Dozens of Nepali workers missing in India

Dipayal, April 30

Bhim Bahadur Balayar of Banlek VDC-1, Doti left for India’s Mumbai for employment in 2001. He has not returned home since and his whereabouts remain unknown to his family members.

Bhim Bahadur’s mother Junkiri, 65, never misses a chance to ask anyone returning home from India about her son, but fails to get an answer.

Gopal Belal, 24 of Doti’s Bhumirajmandu VDC-1, had left for India’s Punjab in 2008. He informed his family that he had reached the destination but since has gone out of contact. “I heard that he reached Punjab,” said his daughter Chandra, adding, “But, since we have had no information about him.”

Gopal has four daughters. Chandra, who was six years old when her father left for Punjab, is now 15. A ninth grader at local Bhumiraj Secondary School, Chandra said she does not remember her father’s face.

Likewise, a 53-year-old Khadak Bahadur Negi from Kaplleki VDC-1 left for Punjab of India in 2006. For a year, he kept sending some money back home. But, he too has gone out of contact since 2008.

Harka Bahadur Balayar,17, of Latamandu VDC-8 went to India’s Chennai in 2003. For four years, Harka stayed in touch with his family. However, he abruptly went out of touch since 2008.  Raibhan Balayar, Gopal’s father, lamented that his repeated efforts to search for his son went in vain.

The number of people, who left for India for employment and went out of contact, is significant.

Prakash Madaile, managing director of National Environment and Equidevelopment Society, an organisation working for the Nepalis living in India, said many families back home were not aware of the whereabouts of many Nepali workers in India.

There is no exact data of the number of people going into India for employment. But, a significant number of people from Doti are missing in various cities of India.

A survey carried out by National Environment and Equidevelopment Society, Doti showed that as many as 59 people from four VDCs in the district were missing in India. The report states that 22 from Kapallekika, 14 from Bhumiramandu, 10 from Latamandu and 13 from Banlek were missing in India.

All Nepal Mainstream Nepal India Unity Society’s vice-chairman Hirasingh Chand said that some people supposedly missing in India come into family contact after years. Chand, who lives in India’s Ludhiyana, said, “We have rescued some people but many are still missing. Some people are missing as they cannot recall their address “.

DSP Dammar Bahadur Chand of Doti, however, said no complaint was filed at the District Police Office to search for people missing in India.