Key Takeaways:

• Victims halted their march after promise of talks in Bara
• Minister Gurung missed Wednesday's scheduled meeting
• Protesters rejected draft proposal and committee plan

NIJGADH, JULY 16 A crucial second day of negotiations between Home Minister Sudan Gurung and victims of illegal loan sharking (meter byaj) was delayed on Wednesday after the minister failed to arrive at the scheduled meeting, raising concerns among protesters awaiting a resolution to their demands. The talks, scheduled to resume after noon in Nijgadh, had not begun by the time of filing this report due to the minister's absence. The victims, who have been marching on foot from Janakpur to Kathmandu to demand justice, had halted their journey in Bara on Tuesday after police informed them that the Home Minister would personally meet them and hold talks. They had already walked about 200 metres from their overnight stop before returning to the Nijgadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry premises. Two rounds of discussions were held with Gurung on Tuesday after he arrived in Simara on the day's first flight, but the talks ended without a concrete agreement despite lasting until late evening. The protesters had expected Wednesday's meeting to produce a breakthrough. However, Minister Gurung spent the day attending other official engagements, including meetings with local Gen Zs, an inspection of pollution in the Sirsiya River, visits to industries including Jagdamba, and worship at the Dugdheswor Mahadev temple inside Parsa National Park.

Police officials stationed at the protest site said they had not received any information that the minister would cancel the meeting. 'The minister is expected to come. We have not been informed that today's talks have been called off,' said Inspector Data Prasad Adhikari, chief of the Area Police Office, Nijgadh. According to journalists covering the negotiations, the Home Minister had presented an eight-point draft proposal intended to address the victims' six-point charter of demands during Tuesday's discussions. The draft, read aloud by Bara Chief District Officer Dharmendra Kumar Mishra from the minister's mobile phone, was rejected by the protesters, who said it failed to address their core concerns. The minister also proposed forming a committee comprising government officials and representatives of the victims to work towards a solution, but the protesters rejected the idea, arguing that similar mechanisms had failed in the past and insisting that the issue be resolved through a decision at the highest political level. The victims have expressed frustration that the Home Minister appeared to prioritise other official engagements over negotiations on what they described as a long-standing and serious issue. Despite growing scepticism, the protesters remained at the venue awaiting the minister, saying they still hoped the dialogue would produce a meaningful outcome. At the time of publication, Gurung had yet to arrive for the scheduled talks.