Farmers and labour workers who are struggling against “meter byaj”, term used to denote the exorbitant interest rates charged by loan sharks, staged a marching protest from Maitighar to Baluwatar (Prime Minister’s official residence) on Thursday, demanding justice.
The victims, from various districts, have been protesting at Maitighar, Kathmandu since a month against the loan sharks. The protesters reached Baluwatar and expressed their grief through songs and poems in their local language.
Jaithulla Mia, 40, a farmer from Pratappur-4, Nawalparasi had taken loan of 1.5 lakhs in 2011, keeping his land as collateral. He has already paid over 15 lakhs, but still, his loan has not been cleared off by the loan shark. He hasn’t received formal education and doesn’t know what to do about it.
Most of the farmers and workers, who have fallen prey to such loan sharks, are uneducated – like Jaithulla Mia.
