Listen to reason

The Pathibhara protestors’ demand for a ministerial-level government talks team is justified.

The Pathibhara cable car issue in the Mukkumlung (Pathibhara) region of the eastern Taplejung district is escalating. As soon as the government endorsed the project, and it was recognised as a “national pride project” by the National Planning Commission in 2018, local communities and environmental activists started voicing their discontent. However, since March 2024, tensions have boiled over into clashes between the police and protesters, who are opposing the project due to its encroachment on their ancestral land and the environmental repercussions. Since the clash in January between the police and the struggle committee, several protests have turned violent. Thirteen people were injured as protestors opposing the project tried to march towards the construction site on Thursday . Similarly, in Saturday’s violent confrontation between the “No Cable Car” group and police in Phungling, both sides sustained injuries.