“Chinta Chhaina Kehi. Malai America Yei. Malai Japan Pani Yei. Malai Belayat Ni Yei.” This recent hit Nepali folk song is not merely soothing to ears, joyous to heart and amusing to mind, but also vividly depicts the present problems of unemployment and labor migration. It also indicates the importance of culturally sensitive, self-led development approaches.

For a graduate in Development Studies, the song called for a critical social scrutiny, in the context of borrowed, western-led development paradigms that have been unable to cater to the real needs and aspirations of Nepali people.

Despite more than 40,000 government and non-government organizations working in the country to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, people in remote districts like Rolpa, Mugu, Dailekh, Jajarkot, and Kailali continue to struggle for two meals every day. Moreover, since they lack even basic awareness of personal hygiene, they often succumb to preventable diseases like kwashiorkor and marasmus; even diarrhea may lead to death.

Due to political instability, the crime rate is increasing. The culture of impunity is rampant, and so is the politicization of education for vested political interests. There are among the many reasons that frustrate the majority of Nepali youth. In addition, unemployment has been a curse to socio-economically excluded Nepalis. Poor families have been left to their own means, and often fall afoul of loan sharks. When young people try to find a way out, labor migration seems the best option. Consequently, more than two million Nepalis migrate for employment every year.

Nepal Living Standard Survey (2011) states that migration for the purpose of employment has been a way of life and mainstay of livelihood for Nepalis for the last two decades. Two decades ago, Nepal received seven billion in remittance every year. It rose to Rs 35 billion in 2003/4 and leaped to Rs 208 billion in 2010/11.

But what are the long term impacts of labor migration on our society? Students of development carry out an impact analysis to assess the repercussions of any development work. There is a large amount of labor flight, intellectual flight and capital flight with each visa stamped on an immigrant’s passport. The plight of Nepalis engaged in construction of FIFA World Cup infrastructures is an example of the harrowing labor exploitation migrant workers face. Not all labor migrants face such extreme conditions, but many have similar tales.

The wellbeing of immigrants in host nations depends on the home country’s negotiation skills, economic wellbeing, political stability, good governance, social progress and space in international political order. All these issues are closely intertwined in development discourse.

Development is not just about economic growth, but also about many other related issues, with sustainable development at its core. Development fostered by globalization must not reinforce “core-peripheral” relations between “developed” nations and poorer ones, especially with respect to migrant labor. The relation between home and host countries should not be a power game, but should genuinely aid the prosperity of respective societies and people.

We cannot underestimate the fact that currently, foreign employment comprises more than one fourth of our GDP and has helped reduce rural poverty to a great extent. It has created more school enrollments, better health facilities at grassroots level, enhanced nutritive food intake, and also helped reduce gender inequalities via girls’ education and empowerment. Remittance induced higher consumption has also helped money circulation in the market, which in turn has had multiplier effects on the economy as a whole.

But still, the country’s dependence on remittances is unsustainable. In the long term, it will not contribute to Nepal’s economic progress and multi-faceted development. Also, there has been a big investment on labor migrants flying to the US, Malaysia, UAE and other nations, in terms of meeting their basic needs and making them eligible for hard labor. The country expected them to be the economic, social and cultural capital of Nepal, not of Gulf or “First World” countries.

Female migrant workers face even more social problems. The physical and sexual abuse they face from employees undermines their human rights. Besides, the characters of women who leave their husband and family back in Nepal are constantly questioned. This has led to many broken relationships, marriages, and homes. Growing up in a broken family in turn has grave psychological effects on vulnerable and sensitive children.

Labor migration would have been more beneficial if remittances were invested in entrepreneurship ventures. It would generate employment for many. But most people are unable to multiply remittance capital, most of it spent on household items and other consumer goods. Most of these goods are not produced in Nepal.

This does not mean labor migration should be discouraged, but at the same time, creation of job opportunities here is very important. For this we need to own our development ventures and create our own space for freedom, democracy and pursuit of happiness. This will build our confidence, as well as give us global identity. The lyrics of the song Malai America Yei. Malai Japan Pani Yei truly does represent Nepali heart and soul, and oozes Nepali sentiments.

Published on: 15 January 2014 | Republica