Educated youth were forced to migrate as political class thrived, say Nepali nationals in Bengaluru

“Nepal attracts tourists from across the world and money flows into the country, but none of it has ever been used for the welfare of the people. There has been no change in the lives of normal people. Nepalis are forced to leave their families behind to do menial work abroad, but leaders at home live in luxury,” 21-year-old Janaki from Dolpa, Nepal, who works as a hairdresser in Bengaluru, said.

As their country plunged into turmoil, Nepali migrants in Bengaluru told the The Hindu that the protests were long awaited. For years, they said, politicians in Nepal prospered on taxpayers’ money, while the educated youth were left without jobs, forcing many to migrate to India and other countries in search of work.

Migrants from Nepal in the city showed a common pattern — majority of the youth hold degrees, but opt for modest jobs.

“Most of us leave home alone at the age of 15 to 18 without clear plans for work. We arrive, look for jobs and then send our earnings home. Many of us hold degrees but take low paying, informal jobs — waiters, security guards, hotel maintenance staff, cooks, or care workers,” said Binod, a Nepali national working as a maintenance worker in Bengaluru, who holds a B.Sc degree. He collects maintenance fees for an apartment complex in Chickpet.

“Many others, especially women, have migrated to Germany or Australia to work in baby day-care centres and old-age homes,” Mr. Binod added.

“The government was extremely corrupt. Unemployment has left all of us with only one option — to migrate. Even a 12-year-old in Nepal knows that the main problem is the lack of jobs. That is why so many of us are here,” Ms. Janaki said.

Ripples felt

While families in cities such as Birgunj and Biratnagar remain safe and continue their daily routines with communication lines working normally, financial disruptions are being felt across Nepal.

Bank executives here said that remittances have not been reaching beneficiaries for nearly five days now because servers at the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) were down. “People are sending money from Bengaluru but those in Nepal are not receiving it because the servers are not working,” Rajesh Kumar Rawal, a representative of a Nepal-based private bank in Bengaluru, said. 

Bengalureans to return

Tourists and pilgrims from Karnataka stranded in Nepal are set to return home. According to State government officials, 27 people — 12 women and 15 men — will return from Kathmandu on Saturday aboard a Nepal-based airline.

The total number of stranded tourists from the State, however, still remains unknown.