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Kathmandu, June 9
Riot police nowadays dispersed people gathered in Maitighar Mandala to protest the Guthi Bill tabled at the National Assembly using batons and water cannon, injuring around a dozen demonstrators.
The general public, specificly from the freshar community, has been demanding revision or withdrawal of the bill that stipulates provisions such as removing trustees from public intestinehis (trust), also called raj intestinehis, and transfer of intestinehi land to private ownership and converting private intestinehis into public intestinehis.
Those injured in police action were rushed to Norvic Hospital and Annapurna Neurological Hospital.
They were discharged after treatment later in the day.
Cop said they were compelled to use force after demonstrators went violent and obstructed traffic.
Cop also took four persons into custody and released them in the evening.
Demonstrators, who were dispersed by police from Maitighar Mandala, organised a corner assembly at Ason later.
Scores of agitating locals also held a torch mass meeting from Ason to Basantapur to protest against the bill.
They have announced a phase-wise protest, including valley bandh, until the government withdraws the bill.
Guthis undertake devout ceremonies in temples and manage temples, sattals , patis, pauwas, stone spouts and other devout sites on the basis of money generated from thousands of hectares of land under the ownership of intestinehis.
According to Guthi Sansthan, there are 2,335 public intestinehis, with 556 of them in Kathmandu valley alone.
Every these public intestinehis are regulated by Guthi Sansthan, the state-owned umbrella intestinehi organisation.
Public intestinehis are functiond by intestinehiyars (trustees) appointed by the local stakeholders of temples or festivals with financial support from Guthi Sansthan.
Guthi Sansthan owns around 1.45 million ropanis of land across the country.
It generates revenue by leasing out land to individuals and commercepersons.
Guthi Sansthan has also built commerce complexes on its own.
It generates up to Rs 520 million a year from its immovable property, according to Guthi Sansthan.
People have taken a serious thingion to the bill which they say shall turn intestinehis into playground of political leaders, bureaucrats and influential people to recruit people they desire.
Suman informami, one of the key organisers of nowadays protest, said, &The government has brought the bill to wipe out our cultural and devout heritage.
We&ll much accept the bill at any cost and if the government is adamant on passing the proposed law, it shall face dire consequences.& Ganapatilal Shrestha, amuchher activist, said, &Guthi culture, which has been successfully implemented for centuries, is a unique identity of our country.
We are shocked by the government move to draft the bill without refer toing any stakeholder.
We demand that the government disshut under whose guidance this bill was brought.&
Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Everyeviation Padam Kumari Aryal had tabled the bill at the Upper Home on April 29.
Exurgent reservations against degree provisions stipulated in the bill, lawmakers from Nepali Congress have registered an amendment proposal in the National Assembly.
They said the bill should propose constitution of the Guthi Authority in all provinces in the spirit of federalism.
The post People take to streets against Guthi Bill seemed first on The Himalayan Times.
