Struggle Against Land Encroachment

Speaker: Anil Ranjit

The creation of this photo book is driven by the urgent need to document and critically analyze the impact of modernization and state-led development projects on the ancestral land, culture, and identity of the Newah people in Khona. Through a compelling mix of photography and narrative, the book argues that Khona’s cultural celebrations are deeply tied to the preservation of its fertile rice paddies, which serve as both a physical and symbolic foundation of Newah heritage. However, with the rapid encroachment of
land due to infrastructural projects like the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track, Khona’s cultural and
environmental landscape is under severe threat.

Despite widespread resistance—documented in this book—led by progressive youth and artists from Khona and Kathmandu Valley, the Nepalese Army, the project’s contractor, has pushed forward with construction and distributed compensation to more than 50% of affected landowners without local government approval. The Army continues to frame the issue as a mere dispute over compensation, ignoring its deeper socio-cultural and ecological ramifications.

The Newah community in Kathmandu Valley has long faced displacement due to modernization, losing ancestral land to projects such as Tribhuvan University, Harisiddhi Brick Factory, Bhaisepati Ministerial Quarter, road expansions, and the Fast Track. These developments have resulted in the erosion of cultural practices, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and political marginalization. The systematic exclusion of Newah people from key political and bureaucratic positions has further weakened their
influence, leaving them divided and vulnerable to land dispossession.

More than just a record of events, this photo book is a testament to resilience. It highlights the growing awareness within the Newah community of the urgent need to protect their heritage. The protests against the Fast Track and other projects in 2020 marked a turning point, and through the lens of photography, this book captures that moment of awakening. It challenges the reader to look beyond statistics and policies—to witness, through visuals, the real impact of modernization on the lives, landscapes, and legacies of the Newah people.