Hometowns bid farewell as villagers head back to urban workplaces

By Sher Bahadur Sarki/Sanjay Kumar Mishra

Bajura/Gaur, Nov. 23: Villages throughout the country have started turning serene as millions of Nepalis who had returned to their hometowns for the month-long festival period have started heading back to their workplaces.

Started with Dashain in mid-October, the month-long festival concluded with Chhath on Sunday. From Monday, transport operators informed that the number of individuals returning to major cities has increased.

In Bajura district, students and adults who had returned to their roots for the festival have started heading back either to major cities of Nepal or India to continue their education and work.

“I came back home for the festivals of Dashain and Tihar. I could also allocate some time and assist my family in planting wheat. Now, I am returning to India for work,” said Rabindra Sarki, a youth from Ward No. 10 of Budhiganga Municipality.

Thousands of youths from every corner of Bajura district reach India in search of work. They return home for wheat plantation in the monsoon and winter and spend the remaining months working in India.

“Wheat is a major source of food and income for the families in Bajura. It is why youths and adults return home for wheat plantation. Otherwise, there is no opportunity in the district,” said Bhane Saud, a resident of Ward No. 5 of Badimalika Municipality.

Moreover, youths informed that the hard work in planting wheat would not be fruitful every time. “There is no proper irrigation facility. Wheat planted with difficulty in monsoon is destroyed by floods and landslides and those planted for winter get damaged by hail,” said Saud.

“Farming is our major occupation but it is insufficient to earn a livelihood for a whole year. It is why we are bound to leave our hometowns in search of work. Thanks to the festivals of Dashain and Tihar, we return to our homes at least once a year,” Saud added.

According to Chhatra Bahadur Thapa, chief of the bus ticket counter in Bamka Bazaar of Budhiganga, at least 12 big buses are leaving from Bamka Bazaar daily.

“People are heading towards Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Mahendranagar and Indian cities,” said Thapa.

The scenario is also similar in other districts, especially outside the Kathmandu Valley.

In Rautahat, a district of Madhes Province, individuals can be seen struggling for tickets of long-route buses and trains to reach different cities in Nepal and India respectively.

“I came to celebrate the festivals with my family. However, it has been difficult to return as there is a lack of tickets,” said Jagat Mali, a local of Gaur. Mali works at a company in Mumbai, India.

Youths from villages of Rautahat including Dharmapur, Madhopur, Madanpur, Gadho, Pipara, Rajwada and Bhalohiya reach the Indian cities of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in large numbers in search of jobs.

According to the locals of Rautahat, there is a lack of manpower within the district as the majority of youths prioritise Indian cities.

“The villages were joyful during the festival period as many had returned home. Now, the villages have started turning silent. In lack of youths, the district has struggled in farming and other works,” said Mahendra Thakur, a local of Gaur.