Kathmandu, March 8 -- Ram Kumari Bhattarai, 45, made the journey to Kathmandu from Surkhet on foot, walking for almost 27 days straight. In fliflops, the soles of her feet are cracked and bruised.

Bhattarai had taken a loan of Rs1.8 million, using her gold jewellery as collateral but did not keep a written receipt. Coupled with a steep interest rate of 35%, she has to now make seemingly never-ending payments to the lender. If she is not able to, the usurer harasses her through death threats, land seizures.

She is adamant about staying in Kathmandu until the government intervenes to help her and others like her.

In recent months, loan shark victims like Bhattarai from across the country have walked to the capital by the thousands to pro...