The victims, who had been stuck at the Udyon Chamber of Commerce building in Nijgadh for six days, have returned home with hopes of justice after an agreement was reached between the government negotiation team and their leaders.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
The meter badge victims who set out on a walking march from Janakpur to Kathmandu demanding justice have returned home after reaching a nine-point agreement with the government.
The victims who had been stuck at the Udyon Banijya Sangha building in Nijgadh, Bara for six days during the protest have returned home with the hope of justice after reaching an agreement between the government negotiation team and their leaders.
A nine-point agreement was reached in Kathmandu on Friday between the government negotiation team and the victims' negotiation team. Laxmi Ghimire, who is leading the meter badge walking march, said that all the victims returned home from Nijgadh in a hurry, seeking a way out of the agreement with the government after a very difficult stay. Ghimire was also a member of the negotiation team with the government. ‘There has been a 9-point agreement with the government, but our main concern is its full implementation,’ she said, ‘If the government does not fulfill its commitments as agreed, we will be forced to start a strong march and struggle program from Nijgadh again.’
With the agreement, happiness and satisfaction have been seen on the faces of the victims who have been suffering from exploitation and injustice by moneylenders for years. According to Ghimire, this agreement is a partial victory in the long struggle of the victims. However, she clarified that the agitation has not ended completely but has only been postponed for the time being.
Hundreds of victims who have lost their homes due to meter-rate lending, who have been trapped in the quagmire of high interest rates and have suffered mental and physical abuse, are heading towards their respective homes with a strong assurance of getting justice, said victim Shivshankar Mahato. Earlier, the victims who had walked from Janakpur had planned to reach Kathmandu on foot through various districts of Madhesh to put pressure on the government. The movement has now come to a halt after the government promised to take legal and practical steps to resolve the problems of the victims.
Chandan Devi Raut, a victim from Janakpur, said that they are returning home in the hope of getting justice. ‘The pain of Mahajan has become a part of our lives,’ she said, ‘We have returned today happily. May the government not make us sad again.’
The victims who reached Nijgadh from Janakpur had been staying there since Monday. Home Minister Sudhan Gurung came to meet the victims on Tuesday morning. He returned to the capital after holding talks with the victims for two days. There were around 200 victims when they reached Nijgadh from Janakpur, but on Tuesday, 500 more arrived from Chitwan and Nawalparasi.
