By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar, CS Staff) After winning the March 5, 2026, early legislative elections, the new Nepali government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shaha and the Rastriya Swatantra Party, has designated the multi-billion-dollar Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track (expressway) as one of its top national infrastructure priorities. With nearly two-thirds majority, 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives, gained through the Gen-Z movement and dissolution of parliament, the government is moving to complete what it has been labeled a ‘national pride project'. But this new push has sparked long-standing struggles over human rights and cultural preservation for Indigenous Newar communities in the historic towns of Khokana and Bungamati. Located in Lalitpur district, the southern part of the capital, these Indigenous Newar settlements lie at the “zero point” of the proposed 72.5-kilometer mega-highways. Indigenous Newar communities warn that this project will destroy their ancestral lands, livelihoods, culture, rituals, and medieval civilization that they have survived for generations. Historical Ties Khokana is a quiet, serene farming village in Lalitpur district, just a few kilometers from the ring road, and is widely regarded as one of the cradles of Newa civilization. It is one of the oldest settlements of the Indigenous Newar community in the Kathmandu Valley, with roots dating back to the Gopal dynasty, the earliest recorded history of Nepal. Historical records show that Indigenous Newar communities have maintained the “Sikali Civilization” for 1,938 years. The village is believed to have originated in the Ku:desh area near the Shikali Temple along the Bagmati River, and later expanded as members of the Jyapu clan within the Newar community moved here. Traditions showcased that Khokana existed even before Lokeshwara Matsyendranath, during the 7th-century reign of King Narendra Dev, and was later named Jitapur in the 15th century, when King Amara Malla built the Rudrayani Temple to fight a cholera outbreak. Khokana was also included on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 1996 for its rich historical, religious, and archaeological significance. This settlement also hosts the famous Sikali dance, one of Nepal's most distinctive masked performances, as well as a Sikali jatra (procession). Furthermore, Khokana is also known for its mustard oil production, which Indigenous Newar communities have maintained for more than 700 years. According to residents, the project will not only cause economic damage but also destroy centuries-old culture, as the proposed routes of the Fast Track go through communal Guthi (religious trust) lands, archaeological sites, the sacred Sikali temple, and the cremation grounds that the Indigenous Newar communities have used for generations. If the proposed plan proceeds, the zero point and related infrastructure will destroy Guthi lands, including Kumari Khyo (sacred open spaces), where rituals for the living goddess Kumari are performed twice a year, and Baa:ha Khyo, where people celebrate after bringing the soul of Karunamay (Rato Machhindranath festival) from Katuwal Dah to Bungamati during Bungadyah Jatra (carnival). Ongoing construction has already disrupted their traditional practices, including a holy pond used by Indigenous Newar communities to cleanse monastery deities, and the surrounding area has already been turned into open parking for street vendors. Newar elders, with sorrow, say that they are now forced to perform the death rituals in open spaces along the dust-filled construction corridor.
Militarization Tensions increased exponentially after the Nepali Army was officially awarded the contracts for the project's construction in 2017. The army then installed camps and wire fencing along the planned highway without the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of the Indigenous Newar community, and they also blocked farmers from working in their own lands, resulting in fear and insecurity. The affected communities that have protested have often been met with harsh force by the state. In March 2018, peaceful rallies were dispersed with water cannons and tear gas, resulting in injuries to six protestors. Later on, violent clashes broke out when police used batons and tear gas to disperse the protest program as a paddy planting protest organized by affected local Indigenous Newar and activists at the project’s zero point, which further caused injuring more than a dozen protestors, also injuring police officers. The latest confrontation occurred on June 29, 2026, Rice Planting Day, when the Khokana-Bungamati Struggle Committee organized a protest under the slogan “Save the Existence of Khokana-Bungamati.” They protested, demanding the immediate removal of the Nepalese army camps from their village. When the committee tried to hand over a letter to the Nepal army, the army refused to accept it. The organizers then pasted the letter on the walls of the army camp and also submitted a copy to the Chief District Office. They argued that deploying the army for development projects on Indigenous Peoples’ lands violates International law, such as ILO Convention no. 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), to which Nepal is a party. The Struggle Committee was especially angry recently when the federal government republished a land acquisition notice in a national daily newspaper on June 18, 2026, calling on affected residents to collect compensation. The notice completely ignored the previous understanding reached between the affected communities and the government during the tenure of former interim Prime Minister and Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who had agreed to revise the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and relocate the zero point further south to the Farsidol area of Bungamati. Affected communities condemned the government's sudden reversal. “Khokana and Bungamati are our heritage lands," Naresh Maharjan, a local resident, said. “We have long believed that this development, brought in under the guise of a national pride project, will completely destroy our heritage. And now they have republished the notice. Our Sikali meadow has also been included, just as it was back in 2015. Criticizing this one-sided action of the government, we organized today’s rice-planting program as a form of protest.” He added that Indigenous Newars have certain rituals that must be performed at midnight in absolute privacy, warning that “if the Fast Track is taken through their village, they may lose such sacred practices completely.”
First initiated in 2006 with funding from the Asian Development Bank, the fast-track (expressway) was designed to run along the Bagmati River corridor. Beginning at Sano Khokana and passing through Chhaimale, Gausel, Malta, Budune, and Chhatiwan, it reaches Nijgadh, where it links to the East-West Mahendra Highway. The project’s own 2015 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) noted strong opposition to the takeover of their fertile farmland. The EIA had highlighted that an alternative route along the western bank of the Bagmati River would be far better, as it would avoid Khokana’s farmlands. According to local representatives, despite repeated formal requests, they were never provided an official copy of the EIA assessment, and the government ultimately approved the more destructive eastern route. Land acquisition notices published between 2016 and 2019, which targeted 1,600 plots of farmland, directly affecting 1,600 families. In the long term, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Advocates estimate that more than 18,000 residents, mostly Indigenous Newar farmers, will be directly and indirectly displaced. Khokana is likely to lose nearly 60 percent of its arable land, making economic survival impossible for many. The threat is further compounded by a wave of other overlapping state projects in the same areas, including the Outer Ring Road, the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project, high-voltage transmission lines, a petroleum pipeline, the proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu railway, and a Smart City designed to urbanize the valley for more than a million new residents. Community leaders warn that the combined impact poses an existential threat that will destroy the Indigenous Newar communities’ identity in their ancestral home. Their anger was further fueled by the wide gap between government compensation and the land's market value. A senior citizen, Kyojakaji Maharjan, says that the land his family has been cultivating for generations is their only means of livelihood, and they will not give it up at any cost, even at the cost of their lives. “My family is very large,” Kyojakaji Maharjan said. “For a family this size, which the government cannot support, they are offering 150,000 Nepali rupees per aana. Can you believe that? Right now, the plots we sell for 3.5 million Nepali rupees per aana. Has the government no shame? Is there no morality left? The state might as well kill us all to settle it. Let them take the land after we are all die. We will march like martyrs at Sahid Gate, but we will not give up our land.” He continued, “They told us to stop planting rice here. When I knew this, I also stepped in. Even now, if anyone tries to trespass, I have told everyone that we must stop them. Why should I be stopped from entering my own land? If I must die, I will die. What can they do? If they fire bullets, we will fight back with our bare hands. If I am alive and for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I will not surrender this land. Let’s see what they can do.”
Stalled Justice After failing through formal channels, Indigenous Newar communities filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in February 2020, seeking protection for their historic settlements from overlapping development projects, which they fear will destroy their ancient Newar civilization. Yet the Court has repeatedly delayed hearings, even as Nepal army-run construction on the remaining 72.5 Kilometers of the fast track is progressing in full swing. Affected residents also appealed to the country offices of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO, alongside UN human rights mechanisms in Geneva. The Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders previously issued a formal joint communication to the Government of Nepal in 2021, raising serious concerns over the threats of forced evictions, displacement, and the destruction of irreplaceable religious sites. IN the communication, they warned that the project may violate international human rights standards, including ILO Convention 169 and the UNDRIP. Although authorities initially did not respond, the government eventually asked the National Indigenous Nationalities Commission to conduct a study on the matter.
The Khokana-Bungamati Struggle Committee has also highlighted the project’s engineering and logistical flaws. Chairperson Nepal Dongol explains that locating the zero point at Khokana Khudol forces a straight, 100 km/h alignment, making it impossible to preserve Guthi heritage. He warns that funneling an estimated 50,000 vehicles per day into the area without a proper outlet will cause severe traffic congestion, which will further lead to the construction of the Bagmati Corridor and worsen pollution around cultural sites. This influx, he argues, will fuel social harms, displace cultural custodians, and cause damage to intangible cultural heritages such as the Shree Rudrayani Jatra and Rato Machhindranath Jatra, as these will disappear due to rapid urbanization, ultimately forcing the relocation of old Indigenous Newar settlements. As a remedy, the local residents have proposed a feasible alternative that already has wide institutional support. After extensive public hearings and consultations, Lalitpur Metropolitan City recommended that the Ministry of Defense move the zero point from Khokana and Bungamati to a location farther south, in Dukuchhap, in Godawari Municipality. The National Indigenous Nationalities Commission, in its study, echoed this proposal, emphasizing that indigenous nationalities maintain deep connections with their ancestral lands, territories, and culture and that their FPIC must be secured. In addition, the Department of Archaeology substantiated this solution in a formal letter submitted to the National Human Rights Commission on July 15, 2021. The department stated that both the original and revised Fast Track alignments through Khokana and Bungamati would cause irreversible damage to important tangible and intangible heritage, including Guthi lands, religious sites, cemeteries, and archaeological areas, noting explicitly that no such heritage would be affected if the route were shifted to Dukuchhap. According to Dongol, the Dukuchhap option is geographically sound and reflects a consensus among local residents, elected representatives, provincial assembly members, and federal lawmakers. Relocating the starting point there will help safeguard the ancient Newar civilization of Khokana and Bungamati. It will also further contribute to the economic development in nearby areas such as Devi Chaur, Chapagaun, Makwabrasi, Badikhel, Godavari, Godamchaur, and Lamatar, as it will use existing routes via Lalitpur to connect commuters to Bhaktapur, Sindhupalchok, and Ramechhap. Indigenous Newar communities stress that they have negotiated in good faith, guided by pride in their distinct traditions and a strong belief in the rule of law. The current deadlock leaves Prime Minister Balendra Shah with a defining choice: whether to push the Fast Track ahead as a symbol of top-down displacement or embrace a more inclusive development path that meets Nepal’s infrastructure needs while upholding the inalienable human rights and heritage of the Indigenous Newar communities.
