Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) has demanded that the government immediately withdraw its decision to reduce the number of public holidays.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, NEFIN Chairman Jagat Bahadur Baram urged the government to withdraw its decision that was taken unilaterally without holding any discussions with the members of indigenous nationalities.

“The government’s unilateral decision taken without holding any discussions or consultations with the members of indigenous communities gives a taste of the Mahendra-era which will create an environment of inequality and nurture additional conflict that will cause harm to the prosperity of the people,” read the statement.

Organisations representing various indigenous communities this afternoon also met Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and handed over a memorandum regarding their demands.

Minister Thapa, in response, clarified that the government had to trim the unnecessary public holidays for the sake of the development of the nation.

The government on Wednesday had reduced the number of public holidays by 22 days. A Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli took the decision to grant 89 public holidays next year, down from 104, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs.