BAJURA, MAY 24
Migrant workers, who had returned home to take part in the local elections, are now heading back to India for work.
Everyday, long queues of people can be seen at major entry points such as Nepalgunj's Rupadiya, Kailali's Trinagar and Kanchanpur's Gaddachauki.
Thousands of Nepali migrant workers working in various parts of India had returned home for the local level elections a week back.
The Rupadiya bus park across the border from Nepal has four bus parks, all of them teeming with Nepali passengers heading to their work places these days. In the run up to the local election, local election candidates, looking for help for their election bid, had made arrangements to bring migrant workers home by deploying buses, jeeps and other vehicles.
"There was a vehicle ready at the border in Nepalgunj managed by political parties to bring us home; now that the polls are over, nobody has come to ask for us," said Man Bahadur BK of Jajarkot's Kuse Rural Municipality. "I had taken a week's leave for the elections; now I am returning to work," added BK, who said he had to borrow money to cover the expenses back to work.
Hasta Rokaya of Humla's Maila Rural Municipality had returned home from India about a week ago. Working as a watchman in New Delhi, Rokaya is heading to work now.
Bahrabise's Lal Bahadur BK, on his part, bemoaned the situation that has compelled them to leave home for employment.
"Had the leaders done enough to create employment and generate income for us in our country itself, we wouldn't have to leave our home," he said.
As per a data compiled by Sudurpaschim Province's Social Development Ministry more than three years ago, the population who go to India for work for six months or more from nine districts stands somewhere near 206,000 persons every year. Those who had come home for elections are now returning to India for work now.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 25, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
