Victims of usurious lending demand action, not assurances

Hundreds of victims of usurious lending, known locally as 'meter byaj,' are undertaking a grueling march from Janakpur to Kathmandu, demanding concrete action rather than mere assurances from the government. Their journey highlights a deep-seated crisis of predatory lending that has devastated families and communities across Nepal.

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My husband was killed, we lost our land and we could no longer stay in our village. We repaid the loan, but they still murdered my husband. Where are my daughters and I supposed to go now?

Shyam Kumari Thakur, a 32-year-old resident, tearfully recounted her ordeal to Home Minister Sudan Gurung, describing how her husband was killed after they repaid a loan but the moneylender refused to return their land. Her husband had borrowed Rs350,000 in 2011, eventually repaying Rs900,000 by 2015. Despite this, the lender retained ownership of their land and allegedly orchestrated her husband's murder. The violence left Shyam Kumari with severe injuries and her family without land or a future.

The 'Justice March,' which began on July 10, involves participants walking barefoot for days, enduring heavy monsoon rains and exhaustion. Many, like 62-year-old Pula Khatun, have repaid multiple times the original loan amount but still face land seizure and eviction. Khatun borrowed Rs100,000 and repaid Rs800,000, yet her lender claims the debt persists and demands she vacate her home.

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When I regained consciousness in hospital, my husband's funeral had already taken place. A loan destroyed my family. Today I have neither a home nor a future.

The protesters have presented six key demands to the government, including the cancellation of fraudulent loan deeds, mortgage papers, and land registrations. They seek legal protection and accountability for moneylenders who engage in exploitative practices. The march underscores the urgent need for the state to address the systemic issues that allow such predatory lending to thrive and to provide justice for its victims.

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The physical pain is nothing compared to the suffering caused by moneylenders and the authorities.