Nepal’s Indigenous Newa communities in Khokana and Bungamati are resisting the Kathmandu–Terai Fast Track, which would cut through ancestral land and threaten livelihoods and cultural identity.
The government calls it a “national pride” project, but locals say it advanced without real consultation and sidelines Indigenous rights. They warn it could trigger more projects — and that this fight is about survival, not compensation.
by Bibek Bhandari
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-national-pride-highway-meets-indigenous-resistance-in-ancient-nepali-town/