Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal on Saturday announced protest programmes against the land-related bill, two days after a parliamentary committee endorsed it.

The JSP-Nepal has claimed that some of the provisions of the Bill to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Land which was passed by the Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee of the House of Representatives, are seriously objectionable and that they are not in the country’s and the people’s interests.

Issuing a statement on Saturday, JSP-Nepal General Secretary Lalbabu Raut announced the protest from August 25 to August 31, with the slogan ‘Save the land and forests, protect the Madhesh from desertification’.

“The land-related bill neither serves the nation nor the people,” reads the press release. “Instead, it benefits the land mafia and brokers, leading to the destruction of forests and the possibility of desertification in the Tarai/Madhesh region.”

Not only the JSP-Nepal, other opposition parties, including the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, have also opposed some provisions of the bill.

The government, however, has moved ahead with a plan to endorse the bill from the House without any further delay. Accordingly, Kusum Devi Thapa, chair of the House committee, presented the bill in the plenary meeting of the lower house on Friday.

The government appears to be in a haste to pass the land-related amendment bill. In January, it tried to amend the laws through ordinance but it could not do so due to the JSP-Nepal’s opposition in the National Assembly, where the present coalition is in minority.

Later in May, the government attempted to pass a regular bill to amend the land-related laws. But this attempt was also foiled after some lawmakers from the ruling coalition partner Nepali Congress wanted changes in some of the provisions.

Around 55 members of Parliament from various parties, including those from Congress, registered their amendment proposals opposing the bill.

After the government failed to put the bill on the parliament’s agenda on July 10 without amending it, it decided to forward it to the parliamentary committee for a thorough deliberation on it.

Following detailed clause-by-clause discussions in the committee, the bill was passed on August 21 despite objections from opposition parties. They argued that they had not been given sufficient time to study the draft of the bill.

The JSP-Nepal, which has been opposing the provisions of the bill consistently, has further intensified the protest against it. In January, the government withdrew a land-related ordinance due to opposition from the same party.

The number game in the lower and upper houses is the same as earlier. To command the majority in the National Assembly, the ruling parties need at least three more votes, equal to the National Assembly members from the JSP-Nepal.

However, the fate of the bill will not be similar to that of the Land Ordinance.

In case a regular bill originates in the House of Representatives, the government has an option to pass it even if it is rejected by the upper chamber.

Article 11(7) of the constitution mentions the way forward for the bill, which was once endorsed by the parliament but was rejected by the National Assembly.

“If the House of Representatives, in considering a bill which has been rejected or amended by the National Assembly under clause (6), passes it again as it was or with amendments, by a majority of the total number of its existing members, the bill shall be presented to the President for assent,” reads the constitution. It means that the lower house can go forward the bill to the head of the state endorsing such a bill twice.

Political analysts have linked the JSP-Nepal’s announcement of protests against the land bill to the recent Supreme Court order directing an investigation into the Gaur massacre in 2007. Senior political figures such as JSP-N chair Upendra Yadav are accused in the case.

Observers argue that JSP-N might be dissatisfied with the bill but the timing of the newly announced agitation could be aimed at putting pressure on the government over the Supreme Court’s investigation order on the Gaur case.

Implementing court order is mandatory but the approach of the investigation by the government agencies may vary to some extent based on the political party’s relations with the ruling parties.

Just a few days ago, the Federal Democratic Front, an alliance of Madhesh-based political parties, claimed that the top court’s order to investigate JSP-Nepal chair Yadav and others in connection with the Gaur massacre was politically motivated. Similarly, the party leadership has maintained that political interests drive the court’s directive.

“JSP-Nepal was in power bargaining earlier when the government had brought the land ordinance. It was again bargaining for ministerial portfolios when the government brought the bill,” said Chandra Kishor, a Madhesh analyst. “When their attempt to join the government failed, they considered a movement.”

Kishor said the Madheshi people are frustrated with the government’s misgovernance and inefficient delivery. To capitalise on this, this party is considering launching a protest eyeing the next general election to be held after two years.

“Since the party cannot gain public support against the government in the name of the Gaur massacre, it decided to launch an agitation in the name of the land bill to gain the sympathy of the Madheshi people,” he added.