Lalitpur, February 10:

The secretariat meeting of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) held here today decided to sit for talks with the government for which the secretariat would form a talks team on Sunday.

“We have decided to sit for talks with the government after the federation received a formal letter from the government calling for dialogue,” said Pasang Sherpa, president of NEFIN.

Sherpa said the talks and the struggle programmes would go on side by side. Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities has announced a series of protest programmes that would last till February 28 on which the umbrella organisation of indigenous nationalities NEFIN has called for Nepal Bandh.

“As part of our protest programme, a khukuri rally is being organised on Monday from Ratnapark,” Sherpa said, adding that the rally would go through Bagbazar, Putalisadak and conclude at Bhadrakali.

Sherpa said Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities has called a Valley bandh on February 15, Bheri, Karnali, Seti and Mahakali bandh on February 18, Rapti Lumbini and western parts of Narayani on February 20, Gandaki and Dhaulagiri on February 22, Eastern Narayani, Janakpur and Sagarmatha on February 24 and Mechi and Koshi bandh on February 26.

When asked why continue with struggle when the federation is going for talks, Sherpa said the federation has taken talks as a front of struggle and would take both the talks and struggle side by side.