Why Are Protests Spreading Everywhere Across Nepal Right Now?

Contract employees inside Singha Durbar have been protesting since yesterday after stopping work. Just outside, a woman named Binu Yadav has been staging a sit-in at the gate of Singha Durbar for the past three days.

A little farther outside, the CPN-UML-affiliated student organization ANNFSU is also protesting. A few kilometers away, farmers are protesting at Maitighar by throwing tomatoes all over the road.

Similarly, victims of predatory moneylending are walking from Janakpur to Kathmandu as part of their protest. In addition, there are already several people who have been staging hunger strikes at Maitighar for a long time with their own respective demands.

Leaving the streets aside, opposition parties have been continuously protesting in Parliament for the past two months. Looking at the overall situation, the country appears to be filled with protests everywhere.

Now, let us look at these protests one by one and understand what they are about.

Why Did Farmers Protest by Throwing Tomatoes at Maitighar?

Many people may find this amusing, but the red produce scattered across the road is not merely tomatoes. It represents the tears and sweat of thousands of farmers. At present, tomatoes are sold in the market for between Rs 35 and Rs 50 per kilogram. Consumers have to pay this amount when purchasing them. However, the farmers who produce them struggle to receive even Rs 8 to Rs 14 per kilogram.

On top of that, Nepali tomatoes are struggling to find a market because of tomatoes imported from India. In protest against this situation, farmers threw tomatoes across the road at Maitighar Mandala and staged an agitation.

Protest by Contract Employees Inside Singha Durbar

Contract employees who have been working for a long time under 18 ministries inside Singha Durbar have staged a sit-in and protest in front of the main entrance of the Ministry of Finance. They claim that the government is preparing to remove them and manage manpower through outsourcing.

According to them, if this plan is implemented, thousands of contract employees who have worked for years could lose their jobs at any time.

Therefore, their main demand is that the government immediately withdraw its plan to hire employees through outsourcing and ensure job security by continuing the services of the currently employed contract workers.

They have warned that they will continue their protest until their demands are fulfilled. Now, let us discuss the third case, involving Binu Yadav, who has been staging a sit-in at the gate of Singha Durbar for the past three days.

Yadav had reached Singha Durbar to meet the Home Minister and raise her concerns, saying that she had suffered domestic violence. However, she says that despite having an entry pass, she was not allowed to enter. She has therefore been staging a sit-in at the gate.

ANNFSU Protest and the Justice March of Predatory Moneylending Victims

The CPN-UML-affiliated student organization ANNFSU staged a protest in front of the southern gate of Singha Durbar, accusing the government of increasing state terror, undermining the rule of law, and suppressing the voices of the poor.

The protesters placed motorcycles across the middle of the road and chanted slogans while carrying placards with messages such as “The voices of the poor must not be suppressed” and “End state terror.” The protest briefly disrupted traffic around Singha Durbar. Police later intervened and removed both the protesters and the motorcycles from the road.

Police also detained six leaders and activists, including ANNFSU Central Chairperson Deepak Dhami. ANNFSU has warned that it will intensify the protest if its detained leaders and activists are not released unconditionally.

Victims of predatory moneylending began a “Justice March” from Tirhutiya Gachhi in Janakpurdham on Asar 25 and are currently walking towards Kathmandu. They have once again taken to the streets, saying that they have not received justice despite repeated protests and agreements with the government.

Their main demand is that the government cancel fraudulent documents related to predatory moneylending, including fake promissory notes, mortgage deeds, registrations, and forged cheques.

They have also demanded the formation of a separate special tribunal for the speedy resolution of predatory moneylending cases, a review of fabricated cases filed against victims, and an investigation into assets illegally acquired by moneylenders.

They have further demanded the return of houses and land seized by lenders and appropriate compensation for the victims. Home Minister Sudan Gurung has reached Bara to address the demands of these victims, and talks are underway between the government and the victims. The government has already fulfilled their first demand by making public the reports of the commissions formed to investigate the matter.

Continuous Protest by Opposition Parties in Parliament

Finally, first demand by making let us discuss why opposition parties have been continuously protesting in Parliament for the past two months. The opposition parties have been demanding that a statement made by Prime Minister Balen Shah be removed from the parliamentary record. While standing at the rostrum, he had said, “It appears that Nepal has also encroached upon Indian territory.”