Co-op sufferers relay hunger strike demanding return of savings

Kushlav KC, president of the Federation of Cooperative Savers Protection National Campaign, said that the third phase of the protest had to be started due to non-implementation of the previous agreements regarding the return of the victims' savings. With slogans such as 'return the money of the savers, we will not allow the election of 2084 until the savings are returned, include the demands of the cooperative victims in the next year's budget', they started a dharna with a relay fast.

The organizers also claim that they will continue their relay hunger strike until their demands are met. The protest of the victims, which started from Maitighar Mandal, turned into a relay fast after holding a rally. KC, the president of the federation, said that until the demands of the cooperative victims are met, the movement will continue strongly across the country.

Jyoti Giri, a saver of Gautam Shri Cooperative, said that the movement will not stop until the money is returned. Giri and his family have sunk more than one crore rupees in Gautam Shri Cooperative. 'I am a teacher by profession, there was no big money transaction, we kept the money from selling the land in the cooperative for a short time,' she says, 'today we have met many people including the secretary of the cooperative and asked them to keep the problem.' Ratna Khadgi of Kuleshwar also saved Rs 1 crore in Gautam Shri Cooperative and Rs 25 lakh in Swarnalakshmi Cooperative of Kalimati. He expressed his grief that he had to take to the streets when the cooperative did not give him money. Khadgi is a former government employee. He said that it was very difficult for the cooperative to embezzle the money saved by suffering all his life to avoid the burden of retired life. "We have deposited the money in the institutions allowed by the government, now it is the government's responsibility to return the money," he said.

Chandraman Maharjan, a resident of Kirtipur, also saved Rs. He said that he did not get the money because the operators ran away saying that they are in trouble now. "Even though I have back pain, I came here hoping that the money will be returned," said Maharjan, who met at the cooperative victims' protest in Maitighar. But we are still trying.

Pema Chiri Sherpa, a saver of Sumo Cooperative, a resident of Kathmandu, also said that the cooperative has not returned Rs. 25 lakhs. "I am sick, I came here because I am afraid that if I don't join the movement, the money will not be returned," he said, "They say journalists know, when will our money be returned?"

80-year-old woman also on the road

80-year-old Indira Paudel of Chitwan went out on the road regardless of the scorching sun in the middle of May. She said that her heart burned more with her savings immersed in the cooperative than the heat of mid-May.

80-year-old Poudel came out on the street carrying a placard in the demonstration of cooperative victims in Bharatpur on Friday. 'I used to save money given by my children and relatives in the cooperative,' she said. told The cooperative has been closed for 20 months.

The co-operative victims' procession started from Bharatpur Choubiskothi and reached the district administration office through the co-operative branch office of Bharatpur Metropolitan Corporation, Chitwan District Police Office on Hospital Road. After that, the victims gathered at the central bus park held a corner meeting. When the procession started, the old lady Indira, who was seen in the front, after walking with the procession for some time, got into the car and reached the meeting place.

Even though the leaders of all the parties of Chitwan were invited to speak at the meeting, only the acting president of the Congress, Rajiv Neupane and the district president of the United Samajwadi Party, Narendra Kandangwa, reached the venue, the organizers said. "Fraud in the name of co-operatives has become a national problem," said Neupane, the acting president of Chitwan Congress, "Congress is also raising the issue in the parliament so that this kind of work does not happen again and whoever is involved in the fraud should be prosecuted." He said that the number of fraudsters in the name has increased and the continuous vigilance from the district will prevent the fraud and increase the possibility of getting the savings back. "They are trying to show the old-fashioned feudalism in cooperatives," he said, "It is regrettable." Our party is with you in your movement.'

Narayan Prasad Pokharel, the victim saver of Shivshikhar Multi-Purpose Cooperative, said that 'thugs' have embezzled 980 million worth of money from the savers of Chitwan. Madhuvilas Adhikari, the victim saver of Sunrise Cooperative, said that it is sad that the administration has not even arrested the owners of Sunrise who embezzled 90 million rupees. He said that if the government is not sensitive to this issue, the movement will be strengthened. Vinod Acharya, a saver of Sahara Cooperative, said that the operators embezzled Rs 85 crore.

In Chitwan, about 20,000 members of the Chitwan Sahara Multi-Purpose and Sunrise Savings and Loan Cooperative, including Shivshikhar, have absconded after closing the cooperative without returning the savings and shares of about three billion rupees. Even after running from the ward office to the Prime Minister's office, the fugitives were not arrested and the victims staged a street protest saying that the possibility of returning the savings was avoided.