Bishnu Raj Upreti

Negotiating Access to Land in Nepal

Abstract In a rural agrarian economy like that of Nepal, land has traditionally been a primary source of livelihood and security, as well as a symbol of status. Thousands of poor farmers are completely dependent on land for their livelihoods, yet not all of them have access to or control over this fundamental resource. Negotiation for access to land has been a lengthy and complicated process. It remains so in the changed political context of Nepal, where increasing numbers of emerging actors need to be considered, often with conflicting claims and counterclaims. In this context the traditional ways of thinking need to be revised, both with regard to the negotiating process and the mechanisms of land reform, to accommodate the country’s recent and ongoing massive socio-economic transformation.

New Challenges in Land Use in Nepal: Reflections on the Booming Real-estate Sector in Chitwan and Kathmandu Valley

ABSTRACT Domestic commercial land acquisition is a recent phenomenon in Nepal; it is rapidly expanding and increasingly occupying productive agricultural land for real estate and other non-agricultural commercial purposes. This paper analyses the present situation and the implications of domestic land acquisition, and identifies actors and forms of land deals and associated conflicts. The study was conducted in Kathmandu Valley (27° 32′ 13″ N to 27° 49′ 10″ N and 85° 11′ 31″ E to 85° 31′ 38″ E) and Chitwan District (83°54′ 45″ to 84°48′15″ E and 27°21′45″ to 27°52′ 30″ N), the areas of Nepal most affected by domestic land acquisition. In the absence of statistical material, purposive sampling was used to identify households for a survey of 208 respondents; this was complemented by qualitative research and a review of media and other documents. Respondents confirmed that land acquisition is increasing at a very rapid rate and is driven by a nexus of politicians, land brokers and real-estate actors, and that it has caused not only food insecurity but also numerous conflicts between local people and the land deal actors. Existing policies and legislations were found to be inadequate to address the challenges brought about by the domestic land acquisition process in Nepal.

Wavering between profit-making and change-making: Private media companies in conflicts in Nepal

Post-1990 Nepal is remarkable, not only for democratic political change but also for its mushrooming media industry; media companies have been influential actors in conflicts. To analyse their role and motives as private business actors in conflicts, this article explores the dynamics of media engagement, the implications of media companies’ actions and needs, and their motives as corporate actors. The authors focus on two conflicts – the anti-monarchy movement and the internal labour disputes in media companies – and the companies’ response to different conflict situations. Using a qualitative case study approach, the article concludes that media companies in conflict situations have inevitable social as well as commercial obligations. Balancing these two interests and maintaining political neutrality become challenges to media in conflict contexts. Evidence shows that media companies can either manipulate situations or be manipulated themselves by various actors’ interests, leading to unintended and sometimes undesirable conflicts.

Peace by Corporate Means: How Mature Is the Private Sector for Peacebuilding in Nepal?

The civil war in Nepal, characterised on the rebel side by the formation of communist ideologies, has affected the private sector both physically and psychologically. The rebels had launched targeted attacks in big companies and projected business houses merely as ‘profit-hungry institutions’. In addition, private sector activities have created both hopes and suspicions that persist in the discourse on business and peacebuilding. In this context, this briefing sheds light on certain challenges to the private sector’s engagement in peacebuilding in post-war Nepal. It is based on qualitative research involving in-depth interviews and the application of case study methods (Ghimire & Upreti 2012). The briefing succinctly explains the initial results of a research project, ‘Private Sector in Peace Promotion’, conducted for three years jointly by swisspeace and Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR North–South). This study assessed the benefits, limitations and determinants of corporate engagement in peace through comparison of case studies in South Asia, Central America and the Horn of Africa. The present briefing is focused on the Nepal case which — through desk study and interviews with business association leaders — sought to improve the understanding of the advantages, disadvantages and determinants of corporate engagement in peace promotion (see Iff et al. 2012; Upreti & Ghimire 2011).