This para needs correction: "under the Nepali Congress’ liberalization scheme, the company was sold to private interests, namely Champion Shoe Factory, owned by the Chaudharys. Predictably, the private company scuttled the factory and sold its parts, establishing the Chandbagh School where the factory once stood. It was at this time that 10 ropanis of land were illegally transferred into private hands for paisa on the rupee."
Here are the facts about BLSF:
1. BLSF decision to invest in Champion Shoe Factory (trading land for 25% share ownership) was done much ahead of Nepali Congress Government that came to power after Jana Andolan I and opted a policy of privatization in 1992. In fact, the diversification decision was done during Panchayat days. Note: there is a misleading narrative going on in the social media that BLSF was a profitable company, deliberately made to incur losses so that it could be sold to Chaudhary Group. I need to write a separate story on this fake news.
2. BLSF was privatized to an Indian party (Bansbari Leatherage?), the mode of privatization was to sell assets and business, not the land, the company was shifted to Chanauta, Butawal. The owners latter took their assets (mostly boilers) to Kanpur.
3. It is absurd to compare the land prices in 1980s with present day land prices in Bansbari area.
4. This is not to defend Chaudhary or CBI actions. This is to correct the facts. There are lots of distortions going around. If Chaudhary can be charged for usurping land 40 years back, why cannot the farmers, whose lands were confiscated for Harisiddhi Bricks and Tile Industry, or for that matter, establishing Tribhuvan University at Kirtipur, demand compensation. A friend from Kirtipur informed me his mother was paid a paltry sum of Rs500 for their ropani of land! The issue here is that if the government can randomly confiscate land from people and sell it indiscriminately why cannot the public buy the land from the government and sell it?
5. There is a Nepali saying, "laharo tanda paharo janxa".
Thank you so much Pranaya and your incredible newsletter Off the record for this great endorsement, but more importantly acknowledging the need to thoroughly understand China using primary sources whenever possible. Our blog is an archive in itself and we are continuously working on improving discourse on Nepal - China relations. We look forward to unpack so much more this year. Stay tuned.
This para needs correction: "under the Nepali Congress’ liberalization scheme, the company was sold to private interests, namely Champion Shoe Factory, owned by the Chaudharys. Predictably, the private company scuttled the factory and sold its parts, establishing the Chandbagh School where the factory once stood. It was at this time that 10 ropanis of land were illegally transferred into private hands for paisa on the rupee."
Here are the facts about BLSF:
1. BLSF decision to invest in Champion Shoe Factory (trading land for 25% share ownership) was done much ahead of Nepali Congress Government that came to power after Jana Andolan I and opted a policy of privatization in 1992. In fact, the diversification decision was done during Panchayat days. Note: there is a misleading narrative going on in the social media that BLSF was a profitable company, deliberately made to incur losses so that it could be sold to Chaudhary Group. I need to write a separate story on this fake news.
2. BLSF was privatized to an Indian party (Bansbari Leatherage?), the mode of privatization was to sell assets and business, not the land, the company was shifted to Chanauta, Butawal. The owners latter took their assets (mostly boilers) to Kanpur.
3. It is absurd to compare the land prices in 1980s with present day land prices in Bansbari area.
4. This is not to defend Chaudhary or CBI actions. This is to correct the facts. There are lots of distortions going around. If Chaudhary can be charged for usurping land 40 years back, why cannot the farmers, whose lands were confiscated for Harisiddhi Bricks and Tile Industry, or for that matter, establishing Tribhuvan University at Kirtipur, demand compensation. A friend from Kirtipur informed me his mother was paid a paltry sum of Rs500 for their ropani of land! The issue here is that if the government can randomly confiscate land from people and sell it indiscriminately why cannot the public buy the land from the government and sell it?
5. There is a Nepali saying, "laharo tanda paharo janxa".
Thank you for the comment, the correction and the context Narayan ji. It's very helpful. 🙏
Thank you so much Pranaya and your incredible newsletter Off the record for this great endorsement, but more importantly acknowledging the need to thoroughly understand China using primary sources whenever possible. Our blog is an archive in itself and we are continuously working on improving discourse on Nepal - China relations. We look forward to unpack so much more this year. Stay tuned.