Bankariya people have become squatters in their own land

The endangered community members, known as the ‘children of land’, are rendered landless, a violation of their fundamental right to life, security, shelter and dignity.

Sixty-year-old Santamaya Bankariya often questions how her people, known as ‘ bhumiputra ’ or children of the soil, have become landless ( bhumihin ) in their own land. This is in fact a concern of many Bankariya individuals, one of Nepal’s most endangered indigenous communities.