The power of Nepal's man power

Editorial
The power of Nepal's man power

FROM ISSUE #576 (28 OCT 2011 - 03 NOV 2011) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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KUNDA DIXIT

Nepal's head of state and head of government both recently had a chance to see up close and personal the plight of Nepali workers in the Gulf. President Ram Baran Yadav was on a state visit to Qatar, while Prime Minister Bhattarai made a stopover in Doha.

The president had a long chat with the progressive and pragmatic Emir of the gas-rich sheikhdom over a lavish banquet. They talked about the potential for further Qatar-Nepal cooperation, especially in agriculture and tourism. The only reason Nepal hasn't been able to cash in on Qatari goodwill towards Nepal and take it beyond exporting "manpower", it seems, is because the various branches of government here are so feckless. Distracted by holidays and politics, they couldn't even get their act together to give the president talking points for a specific Qatari request to invest in agriculture in Nepal.

Both President Yadav and Prime Minister Bhattarai, however, met Nepalis and heard first hand that their real problem is exploitation by fellow-Nepalis. The statistics are shocking: every year, more than 200 Nepalis come home in coffins from Qatar alone, most dying due stress and heat stroke. Ten Nepalis are deported from Doha airport every day because middlemen back home have duped them with fake papers. Even those who find work earn much less than what the recruitment agencies promised. Middlemen take away as much as a worker's annual earning in commission. And when they return to Nepal, they face harassment and extortion by customs and immigration officials at Kathmandu airport. One woman recorded the conversation of an immigration official soliciting a bribe and posted it online (see p 14). No action has so far been taken against him.

This is the way we treat Nepalis who have saved this country from economic collapse. And we give a red carpet to up-market permanent migrants (euphemistically called "Non-returning Nepalis") who hold conferences in Kathmandu paid for by the state.

Eighteen per cent of Nepal's population at any given time is working abroad. They send home more than $2 billion a year, and remittances now make up one-third of Nepal's GDP. One in every four persons in Qatar today is a Nepali�most of them are unskilled construction workers. Doha's impressive skyline is shiny with the sweat of Nepalis.

For two decades now, Nepal's national policy has been to take the easy way out and address unemployment at home by exporting manpower and, increasingly, womanpower. The 1,000 Nepali workers who pack planes flying out of Kathmandu every day represent a chronic failure of governance, failure of education and failure to generate jobs at home. A recent article from Bhojpur in this paper showed that most young men would stay back in Nepal if they could earn just Rs 6,000 more than their present income.

A ruinous war was fought to right the wrongs in society so Nepalis wouldn't have to migrate for work. The architect of that war is now the prime minister. The conflict also pushed Nepal's development back decades, and in a vicious cycle, dampened investment, destroyed jobs. The prime minister has just returned from India with a plan to jump start investment, and all we can say is that it is better late than never that Baburam Bhattarai has seen the light.

But luring investment takes time. It would be best to use the lag phase to boost earnings from our migration-based economy by:

� Reducing the cost of migration for workers, simplifying procedures
� Cracking down on exploitation and bribery by recruiters and immigration
� Reducing the cost of official remittance transfer
� Providing mandatory orientation and skills-training to workers so they can double their income

Studies have shown that Nepal can easily double its present income from remittances if these simple steps are taken. That, in turn, will buy time until Nepalis can finally work on their home soil and not have to toil in the hot sands of some distant desert.

Read also:
Turning guns to pens, JYOTI MALHOTRA
Economics trumps politics in India-Nepal relations for the first time

The New Deal, ANURAG ACHARYA
The knee-jerk reaction of Baburam Bhattarai's critics to the BIPPA agreement is another manifestation of bankrupt nationalism

1. Radha Krishna Deo
Dear Mr. K. Dixit.
We will like to congratulate you for this article, Even your presentation of facts deliverer to Nepali and rest of world is sometimes totally unacceptable.
As far as concern of deaths of Migrant Nepali Workers are hardly 10% of total toll.
Prime one is cardaic Arrest 55%, Next is RTA . Death due to heat stroke is rare and Occupational hazard within control Limit .We have addressed President yadava & Prime Minister BRB specially to reduce these death in GCC and Malaysia.Concerning improvement are on Way but Why They are not focused on FEPB which have been established to address to decrease these deaths, Perhaps our Nation attitude to expend Money with R&D on social issues is obstacle.The rate of death decreases from 114 person to 44 person per 100,000 this achievement of community organization and Gon too.But condition is satureted and additional resources and effort is required.We thanks GPK consensus government who start all these. The contemplation of high rank citizen will keep it more
improving. Who deserve time will explain?Safe migration is demand of time.
Sacnepal
Doha Qatar.

Posted on: 31 OCT 2011 | 12:43 PM NST

2. Nepali
BRB himself handling Ministry of labor& transport , as per law he is chairperson of FEPB ( Foreign employment Promotion Board) too.
Rs one billion collected in Welfare Fund with contribution of migrant worker.
this amount alone earns interest 10 million annually.No program come in abroad to reduce the death at destination. His task force leader Dr. gurung also failed to include these deaths more-than 800 persons each year. The toll has exceed 8000 person to date. Boards it self looks as hubs of administrative employees. Why not from Medical council? why there is no Member from nast? why some one not from NEA? What's frequency of their meeting? What are their basis to Evaluate the performances? Prime minister BRB or President Yadava are like tusks of Elephant to show only real actors are lazy and busy to trap the facilities only!!!

Posted on: 31 OCT 2011 | 2:54 PM NST

3. yanpras
Its a time to generate employment at home. we all nepalese should focus on that. on thing I have observed is we Nepalese prefer to be employee rather then employer...( or Enterprise...) of course to start new business we need capital, but there are many areas where we can do business even with limited resources. even many middle class people from nepal are gone to middle east because its easy to start earning.... for that reason, the policy maker should guide them.

for that reason, our education system is totally change. the current education system of Nepal is absolute, old system , non usable , waste of time, none sense system. practical education system, ( which means after graduation u can directly applied what u have learn in school in day to day basis) should be encourage....

Posted on: 31 OCT 2011 | 5:51 PM NST

4. jange

And yet you have such high expectations on a person who unleashed murder, loot, extortion and destruction on Nepal.

Triumph of hope over experience!

Baburam will never see the light. Just hope that NT does.

Posted on: 01 NOV 2011 | 6:01 AM NST

5. Madhesi
This government itself a transitory. None of Nepali party has full set of political leaders having knowledge& experiences of valued base sciences and technology. In addition to our traditional practices of agriculture and agriculture base industries including farming must be revived for mass employment.In language of Jholinath chairman of UnMarried Ladies (UML) Arthik kranti is necessary. Unfortunately Jholinath & brb in same pond.Planning commission become hubs of supper idiots. Even Women empowerment projects for food production (All shorts) ignore by them . women trafficking increases due to this also(Unemployment) Who will do all these for common Nepali ?

Posted on: 01 NOV 2011 | 10:10 AM NST

6. Expert View
One can project the present population 27 million at each 10 year interval @ 1.4 % of growth rate only .Nepali labor forces in each categories will be surplus to Nation unless migrate to other part of World.About 150,000 to 200,000 will search job in abroad up to next 50 years.
Hence Skill development of RAW workers may double the remittances. But attitude of National planners & politicians did not catch even in last one decade. Let us appreciate BRB he is doing some thing but afraid to manage MANPOWER Firms .

Posted on: 01 NOV 2011 | 3:56 PM NST

7. Smart Audience
Prime Minister BRB himself declare a student of Economics too, perhaps he doesn't get time to collect information from Nepali capital market and rush to India for soft loan and get Ionized Salt in his Begging Pot.
Internal market enough to feed crisis sector for the time being and potential investor will come to Nepal if various outfits are illuminated.Before that Neither Indian nor other will come to share the burden.
Hence at least investment make safe migration of trained workers and reform Agricultural sector for capital saving.

Posted on: 01 NOV 2011 | 6:02 PM NST

8. Nirmal
A ruinous war was fought to right the wrongs in society so Nepalis wouldn't have to migrate for work. The architect of that war is now the prime minister.

Before going into detail over this affirmation, I'd like to illustrate a case that speaks a volume over how a bias and false comparative study could be ruinous to human progress.

For years phenylopropanolamine(PPA), a component of many popular cold and cough medicines and also used as an appetite supressant was supposed to be the risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke, especially amongst young women. Epidemiologic evidence of a casual relationship was quite tenuous, but concerns persisted. By 2000 the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) concluded(through their laborious research) that PPA in appetite supressants, and possibly in cold and cough remedies, is an independent risk factor for hemorrahagic stroke in women.

Now I'd like to refute your above claim with my analyses performed using a technique called conditional logistic model for matched sets:

1. When Baburam and company decided to be the architect of war, they were the third force of Nepali parliament. Between Nepali mass their 40 points demand would have been equally popular(which now are notorious)without murdering people, had they been raising voice constantly through peaceful means.

2. Nowadays even graduates and non-graduates from the first world migrate to other countries in search of a job. It is purely the question of economic status of the homeland, and in other cases political reasons like war, repression, lack of freedoms etc so that people are forced to migrate.

3. The man (architect of war) is an ambitious man(everyone of us should be)but he could just see the easiest path to achieve his ambition: how terror could be a useful instrument between nepal's poorly educated mass. You(or may be half the population of Nepal) can be easily duped by Baburam's sweet promises(cheap populism) but don't ever ever think that we will also be duped as you.

For above points I think this time you came with absolutely baseless bias and comparative analysis.

Most of us go to foreign country although being from a poor country so that our families don't die of hunger. Please, don't compare us with those who don't feel hesitant to shoot at hungry stomachs and who still have to renounce the use of violence. We are peaceful people even in foreign lands where we were insult, exploited and cheated, and all that for our families. Can you say so about these architects? No. What they did is for their personal benefits and full-stop.

So, those who still show the causes of Maoists people's war as Nepal's poverty, social unjustice etc are people less reflexive and intelligent and what they've done is unforgivable.

Posted on: 02 NOV 2011 | 3:08 PM NST

9. Gopeswornath
Well Nirmal # 8.
War intensify after assassination of the king where unsafe migration intensify since 1990 where NC or UML are in power why you don't blame them? Furthermore let us assume BRB associate disappeared from the screen what are solution for migrant workers problems. If you precisely evaluate PKD, MKN or JNK combinedly done in last three years BRB and his courtiers concluded in three month. Problems are so complex resulting consequences more than any conflict staged in Nepal . do you think nearly 1000 deaths and thousands of disabilities every are will be acceptable and tolerable ? Migration is global Phenomenon and conflicts fuel it little main thing is poverty and unemployment do to unfair panning. did you check the National Planning experts how many fresh jobs
created since last 20years? The commission converted into hubs of idiots and chaired by STUPIDS. unfortunately it is BRB turn to answer as chairman.

Posted on: 02 NOV 2011 | 3:48 PM NST

10. Nirmal
@9. Gopeswornath

War intensify after assassination of the king where unsafe migration intensify since 1990 where NC or UML are in power why you don't blame them?
- Yes, you are right and G Shah made it more easy with his stupidities. Thanks to his idiotic behaviour monarchy is no more. With two decades of multiparty impunity, it makes no sense having NC and UML in national politics. Do they matter being or not being, being and nonbeing?

If you precisely evaluate PKD, MKN or JNK combinedly done in last three years BRB and his courtiers concluded in three month.

- It is because they had to backtrack from their earlier stance which now Baidhya and company are defending. Before they are a group of atoms behaving as a unit in number of compounds now Baidhya faction is un uncharged molecule(typically highly reactive)having an unpaired valency electron. Prachanda and Bhattarai are radicals whereas Baidhya faction is free radical.

Problems are so complex resulting consequences more than any conflict staged in Nepal . do you think nearly 1000 deaths and thousands of disabilities every are will be acceptable and tolerable ?
- I'd have loved to answer it but I'm not quite sure If I have understood what you really meant here properly.

Migration is global Phenomenon and conflicts fuel it little main thing is poverty and unemployment do to unfair panning. did you check the National Planning experts how many fresh jobs created since last 20years?

- I'd rather take migration as an opportunity which obvioulsy entails some complications through out, like in any process. And one of the positive aspect of this editorial has been to tackle those problems precisely. Of course the scale of poverty we face in our country can't be compared with the poverty first world has and will have in near future but what I insist on saying that poverty and injustice alones are not the causes to start armed conflict. Maoists' war was the conflict of interests. Never in our history of citizenry we the people of Nepal were willing to kill our fellow citizens no matter how poor we are. It's not our style to murder. With regard to National planning all I can say is that when any national institution becomes a spot( In nepali we say akhadaa)to recruit party militants, it is doomed to fail. To great extents the Maoists are following exactly the same policies that the NC and the UML formulated during these last two decades. Of course as you said, "The commission converted into hubs of idiots and chaired by STUPIDS."

unfortunately it is BRB turn to answer as chairman

- An irony(for him could be a motivation)of mine: Although I expected that he would enjoy the cohesion necessary to match his predecessors' (from Surya Bdr Thapa to Makune sarkaar's) legislative activities, actually he did repeat close to half of their legislations.

Posted on: 02 NOV 2011 | 9:25 PM NST

11. Gopeswornath
Nirmal #10
Really We appreciate your way to comprehend the facts.Mr.Dixit knows well how many Nepali (Male & Female ) return in coffins each year. if you sum up it will be more than 8500 to date.At least 750 or more such coffins would be received this year too.BRB now very clear.
He also afraid to strength of Manpower to assign detective to make it of international standard.
We all have experiences in past Nepali poor either in hills or Terai use to live on SISANU leaves or BETHUWA or NAUNI Leaves, all were perhaps happy but GON have indirectly allow licences for trafficking.
Mustang or other maintend by such blood money. Since one decade remittances only being reliable sources to cover bussiness deficit.Still folk of wolves think every one is blind?

Posted on: 03 NOV 2011 | 10:19 AM NST

12. Migrant workers
Another hubs of KATO khane haru ( Human bones eaters for again of Money) are in FEPB where Migrant workers mandatory deposited nearly one billions and earns 100 millions annual interest thinks safe house is enough no doctor or Medical assistance should be there? Gain unfortunately BRB is the chairperson.
How he has plan to make migration safe and expect double the remittances?Leaders are treating ambassador as PATWARI where they keep themselves as Jamindar.(Land Lord) . How a dedicated one can serve like semi slave?As per interim constitution They are appointed by President.All right enjoyed by Government alone!!!

Posted on: 03 NOV 2011 | 11:27 AM NST

13. Nirmal
@ 11. Gopeswornath

Thanks for your valuable information. Do you know until 3 or 4 years, the nepali newspapers were quite silent on the real problems faced by nepali workers aboad, mainly in golf countries. We used to know about these things through foreign media. Everything was stupendous. Now atleast, they have some guts to talk about.
In Nepal even high profile politicians are involved in human trafficking, in the mask of so called legal consultancy and foreign agents. Why should we need to pay to go to work? Why should I be paying for my cheap labor? Why do nepali workers in golf countries work without insurances? Nepali elites have always kept mum on these issues.

It is estimated that aproximately 10 south asian workers suicide on weekly basis. And like you said nearly 1000 nepali workers die because of laboral harshness with which they are treated.

Perhaps Kanak Dixit will have right answer next time than relating the Maoists' war with migration of nepali labor abroad. Let's hope so!

@12. Migrant workers
Oh I see then we haven another hub of kato khaneharu, so called FEPB. Thank you very much. Keep on hammering right on the nails of corrupt agency.

Posted on: 03 NOV 2011 | 1:52 PM NST

14. VILAGERS
Look on NEPAL's Death Reports annually.Child silent deaths 55000 ,Tuba-co related diseased 25000, Respiratory Diseased 2500 , Road traffic accident 2000 ,Migrant worker 1000, Snake bites 500 other 500 hundred.Nearly 100,000 each years .274 in additional to natural death. Billions invested on Peace process BRB speak 10 billion very cheap he don't confess . This peace process consumed 1000000 million lives and many billions money within a decade & Trillion worth damage of Infra structures.
Knowing all these if you don't do effectively there is no place even hell.

Posted on: 03 NOV 2011 | 1:54 PM NST

15. Gopeswornath
When there was nothing there was hope, Hon.GPK in his last consensus Government approved this FEPB through cabinet decisions.when come in
Practices Allam and Roy both misused fund , Muslim workers speak Holy Haaj of these poor will not accepted by Allah where is CIIA Report to public.Where are detectives to improve !!!
Board is still working haphazardly!!! Jholinath cabinet expend money but not Reimbursed yet. 40 million S?

Posted on: 05 NOV 2011 | 9:44 AM NST

16. NT.Reader
Letest Census Report revels about two millions population serve in abroad and remit Nrs. 400 billion each years. This force is the backbone of nepali economy and proved vital during insurgency to save the nation from failure.
If this sector cared properly capital surplus may enhance the Nepali economy.safe & economical migration as well as essential services at destination through Nepali mission is desirable but three Governments led by PKD, Madhava &jhalanth ignored , Thanks to BRB he is doing in favor of workers &the Nation.

Posted on: 21 NOV 2011 | 2:18 PM NST

17. Nepali
Nepali Concern Politicians ( MinisterS) and Bureaucrats (Secretary , Planning commission Member , FEPB Executive ) should not there is no RTA case, suicide & cardaitic Arrest Case in North Korean Labor Mass since last 10 years in Gulf where Nepali are dying Every day due to these causes only. Who monitors your Orientation courses; Are you sure you People are loyal to duty or fooling the Minister? People think You are the monsters who chewing the Nepali Workers!!

Posted on: 22 NOV 2011 | 9:45 AM NST

18. Arjun bhattarai
Dear BRB & Saritaji,
when there was no policies & fund Nepali Engineers initiated with vision and Cabinet accept and launch FEPB . Please Note all money are contributed by the workers alone. More than 3 years collapse and no program come in picture at destination to reduce the preventive deaths. UNDP & ILO also involve their to raise capacity building. This year also (@2011 jan to December more than 750 worker return in coffins!!! What is your programe for coming year 2012 . Do you think 150,000 to victims family will give life? You are earning 100 million only interest . organize at least one team and launch heath program on distination with due assitance of Mission.Don,t use teeth to hold the Migrant workers money !!!

Posted on: 22 NOV 2011 | 12:22 PM NST

19. Voiceless Workers
The actions of concerned key actors are limited to keep the flies away from the chronic bleeding wounds , no action yet taken by them.Perhaps Minister Sarita will also escape like there precedors.Comfortable solutions are aspected for each stake holders.Where is UNDP & ILO Experts for help?

Posted on: 26 NOV 2011 | 1:18 PM NST

20. Bidrohi kanchha
Development in reformation added new problems between the stake holders
few bureaucrats and diplomats want to produce with low profile logic but they don't agree develop sound practices, offer letter is also part of an agreement it should be considered,similarly pre permit is for job procurement where final for departure . current deadlock should be view with respect to practices in destination and at home for six month minimum.

Posted on: 27 NOV 2011 | 9:53 AM NST