Study of political parties' (UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML and NC) : policies and perceptions of their leaders in reference to land reform in Nepal

Abstract

The land reform history of Nepal had formally started about fifty years ago and some efforts have been made by the government to implement land reform program. Still poor and illiterate land tillers are deprived of tenants’ rights. Realizing this fact, researcher began this study to understand the party leaders’ experience on land reform issue. So, the study has focused on the exploration of the perception of the party leaders of UCPN-Maiost, CPN-UML and NC and the policies of those parties as well as historical background of land reform in Nepal. For conducting the research, researcher made an intensive literature review from different perspectives before field visit. Prolonged discourse and intensive interactions based on subjective inquiry in uncovering what research informants felt as ‘ truth’ assured the researcher to claim that the revealed knowledge is trustworthy. This study is based on qualitative research approach. Researcher adopted interpretive paradigm in order to derive substantive meaning from the uncovered knowledge. So, following the interpretive paradigm, researcher derived meaning with analysis and reflection on the beliefs, value and feelings as well as perceptions expressed by the research participants about land reform. Researcher has made the study more substantive and authentic by incorporating relevant ideas that he gathered through literature study. Similarly, data were collected through interview, observation and document review in this study. Researcher interpreted the meaning relying on participants’ understanding about land reform. He also addressed the ethical consideration to reduce the degree of crisis of representation and legitimacy. Major findings of the study reveal that time relevant land reform process has not been implemented due to the lack of immediate government commitment. Similarly, powerful people have been holding big plot of land area, so they do not want to fix upper ceiling. Arable land has been left fallow due to the conflict between land owner and tiller. Fallow land leads to the decrease in the productivity of country. All informants have asserted that land reform is essential to increase the productivity and is meaningful for fast growing population. Similarly, all informants support the slogan of “land to the tiller” but they are still confused regarding the implementation. Moreover, there is feudalism in agricultural system and it is a hindrance of equitable and justifiable system. Because of it, scientific agricultural policy has not been implemented and the government has not been able to eradicate rural poverty from country. In this context, land reform is necessary to develop social justice in society. It helps make the state independent and developed, and helps make people happy and achieve self sufficiency. Similarly, land is a gift of nature to all mankind and all creatures. So, the land distribution system needs to follow social justice to increase production and to make the land reform process successful. However, mostly land tillers are deprived of tenants’ rights. Therefore, ‘land to the tiller’ has to be made the policy for land use system. Likewise, land holding has to be based on the work of land and state needs to be sensitive to use natural resources. A powerful land commission is also needed to investigate false holding because such commission could prevent false registration of public and private land. Local land court is essential to give immediate justice to the tenants who do not have capacity of taking justice from the existing court. To implement time relevant land reform program, sincerity of the leaders’ of different parties is thought essential.