LETTERS: Stop labour supply

This is with reference to the editorial “Explore jobs within” (THT, January 16, Page 8). It is always important for a country like ours to create job opportunities in the productive sectors within the country itself rather than help the manpower agencies supply our workforce to all over the world.

The government should immediately dismiss the labour agreements made so far with those host countries where the labourers from Nepal do not get fair treatment or are denied legal remedies. The government should also reduce the number of countries permitted for labour supply to a few from 110. On the other hand, the government should retain the skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled Nepali workforce and make it a mandatory that they be recruited until the completion of the projects of national interest like roads, airports, railways or hydroelectricity.  At the same time, the government should introduce measures that make the high school pass outs and university graduates alike to stay back in the country and stop the brain drain. Educational consultancies also should be monitored who in the name of helping students choose countries and universities all over the world for further studies are actually helping our students work hard and earn their living in the foreign land.

To overcome all these problems and help the nation grow economically, it is time to explore jobs within the country for which all the stakeholders, including the government, the manpower agencies, the educational consultancies and all the concerned people have to immediately play a vital role. It is not that difficult to absorb the skilled or unskilled labour force within the country if constructions of mega development projects are executed within the schedule.

Deepak Shrestha, Lalitpur

Shame

Apropos of the news story “Malnutrition rampant among Karnali kids” (THT, January 13, Page 5), almost 28 years after dawn of multiparty democracy and 11 years after the ouster of the monarchy, the stigma of children’s deaths from malnutrition continues unabated in Karnali.

In all these years our malnourished politicians have transformed virtually into well-fed slick ‘rajas’, but the people that they claim to represent are still a far cry away from the life of wretched poverty.

When news and photos of these children do the round in international mainstream media and social sites, we may have a hard time explaining the truth to the world. The world will be shocked that such deaths are taking place in a country which is supported by almost all UN-affiliated nations.

For the sake of Nepali brand, the government cannot afford to shirk these children. They can postpone all their priorities and rush to Karnali with food, medicines and other succour. Such news reminds us of the times of Ben Hur and Moses.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu