Clearing Encroached Land or Removing Settlements? Balen’s Decision and the Political Debate

Kathmandu — After the government decided to remove those who had illegally settled on government land along the Bagmati riverbank, this issue has become the center of a political debate. The government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah has decided to clear the encroached land. However, opposition parties have presented this as an attempt to “evict squatter settlements using bulldozers.” For this reason, this decision has emerged as a conflict between good governance and humanitarian sensitivity.

The reality is that the action proposed by the government relates to the control of encroachment and the protection of public property. The haphazard settlements along the banks of a national asset and cultural heritage like the Bagmati have distorted the very character of the river. This has caused environmental pollution and hindered the implementation of government plans. But when the government attempts to adopt legal measures, the political parties in the opposition immediately turn it into a matter of controversy.

The real question here is: do we want the rule of law, or do we ourselves become vocal in violating the law? Do we ourselves create anarchy, do we ourselves violate the law, yet we ourselves claim we need good governance? There is a great contradiction somewhere in this. Even when the government tries to prioritize good governance, development, and legal order, there remains a risk of instability, anarchy, and criminal governance if we follow “anti-national forces.” If every time the government makes a decision in the public interest, it is subjected to chaos and misinterpretation, then no government can work in favor of the country and its people. The establishment of good governance is not possible through the play of political power alone, but only through the responsible support of both citizens and the government.

Therefore, what are the two paths we must now choose? On one hand, to further strengthen instability, crime, and anarchy by colluding with anti-national forces, or on the other hand — to move the country forward by supporting the government we have chosen, through peace, order, development, and prosperity? Certainly, responsible citizens, political parties, and the entire nation must embrace “good governance” as the right path. This is the only historical way forward.