Thousands of Nepali workers forced to leave during Dashain

KATHMANDU: “Please give me just one more day off. I wanted to apply tika and then catch the flight,” pleaded Ajay Mehta from Sarlahi, who works in Malaysia. However, his company’s boss in Malaysia had a stark response: “You can leave the job if you want, but there’s no option to extend your leave.” For Mehta, his job now holds more value than Dashain and family.

On the eve of Dashain, Mehta left his home with only a few clothes packed, heading abroad for work. Meeting him at Tribhuvan International Airport’s crowded terminal on Friday evening before his boarding pass was issued, Mehta shared the pain of having to leave his home just a day before the festival. His eyes welled up as he recalled the moment when his pregnant wife Chandani Devi and his mother Urmila Devi waved him off, both in tears.

Mehta’s story is echoed by Ghanshyam Yadav from Siraha. He too had hoped to celebrate Dashain with his family before boarding the plane, but time and circumstances had other plans. “I wanted to spend Dashain here and then go, but my wishes were overpowered by necessity,” Yadav said.

Yadav, heading to Saudi Arabia for foreign employment, had been granted two months of leave by his company. But despite this lengthy break, Dashain did not fit into the schedule by just a single day. “I called the company, hoping to extend my leave, but they didn’t understand the importance of Dashain for us,” he lamented.

In the crowded airport terminal, Vinay Kumar Yadav from Dhanusha was also spotted on Friday evening. Taking a few last photos as memories before boarding the flight, Yadav too was headed to Saudi Arabia for work. The pain of leaving his family and loved ones behind during Dashain was clear in his heart.

“While others come home for Dashain, we have to leave during the festival. This has become our reality. I console myself thinking that there are thousands of others like me in the same situation,” he said. Yadav mentioned that he works for a maintenance company in Saudi Arabia.

Arun Ramtel from Chitwan, who was leaving for Qatar on the eve of Dashain, was also heartbroken. After completing his Plus Two with a focus on hotel management, he searched for a job but ultimately chose to go abroad. With his father already working in Malaysia, Ramtel explained that he too opted for foreign employment.

Arun’s mother, Samjhana Ramtel, wiped her tears as she bade farewell to her son at the airport terminal, dressing him in the Nepali flag. Arun’s eyes filled with tears as well. “My father is also abroad, and with my younger brother still in school and household expenses to manage, I have to go too. Once the visa and tickets were sorted, I couldn’t wait for Dashain anymore,” he shared.

Similarly, Om Prakash Chaube from Lumbini was seen at the airport terminal before boarding his flight to Dubai for foreign employment. Having returned home a few months earlier, Chaube was not leaving alone this time – he was taking his nephew Ajay Chaube with him. Ajay, a ninth grader, had abandoned his studies to seek work abroad.

Rekha Khatri, a 24-year-old from Nepalgunj, also had her flight to Japan scheduled for the day before Dashain. Despite completing her studies in Nepal, she was unable to find a job and was forced to seek employment abroad. “I completed my Plus Two and studied agriculture for four years, but couldn’t find any work. After studying Japanese for a year and a half, I’m now heading to Japan,” she explained.

Indra Ranamagar from Kathmandu’s Tarkeshwor arrived at the airport to bid farewell to his sister, who was heading to Japan. He expressed sadness over not being able to celebrate Dashain together due to mismatched flight schedules. “I really wanted to apply tika with all the family members together, but circumstances didn’t allow it. We just couldn’t get the tickets sorted in time,” he said.

While towns and villages across Nepal celebrated Dashain on Maha Navami, thousands like them left the country in pursuit of work on Friday. The tearful goodbyes of family members at the airport, many with wet eyes, created a heart-wrenching scene.