The Nation, Nationalism, Religion, Culture, and Citizen Protection Grand Campaign, led by Durga Prasai, has reduced its original 27-point agenda to five demands that it says require immediate government action.
The campaign had earlier announced a protest movement with 27 demands, following which the government invited its leadership for negotiations.
Talks between the government’s negotiation committee, coordinated by Minister for Information and Communication Technology Jagdish Kharel, and the campaign have been ongoing since Poush 1 (mid-December). During these discussions, Prasai agreed to narrow the list of demands to five key issues.
The five demands currently presented by the campaign are as follows:
First, all legal cases filed against Durga Prasai and other campaign activists in connection with the Chaitra 15 protest must be withdrawn.
Second, landless squatters and unplanned settlers must not be removed without first ensuring proper alternative arrangements.
Third, problems related to financial institutions, cooperatives, and microfinance organizations must be addressed. These include removing loans below NPR 2 million from blacklists, suspending the 35-day public notice and auction process, and ending harassment of borrowers at their residences.
Fourth, decisions related to Kirant, Buddhist and other religions, the abolition of provinces, and the monarchy should be made through a national referendum.
Fifth, the quota for students pursuing MBBS and MD programs in medical education must be increased.
The government’s negotiation committee has stated that some of these demands involve policy-level, legal, and constitutional complexities and therefore require broader consultations and further discussion. On Monday, the committee formally invited the campaign for continued talks.
According to the committee, discussions will be held on all five demands, and a meeting between Prime Minister Sushila Karki and campaign chair Durga Prasai will take place by Poush 15. This decision was conveyed through an official letter sent to the campaign’s negotiation team on Monday.
“Some of the submitted demands are linked to policy, legal, and constitutional complexities, making it necessary to conduct extensive consultations with relevant ministries and stakeholders, along with detailed technical studies, which will require additional time,” the letter stated.
“It has therefore been decided to maintain continuous dialogue between the two committees and to arrange a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Sushila Karki and campaign chair Durga Prasai by Poush 15.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Karki and Prasai held a meeting on Mangsir 22.
