Guwahati: Hundreds of people staged a protest in Nepal‘s capital on Sunday against the government’s ongoing eviction drive targeting landless squatters, accusing authorities of displacing vulnerable families without providing adequate rehabilitation or alternative housing.
The demonstration was held outside the Singha Durbar Secretariat, where protesters carried placards demanding an end to what they described as the “atrocities against the poor”, respect for human rights, the release of detained activists, and proper housing for displaced families.
The protest reflected growing public discontent over the government’s handling of informal settlements and the treatment of those affected by the eviction campaign.
The eviction drive has focused on informal settlements along the riverbanks of the Kathmandu Valley, a long-standing objective of the government. Authorities have deployed police and security personnel to clear the encroachments, prompting many residents to leave voluntarily.
However, rights groups and protesters argue that the exercise has left hundreds of families, including children and elderly people, without shelter or a clear rehabilitation plan.
Under Nepalese law, a landless squatter is defined as a person who owns no land anywhere in the country, either individually or through family members, and has no means to acquire land. According to earlier official estimates, around 3,466 households were living in informal settlements along riverbanks across the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley.
The protests have also intensified following reports of police action against youth activists, students and journalists who had voiced support for displaced squatters. Human rights advocates have questioned the arrests and warned that the government’s response risks shrinking democratic space for peaceful dissent. Police, however, have maintained that action was taken only against those who obstructed law enforcement operations.
The latest demonstrations come months after youth-led protests reshaped Nepal’s political landscape, bringing Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah and his government to power on promises of reform. The eviction campaign has now emerged as one of the administration’s most contentious policies, with protesters demanding that the government halt forced removals until a comprehensive resettlement and rehabilitation plan is put in place.