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A minister out of control
Matrika Yadav loves making headlines-sometimes by confiscating red sandalwood and others by locking LDOs in
the
toilet. He is in the news again, this time for the seizure of land
belonging to Birendra Sah of Mirchaiya, Siraha. If he thinks he can get
away with it, he's mistaken.
This recent action by Yadav has
led to souring of relationship between him and his party chair Pushpa
Kamal Dahal. The Maoists apologised on his behalf and Yadav was made to
resign from the cabinet and as a minister. After being relieved from
his ministerial responsibilities, Yadav is busy participating in
programs organised by his party's sister organisation, Madhesi National
Liberation Front in various parts of Siraha and Sarlahi districts.
Matrika
Yadav seized the land belonging to 75 locals including Sah with the
help of local YCL on 14 September, 2008. He has distributed 7.15
hectares and a house with 16 rooms to his party's 200 Dalit activists
as part of his campaign to nationalise the property of former royal
family members. He has alleged that the land actually belongs to former
king Gyanendra's brother-in-law Mohan Shahi.
Yadav has ordered
local Dalits and landless of Malhaniya, Raghopur, Kuthanama, Jiwa,
Mirchaiya, Matiyawa, Rampur, Birta and Prayagpur to build huts and
settle over the seized land.
The land seizure was initially
done by Maoist cadres led by the party's district in-charge and
Matrika's own son-in-law Dilip Sah, CA member Mahendra Paswan and local
Maoist leader Jagat Yadav on 3 August, but had to be let go under the
directives of the Home Ministry. However, it was captured again within
less than 24 hours under the direct orders of Yadav.
"The Home
Minister interfered in my jurisdiction without informing me," Yadav had
said. "I went there to help the Dalit community settle. What I have
done is right."
The motive behind the seizure of the land and
the house of Birendra Sah is extortion. When Sah failed to pay up an
additional Rs 1 million as demanded by the Maoists, they seized this
property. However, he maintains that he had already handed over Rs 4
million, and this has been confirmed by former Maoist district
secretary Abinash.
Such activities by former minister Yadav
have put his credibility on the line. His move has strained his
relationship with the Home Ministry and the Maoist leadership has said
they will take actions against him.
The Maoist have not
returned the seized land in Siraha district even three months after
Maoist chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed his
party cadres to do so. Some 729 hectares of land captured during the
war is still under Maoist control.
The 2005 12-point agreement
and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, both pledge to create conducive
environment for the displaced to return and that the seized land and
houses would be handed back to their rightful owners and a committee
would be formed for that purpose.
But the committee has not
taken shape yet due to political bickering among major parties. During
the war, 225 people were displaced from the district. According to
Insec, Maoists seized land belonging to 80 families here. Maoist
Coordinator in Siraha, Dilip Sah, claimed the Maoist party has so far
not issued any instruction regarding returning the seized land to the
rightful owners. Sah says the seized land would be returned only after
the government forms a Land Reforms Commission.
http://www.nepalitimes.com.np/issue/2009/01/16/Comment/15576