Shuklaphanta National Park displaced families continue struggle despite 33 commissions

Kanchanpur: Families displaced from Shuklaphanta National Park continue to face hardships, staging a relay hunger strike in front of the main gate of the District Administration Office, Kanchanpur, to demand rehabilitation. Chairperson of the struggle committee, Jaya Bahadur Rokaya, expressed frustration that their rehabilitation issues remain unresolved even after two and a half decades, despite repeated assurances from leaders and the government.

“In 2058 BS, families who did not receive land or facilities during the park’s expansion occupied land in the Dhaka camp of the park in 2064 BS,” Rokaya said. “Our demand is rehabilitation; the occupation was only meant to exert pressure.” He criticized the state for neglecting victims even though 33 commissions have been formed to address their demands. The displaced families have been on strike at three locations since last July, now centering their relay hunger strike at the Division Forest Office.

Rokaya added, “Even when we protested at the center, we were betrayed through loan agreements. District party leaders promised to resolve our issues in election manifestos but justice has not been provided.”

Displaced families residing in Dhaka camp face annual threats from wild animals and lack basic services and facilities. Out of approximately 2,000 displaced families living on Ailani land, 604 remain in Dhaka camp while the others reside across 14 camps in Shuklaphanta National Park and surrounding forest areas.

Motilal Dagaura, a displaced resident, highlighted that despite 33 government-formed commissions, their issues remain unresolved. “When we were displaced, we had no land titles or compensation. Commissions were formed repeatedly, but instead of resolving problems, they only altered records,” Dagaura said.

Previous commissions allocated land to some families, but subsequent commissions, including those chaired by Sudhir Koirala, Surendra Bam, Pundal Bahadur Bohara, and former High Court judge Jayanand Paneru, failed to ensure meaningful rehabilitation. The latest commission in 2081 BS recommended managing 2,027 families based on prior commission data, yet action remains pending.

Kanchanpur Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal said the displaced have long expressed their demands. “Recently, there have been two attempts to encroach on forest land in Krishnapur Municipality in the name of the victims. Encroachment in the guise of demands and grievances is not permitted,” he added.