Job scarcity drives locals to seek work in India

BY SHER BAHADUR SARKI

Bajura, Apr. 24: Many Bajura locals travel to neighbouring India in search of employment opportunities, and the income they earn helps sustain their families back home. In fact, jobs in India have long been the primary source of livelihood for many people in Bajura.

However, in recent months, many people who had gone to India for work have started returning to their villages. Due to a shortage of cooking gas in India, many hotels there have been severely affected, leading to closures. As a result, thousands of young workers from Bajura who were employed in such establishments are now returning home.

Anil Sarki, a resident of Budhiganga Municipality, had gone to India for work and was employed at a hotel. He returned home after the hotel shut down due to the gas shortage. He said, “I have skills, but I can’t find work that matches them. Now that I’m back home, I’m worried about what to do next.”

He also expressed frustration that the local government does not address these concerns. According to him, if there were better opportunities in the village, young people would not suffer like this. Regardless of which government comes to power, youths here are still forced to go to India just to make a living.

In municipalities and rural areas such as Himali, Swamikartik Khapar, Jagannath, Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gaumul, Budhiganga, Triveni, and Khaptad Chhededaha, it has long been common for residents to migrate to India for employment. Typically, locals travel to India during the winter months to find work and return home during the farming seasons—such as wheat planting in winter and rice cultivation in the monsoon.

Recently, however, many young people have stopped farming altogether and instead focus on earning money in India. They go there to work, earn income, and then return home to sustain themselves.

Although roads have now reached the villages and households have access to drinking water, the trend of youth migration has not stopped. Development may have reached these areas, but young people continue to leave for India in search of work. Meanwhile, the elderly are often left behind to look after their homes.

It is rare to find a household where at least two or four members are not working in India. Many youths study only up to a few grades before heading to India to earn money. Local representatives said that despite having roads, access to water, and arable land, most young people still migrate abroad.

On the other hand, youths complained that local governments had failed to introduce youth-focused programmes. They said that infrastructure alone was not enough, irrigation facilities were needed to support farming, and there should have been subsidies and programmes aimed at creating employment opportunities.

Raj Singh Sarki, a resident of Jhali in Ward No. 7 of Budhiganga, said that previous generations survived by working as watchmen in India, and now the current generation is forced to do the same. He said, “We want to do something in the village, but we lack employment opportunities. Without income, we can’t do anything.”

He emphasised that the government should implement special subsidy programmes to create employment opportunities within the village.

Rana Bahadur Thapa, Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 1 of Budhiganga Municipality, stated that there were currently no major employment programmes targeting youth. He said, “Small initiatives like goat farming or vegetable cultivation can be done, but they are not enough to provide sustainable employment for young people. 

Only when the federal government establishes large industries in rural areas can these youths find jobs at home instead of going to India.” According to the 2021 national census of Nepal, Bajura has 28,064 households and a population of 138,523.