Meter-Interest Exploitation Protest Suspended After 9-Point Agreement

Kathmandu. The 'Pedal Justice March', which has been ongoing for the past 10 days, has been temporarily suspended following a 9-point agreement between the protesting parties against meter-interest exploitation and oppression and the government.

With the agreement, the farmers and laborers participating in the protest have started returning to their respective homes.

The 9-point agreement reached between the government and meter-interest victims on July 17 includes important issues such as ending the exploitation and malpractice of meter-interest, canceling fake bonds, and forming a special court (tribunal) to hear cases related to this.

Meter-interest victims had started the 'Pedal Justice March' from Tritiyagachhi in Janakpur on June 25. When the march reached Nijgadh in Bara, an agreement was reached on July 17 between Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and the victim representatives to form a Kathmandu-based negotiation team. In line with that initiative, a formal 9-point agreement was reached between the two parties on July 17.

After the agreement, the protesting parties stated that this agreement was possible at the policy and legal level due to the strong unity of the oppressed farmers and laborers and continuous street struggle. Although the protest programs have been stopped and people have started returning home, the protesters say that the test of the government's honesty and responsibility has now begun.

According to the representatives of the protesting parties, this agreement should not be limited to paper but should be implemented immediately with strong willpower. They have clarified that the vigilance of ideological and organized struggle will continue until the exploited class gets full justice.

Furthermore, the protesting parties have expressed respect to all justice-loving citizens and warriors who lined up in the struggle from Janakpur to Nijgadh's Maidan.