Squatters displaced by government-led demolition drives in various locations of the Kathmandu Valley have issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to ensure their proper management.
They have warned that if they are not provided with dignified rehabilitation including land ownership and fair compensation within one week, they will return to the original sites where their huts and shelters were demolished.
The squatters taking shelter at the Kirtipur Holding Center issued the ultimatum on Monday through a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Balen Shah, Home Minister Sudan Gurung, and lawmakers who visited the holding center for monitoring.
"If the government fails to make a concrete decision and initiate the implementation process regarding our rehabilitation with dignified land ownership, fair compensation, right to housing, and guaranteed livelihood within one week from the date this application is received, then we – the landless Dalits, landless squatters, and informal settlers – will return to the areas where our homes were forcibly demolished by the government, including Thapathali in Kathmandu and other areas across the valley," they wrote in the memorandum.
They further stated, "We are not criminals; we are citizens of this country. The state must guarantee our constitutional and human rights to food, shelter, clothing, education, health, employment, and the right to live with dignity. If the state fails to fulfill its responsibilites, we will be compelled to peacefully resettle in our historical places of residence."
The memorandum also mentions that the Government of Nepal, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and the relevant bodies should take responsibility for any humanitarian, social, health, security, or legal complications that may arise during or after this period.
"This is our final appeal for justice, dignity, and the guarantee of our rights," the squatters said.
