KATHMANDU: The negotiations between the government and protestors over the Pathibhara cable car project have remained inconclusive even after 12 hours of discussions at the Himalaya Hotel. Neither the government backed down, nor did the protests come to a halt.
Initially, the joint Congress-UML government ignored the protests, dismissing them as the actions of a small group while standing firmly in support of Chandra Dhakal’s cable car project.
However, as tensions escalated and police fired on protestors, the movement spread beyond the hills to Jhapa, Itahari, Dharan, and even Kathmandu.
Protests were held outside Global IME Bank in Kamaladi, and transportation across nine eastern districts came to a standstill. Growing public pressure finally forced the government to take action.
In response, the Home Ministry formed a negotiation team led by Joint Secretary Prem Prasad Bhattarai, including officials from the Tourism, Urban Development, and General Administration Ministries.
On the other side, protestors formed their own team, led by academic Amar Tumyang, with members Shankar Limbu, Ram Maden, and Saraswata Limbu. However, lawyer Shankar Limbu was absent from the talks.
Despite nearly 12 hours of discussions over two days; four hours on Monday and eight hours on Tuesday; no resolution was reached. Protestors questioned the authority of government officials, asking whether their agreements would be upheld by political leadership.
Joint Secretary Bhattarai admitted that his team could only facilitate further discussions at a higher level. Other government officials mostly remained silent.
A notable aspect of the talks was Bhattarai’s connection to Taplejung and his alleged proximity to UML lawmaker Yogesh Bhattarai.
Protestors speculated that he was reporting back to either Prime Minister Oli or Yogesh Bhattarai, as he frequently stepped out to make phone calls when discussions became intense.
The government’s strategy was clear: persuade protestors to call off their movement without halting the cable car project. Officials insisted that construction could not be stopped due to technical reasons.
Protestors, however, demanded that injured demonstrators be treated, detained activists be released, and security personnel be withdrawn from the construction site before they would consider pausing their protests.
When protestors asked for details on the cable car’s development model, including its Detailed Project Report (DPR) and agreement with the company, the government failed to provide any documents. With neither side willing to compromise, the lengthy negotiations ended without a solution.
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