The talks, which lasted until midnight, ended inconclusively after Home Minister Gurung, who is leading the government negotiation team, accepted all the demands but said that some of the language in the draft received would need to be corrected and that the final agreement would be made at the ministry.
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The talks between the meter badge victims, who have been protesting for a long time demanding justice, and the government negotiation team at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry hall in Nijgadh, Bara ended without an agreement on Wednesday night. The talks that lasted until midnight failed to reach an agreement as both sides did not budge from their respective stances.
Home Minister Sudhan Gurung had come to Bara on Monday to hold talks on behalf of the government. A draft with six demands was submitted to Home Minister Gurung on Wednesday night during the talks that lasted for two days. Home Minister Gurung, who is leading the government negotiation team, said that although he accepted all the demands in the current talks, some language in the draft received from the victims needs to be corrected. He requested the protesters to postpone the protest and come to Kathmandu, saying that a negotiation team would be formed and the final agreement would be reached at the Home Ministry. ‘This government is not like the previous one. The current government will fulfill what it has said,’ he said, ‘Don’t panic. We are with you. We will leave this alone.’
The victims, who had learned from past assurances and incomplete agreements, did not believe Home Minister Gurung. They flatly rejected the government's conditions. After that, Minister Gurung left the talks at 11:25 pm. At the talks, the victims shouted slogans saying that their movement was continuing.
Home Minister Gurung had lured the victims by saying that the draft should be amended from the law to the amendment of the law on issues such as the court case process, arrest warrants, etc. The talks, which were scheduled to start at 12 noon on Wednesday, started at 8:15 pm.
Nirga Naveen, coordinator of the United People's Rights Front Nepal, which is participating in the meter badge movement, said that their march would be stopped only if the government gives a written agreement during the talks. 'Until there is a concrete agreement in writing with the government addressing our demands, the movement will not stop. We will wait in Nijgadh for some more time,' he said, 'Now we will not accept verbally. Whatever happens, there will be a concrete written agreement.'
Gen-G activist Laxmi Ghimire, who participated in the walk, said that the draft agreement submitted by the victims should be signed in writing and legalized before the Home Minister. 'Initiatives are being taken for talks today too. But the issue of when and what time the formal talks will be held has not been decided yet,' she said, 'We have asked for verbal, not written. Our stance remains the same. If there is no agreement, the walk for justice will not be postponed. The struggle will continue towards Kathmandu.'
The secretariat meeting of the walk team is currently being held. The main demands of the victims are that the land held hostage by the meter badgers should be returned, fake tamasuks should be cancelled, and the gangs involved in meter badge crimes should be brought to justice and action should be taken. Although the government has tried to form a task force and amend the law before, the victims complain that they have not yet received justice in practice.
Participants from various districts of Madhesh were on a march from Janakpur to Kathmandu. They stopped in Nijgadh after Home Minister Gurung himself reached Bara.
