Landless squatter arrested in Kirtipur for speaking against displacement

The government has arrested a landless squatter who spoke to the media. The police apprehended 39-year-old Dambar Tamang from the Radhaswami Satsang Holding Center in Kirtipur after he spoke out against displacement without proper management.

Pawan Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Police Range, stated that Tamang was arrested on Sunday for offenses against public peace. “He was arrested based on his statements in the video,” Bhattarai said.

Tamang is a landless squatter displaced from Thapathali. He suffers from heart disease and has impaired vision.

The government arrested Tamang following his provocative remarks, yet when Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal made similarly provocative statements, such as ordering to “break the contractor’s leg”, he was not even asked for clarification. However, the government has started cracking down on lower-class landless citizens.

The government has ordered the holding center to be vacated by Jestha 19, prompting protests from the squatters. They have demanded proper management before relocation, but the government has begun forcibly evicting them.

Tamang was arrested for raising his voice against the government’s eviction efforts. Recently, the government has become increasingly harsh towards the landless squatters. Journalists have also been restricted from reporting freely at the holding center.

When the Desh Sanchar team visited the satsang for reporting on Friday, they were not allowed past the help desk at the gate. Security personnel stated that higher authorities had not granted permission for reporting.

An unnamed security officer managing the command said that the Kathmandu District Administration Office had imposed the reporting restriction that day. However, Mukti Ram Rijal, the information officer at the Kathmandu District Administration Office, claimed that they had not imposed any such restriction.