Balen’s Bulldozers Spare Not Even a Cremation Ground; Funeral Pyre Burning on One Side, Demolition Ongoing on the Other

Kathmandu — A demolition operation at a cremation ground in Bardiya has triggered political backlash and public outrage after videos surfaced online showing bulldozers tearing down structures while funeral rites were underway nearby.

The issue was raised in Parliament on Monday by Thakur Singh Tharu, a lawmaker elected from Bardiya Constituency No. 1, who sought emergency speaking time during the House of Representatives session to draw attention to the incident at the Laththawa cremation site in Ward No. 3 of Barbardiya Municipality.

MP Thakur Singh Tharu speaking during the special (emergency) time in Monday’s session of the House of Representatives. Photo: Screenshot from the Parliament Secretariat video.

Calling the scene “heartbreaking,” Tharu said mourners were performing cremation rituals on one side while bulldozers demolished shelters on the other. “A body was being cremated on one side while the sheds at the cremation site were being torn down on the other. It was deeply painful to witness,” he told Parliament.

Tharu described the demolition as an attack on basic human sensitivity and questioned the morality of carrying out such an operation at a place used for last rites by local communities for generations.

According to him, residents of Barbardiya and neighboring Madhuwani Municipality have used the cremation ground for centuries. The temporary sheds, he said, had been built to provide shelter for grieving families and mourners during rain and extreme weather.

He accused forestry officials of acting arbitrarily and ignoring the emotional and cultural importance of the site.

The controversy has also intensified criticism surrounding the growing use of demolition drives across the country. Although Tharu blamed forest authorities during his parliamentary remarks, the incident has been linked by critics to the broader “bulldozer politics” associated with aggressive anti-encroachment campaigns led by authorities in recent years, including those identified with Balen Shah.

Critics argue that demolitions targeting informal settlements and public spaces have increasingly raised humanitarian concerns, with some accusing authorities of prioritizing force over dialogue and rehabilitation.

Chhabilal Tharu confirmed that the structures had been constructed by the municipality using public funds to provide basic protection for people attending funerals. “There was no place for mourners to take shelter during rain, so the municipality allocated budget and built those sheds. Nobody had raised objections before. Suddenly they came and demolished them, claiming it was under orders from the federal government,” he said.

The mayor strongly condemned the action, saying local residents would not accept the destruction of structures built for public and humanitarian purposes. Meanwhile, the Division Forest Office Bardiya defended the demolition, arguing that the structures had been built inside protected forest land.

Information Officer Ram Kumar Chaudhary said the municipality had been asked to remove the structures but failed to comply. “We told the mayor to dismantle them, but they did not, so we carried out the demolition ourselves,” he said, declining to comment on whether the decision came from higher authorities.

Ward representative Shyam Kumari Chaudhary also defended the structures, saying they were intended solely for mourners attending funerals. “We built them so grieving families could take shelter during rain and storms,” she said.

The incident has reignited debate over the balance between law enforcement and humanitarian considerations, with critics warning that demolitions carried out without sensitivity risk undermining public trust and dignity.

Photo courtesy: Reporting Nepal