Some people prefer to stay in village while more migrate

By Tilachan Pandey,Tamghas, Dec. 14: Yam Bahadur Gurung, 84, from Bhurtung in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7, Gulmi district, has no desire to leave his village. This is not due to a lack of opportunities to live in the city. 

One of his four sons resides in India, while the other three live in urban areas such as Butwal. However, Yam Bahadur finds the village more endearing than the city. He says he prefers the village for its clean air and wishes to spend his final days in the soil of his birthplace.  

Despite his sons’ requests to move to the city, he remains deeply attached to the village. He is now living with his 77-year-old wife in the village, rearing buffaloes. He cherishes the fresh vegetables, milk, and yoghurt available in the village, which he says are unmatched in the city. 

Yam Bahadur plans to enjoy village life as long as he can. He has expressed a strong desire to remain in the soil of his birthplace until his last breath. Surrounded by local relatives and neighbours, he says, “Even on my deathbed, they will take care of me.”

He also encourages villagers not to abandon the village, as he believes good income can be generated from the local land. 

Similarly, 45-year-old Jamuna Gurung from the same area shares that she loves the village because of its clean air. With roads now accessible everywhere, she says there’s no problem living in the village, as one can go to Butwal in the morning and return by evening.

Local people believe that life expectancy can increase by enjoying the peaceful air of the village rather than enduring the noise of the city. Ashish Gurung, a 35-year-old local, says that staying in the village is better than living in the city because one can grow fresh food and engage in commercial farming and animal husbandry. 

He has also been involved in collective tea and kiwi farming with local youths and women, focusing on increasing production. The produce can easily be transported to markets in Butwal and other areas via vehicles, making the village an ideal place to live, he adds. He also shares plans to turn the village into a homestay hub.

According to Naresh Giri, the chief administrative officer of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality, as of the end of the last fiscal year, 546 people from 156 families had migrated from the rural municipality. 

Among the seven wards within the rural municipality, Arbeni in Ward No. 2 and Khadgakot in Ward No. 6, had the highest migration, with 32 families each obtaining migration certificates. Similarly, 19 families from Ward No. 1, 32 from Ward No. 2, nine from Ward No. 3, 15 from Ward No. 4, 24 from Ward No. 5, 32 from Ward No. 6 and 25 from Ward No. 7 have migrated, Giri informed.

In the same year, six families consisting of 14 members migrated to the rural municipality from elsewhere. Apart from this, many families have moved to cities and rented rooms without obtaining migration certificates, sending their children for education. 

To curb migration, the rural municipality has adopted a policy of providing production-based subsidies, encouraging commercial agriculture and animal husbandry. Additionally, the municipality has allocated budget and programmes, such as subsidies for digging pits for orange tree plantations and investing in productive sectors, Giri said.