Youth on the move

In Monday's Kathmandu Post I read short bios of two of the 19 protesters killed by police in the GenZ demonstration one week ago. Both were from Nepal's Far West — Deepak Singh Saud was from Baitadi district, Subas Bohara from Bajhang. Deepak was 18, Subas 21.

I send my condolences to their loved ones. 

As you probably know by now, the protest was about much more than the recent Nepal Government ban on social media. It was an explosion of frustration at how the political class has been running this nation for decades, longer than many protesters had been alive. And for a lot of those disaffected young people, the fact that they had to leave their country in order to find a job or continue their studies was a slap in the face, a symptom of all that was wrong with Nepal.

In fact, both Deepak and Subas had been learning a foreign language so they could go abroad and get the sort of job they felt they needed to earn a decent living — Subas to Japan, Deepak to South Korea. I think there's a good chance that other victims had also considered leaving Nepal.

I've been looking into migration and Nepal long enough to know that, despite the horror stories — and there are many — it does have benefits. Individuals can earn much more money than at home. They can pick up skills and women in particular can grow in confidence as they navigate a new society more independently than they would in Nepal. The country of course is a winner thanks to the money that migrants send home — at least a quarter of Nepal's overall income these days, one of the highest rates of the world's labour sending countries. 

But overall, to me nothing shows more plainly the failure of the entrenched leaders of the political parties than the hundreds of thousands of young people who every year feel that they have no option but to leave their country and loved ones to try and launch themselves into their adult lives in a strange land. 

I really really hope that in this new Nepal young people will feel like they have a choice — to leave, or to stay; a real choice, one whose pros and cons need to be carefully weighed before deciding. It will definitely take time to get there but last week a door opened that could lead in that direction, unfortunately not without unforgettable sacrifices.

Resources

Kathmandu Post article about Deepak Singh Saud

Post article about Subas Bohara

Detailed article about the GenZ andolan by Pranaya Rana

Transcript

Marty: 0:14

Hi everyone. This is Marty. Before we start, I've posted a very short survey about the show. It will take you at most five minutes to do: what you like, don't like, and your thoughts on how it should sound after we relocate to Canada. Please take those few minutes to do it now, before you finish listening to this episode. The link is in the show notes. I will really appreciate it. A big thank you to those who've already filled it out.

Marty: 0:45

In Monday's, Kathmandu Post, I read short bios of two of the 19 protestors killed by police in the Gen Z demonstration one week ago. Both were from Nepal's Far West. Deepak Singh Saud was from Baitadi District, Subas Bohara from Bajhang. Deepak was 18, Subas 21. I send my condolences to their loved ones.

Marty: 1:13

As you probably know by now, the protest was about much more than the recent Nepal government ban on social media. It was an explosion of frustration at how the political class has been running this nation for decades, longer than many protesters had been alive. And for a lot of those disaffected young people, the fact that they had to leave their country in order to find a job or continue their studies was a slap in the face, a symptom of all that was wrong with Nepal.

Marty: 1:47

In fact, both Deepak and Subas had been learning a foreign language so they could go abroad and get the sort of job they felt they needed to earn a decent living Subas to Japan, Deepak to South Korea. I think there's a good chance that other victims had also considered leaving Nepal.

Marty: 2:07

I've been looking into migration in Nepal long enough to know that despite the horror stories and there are many it does have benefits. Individuals can earn much more money than at home. They can pick up skills, and women in particular can grow in confidence as they navigate a new society more independently than they would in Nepal. The country of course is a winner, thanks to the money that migrants send home at least a quarter of Nepal's overall income these days, one of the highest rates of the world's labour-sending countries.

Marty: 2:45

But overall, to me nothing shows more plainly the failure of the entrenched leaders of the political parties than the hundreds of thousands of young people who every year feel that they have no option but to leave their country, and loved ones, to try to launch themselves into their adult lives in a strange land.

Marty: 3:08

I really, really hope that in this new Nepal young people will feel like they have a choice to leave or to stay; a real choice, one whose pros and cons need to be carefully weighed before deciding. It will definitely take time to get there, but last week a door opened that could lead in that direction, unfortunately not without unforgettable sacrifices.

Marty: 3:38

Here's a question. If you were planning to leave, or return, before last week's andolan, have you changed your mind, or has the latest movement reaffirmed your choice? Click, Send us a Text in the episode notes to message me with your thoughts. It's free in the US and Canada, about five rupees from Nepal. I'll talk to you next time.