Land rights activists say that access to land is the key to ensuring human rights and uplifting the living standards of marginalised communities. Speaking at an event organised by Human Development and Peace Campaign (HUDEP) on Tuesday, land rights activists said that people having little or no access to land are generally deprived of their human rights and basic needs like food, shelter and education. “Right to land is linked with the rights of Dalits, Kamaiyas, Haliyas and other marginalized communities as they are lagging behind chiefly due to poor access to land,” said land rights specialist Jagat Deuja. According to Nepal Human Development Report 2004, one-fourth of the people living in rural areas are estimated to be landless (29 percent) and most of them are Dalits, ethnic minorities and women. The report also mentions that 37 percent of agricultural land of the country is owned by only five percent people who belong to the elite class. “Unless the government takes strong measures for scientific land reforms and stops the haphazard encroachment on land by profiteering groups, the marginalized community will never get access to land,” said Pradeep Pokhrel, chairperson of HUDEP.