The second round of the talks between the government and the representatives of the Indigenous Nationalities Struggle Committee (formed by Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities to enforce the 3-day bandh) held at the Army Integration Special Committee's secretariat in Naya Baneshwor ended inconclusively, Monday evening.

In the first round, the Janajati leaders presented their demands which includes single identity-based federal structure, and the government team which comprises four ministers – Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Minister for Federal Affairs Suryama Gurung, Energy Minister Radha Gyawali and Minister Mahendra Raya - gave their opinion on them. Similarly, senior leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, UML and Madhesi Front, who were also also present in the talks, urged the committee to withdraw the bandh and opt for negotiated settlement.

However, the Janajati talks team rejected the call by the top leaders to end the bandh saying that they were not yet convinced that their demands would be fulfilled through talks.

The talks which were initially scheduled for 8 am started at 11:30 am with the top leaders of the major parties engaging in a separate discussion.

The negotiation started on the second day of nationwide general strike called by the struggle committee to protest against the recent 11-province federal model decided by the three major parties, and demanding ethnicity-based federalism.

The major parties have said they will reconsider the previous agreement. Meanwhile, the 3-day general strike called by NEFIN, which entered day 3 on Tuesday, crippled daily life in Kathmandu and many districts across the country.

Marketplaces, factories, educational institutions and public transportation remained affected in the capital and many parts of the country due to continuous shutdowns and added to the woe of the general public in far-west and various Terai districts already reeling under shutdowns called by various other groups from past few weeks. nepalnews.com