Damak Cleanpark Project, a flagship Chinese investment under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework, located in  Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's home constituency is drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.Projected to be the centre for 'big foreign direct investment', the proposed park has left more questions than the authorities have answered as the country’s youths look forward for ‘unprecedented’ employment opportunities. Significantly,  this mega Chinese project has long been criticized, berated and derided on issues of non-transparency, corruption, coercive land acquisition, environmental degradation, latent socio-economic hazards and surreptitiously  lack of complete public discourse. 

To effectively highlight the various flashpoints and pitfalls plaguing the politically ambitious project, peddled, steered, and championed by Prime Minister himself, FDNF, a Limbuwam political front on Dec 29 spearheaded a massive protest march and public rally in Damak ( the very venue of Clean park Project).The rally attracted almost 5000 protesters, drawn from Jan jatis , Adivasis and other marginalized sections and stakeholders of society.

The program was attended by popular public leaders including FDNF Chairman Kumar Linden who highlighted Oli government diabolical maneuvers orchestrated at the behest of Chinese mandarins, sheapishly hard selling a highly controversial and ill conceived project.Moreover, Kumar Lingden also castigated the Communist Government for keeping Damak land acquisition shrouded in complete secrecy, whereas all this time NCP leaders, acting as middlemen, were reaping huge monetary gains from gullible land owners through deals effected at throwaway prices . He stressed that  Oli Government is piling the 'shady development project' on local people without involving or negotiating with stakeholders. Sharing the dias, Jhapa District in charge of Sanghiya Limbuwan manch Bhanu Bhattarai also came down heavily on current fluidic political quagmire starring the nascent democracy, actively abetted by Chinese chicanery.

Of late, Damak, the east district town has been witnessing heightened political activities opposing the contentious project, often characterized by passionate speeches, sloganeering and protest march by public drawn from diverse geographic locations cutting across kaleidoscopic ethnic fabric.Even on Dec 29, a political march was taken out through Damak township with placards and chanting of slogans by emotionally charged and visibly distressed protestors.The protest rally organised on Dec 29 is a clear reminder that the proposed ‘much-hyped’ park would only make the country a victim of Chinese illusion at a time when talks are doing the rounds that Nepal like other countries would soon fall into the Chinese debt trap.

As the saying goes ‘Morning Shows the Day,’ the construction process has already left many crying helplessly for transparency, justice and fair compensation. Not only this, they are being threatened with dire consequences if they do not succumb to coercive tactics.

All the flux transpiring in the name of  industrial park springs up dreaded memories of how Chinese investments are rebuked worldwide for following 'debt trap' diplomacy.  Debt trap diplomacy is pursued to establish desired leverage in other countries and for China,  BRI is the ingenuine instrument for achieving these geopolitical goals. In this respect Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port is a pointer and live specimen of Chinese machanisations.

 Though no one can force  anything on a sovereign country but a poor country like Nepal and its leaders need to be more cautious when it comes to foreign direct investment on projects having limited viability.  Not only economic, environmental and social impact of the Damak Park is also going to be disastrous, locals feel.

 The way the landowners demanding fare compensation are being treated is a revelation that the project has already started causing harm to us.  Chinese investors have blindfolded themselves and are denying addressing the demand for justified compensation from a large section of farmers. Rather a blame game to put the agitators in bad light continues. The authorities have been labelling them outsiders ‘who have hoodwinked helpless and poor farmers to buy the land at throwaway prices only to claim hefty compensation for the same from the project developers.’   This is nothing but a move to create division among the agitating land losers.Pertinently, there are many poor and helpless locals whose land records are not set right and are accordingly on the verge of not only getting deprived from their right to fair  compensation and livelihood but also staring at a landless future.

 No matter how poor our economy is and how small as a country we are, we take pride in becoming a part of the process where democracy is thriving fast. As a sovereign country, we need respect from other countries and want to do the business on equal terms and footing.Though the long term impact of the debt trap is clearly visible, politicians and authorities here are busy posing a brave face even if the country’s sovereignty is on the verge of getting compromised. Even a common person understands why those in power preferred to be in denial mode when regular reports of Chinese’s incursion in Humla are pouring in.  Shouldn’t there be a correlation between what transpired in Humla and our neighbour’s boasting direct foreign investment?

With the tallest leader of the country backing the Damak project, it would not augur well if someone wants to push the controversial projects at the cost of depriving those whose only source of livelihood is a small piece of land, which they have been tilling since ages.    
The compensation fixed for those having registration certificates is much less than what the landowners have demanded from the Prime Minister.  How can the land losers accept compensation at the rate which is much less than that recommended by local government bodies. This spells doom in their life and is a clear indicator that something is terribly wrong with the project.The Chinese investors are well aware that the compensation as demanded by the landowners in Damak is a pittance compared to what they have to pay in case they move out of Nepal and start the business. Then why take their sides? 

The ongoing visit of a high level the Chinese Communist Party delegation at a time when political instability is looming large due to the vertical division in the ruling Nepali Communist Party can be easily construed that the Chinese are more interested  in expanding its geopolitical interest in Nepal in the name of being benevolent.  

The Damak Park is therefore just an illusion!