A community interaction was held from 18 to 19 November 2023 in Nisikhola Rural Municipality , Baglung district, Gandaki Province— a part of the ancestral lands of Magar Indigenous Peoples.
Land territories and resources of Magar have been plundered by the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve that was declared in 1983 by a totalitarian Panchayat regime to promote sports hunting. It covers an area of 1325 Sq KM that includes Nishi Khola Rural Municipality as well.
The Magar have been losing their land territories and resources, customary land tenure systems, ways of life and self-government mechanisms due to the hunting reserve and militarization. The Magar have been defending their land territories and resources for the past 17 years.
The interaction was to initiate developing community protocol (Mul Bandej in their language) — community determined values, procedures, and priorities for engaging with external actors and to make the communities aware on legal and human rights instruments that can be used to protect their lands and self-government mechanisms so as to achieving self-determination.
The community leaders have started documenting their cosmovision associated with their lands, customary laws and judicial system, practices and institutions to govern themselves and their territories. The head of the local government is committed to bring the law to recognize their self-government customary institutions and territories considering the jurisdictions of the local government.
Dr. Kirshna Bhattachan, eminent sociologist and indigenous expert, Advocate Shankar Limbu and Advocate Durga Yamphu have facilitated the community interaction.
