive in Butwal

Families living for years on public land without formal ownership gathered in Butwal on Sunday, accusing the government of using bulldozers in the name of protecting public property without offering any alternative housing arrangement. The protest brought together landless squatters and unmanaged settlers from multiple districts, reflecting growing anger over recent eviction drives that many participants described as inhumane and disconnected from the realities of poverty and urban migration.

Organised by the Rupandehi chapter of the Nepal Landless Squatters and Unmanaged Settlers Struggle Committee, the demonstration drew thousands into the streets of Butwal. Protesters said the state was treating vulnerable communities as illegal occupants while ignoring decades of state failure to address housing insecurity and land management.

Protesters accuse government of displacement without rehabilitation

Demonstrators marched through key parts of the city carrying slogans demanding long-term solutions instead of forced removals. Placards reading “Give solutions, not bulldozers”, “No eviction without alternative settlement”, and “Land is our right” captured the mood of the rally.

Khagendra Poudel, coordinator of the struggle committee in Rupandehi, said the recent actions taken against settlements had pushed already vulnerable families toward uncertainty and homelessness. According to organisers, many of the affected households have lived in these areas for years, building livelihoods and communities despite lacking formal legal recognition.

Participants argued that the state cannot separate public land management from the question of human survival. For many families, eviction does not simply mean relocation. It means loss of shelter, income, children’s education, and social stability.

Traffic disrupted as security deployed in Butwal

The demonstration temporarily affected traffic movement along several major roads in Butwal. Security personnel were mobilised to maintain order as protesters moved through the city in large numbers.

Despite the heavy turnout, organisers framed the protest as part of a broader campaign for recognition and negotiated settlement rather than confrontation. Protest leaders said they would continue demonstrations if the government failed to engage seriously with the issue.

Land and housing remain unresolved national concerns

The protest once again exposed Nepal’s long-running tensions around public land, informal settlements, and urban poverty. Across different cities, thousands of families continue to live without legal land ownership despite spending decades in the same locations.

While authorities often justify eviction drives as necessary for public land protection and urban management, landless groups argue that policies focused only on removal deepen social inequality when rehabilitation plans are absent.

Representatives of the protesting groups said the government must ensure both proper land management and the constitutional rights of citizens to housing and dignified living. Until then, they warned, resistance against forced displacement would continue.