“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.
