KAILALI: With the major festivals of Dashain and Tihar approaching, Nepalis who had gone to neighboring India for employment have begun returning home. The Armed Police Force, Nepal’s proposed border security battalion in Dhangadhi, said the daily inflow of returnees through the Trinagar border point has been steadily increasing.
According to the battalion, a total of 4,773 Nepalis returned from different Indian cities within the past week via the Trinagar checkpoint. The statistics also indicate that the daily number of arrivals is rising.
Ramesh Saud of Doti, who had been working in Surat, India, said he returned home through the checkpoint to celebrate the festivals. He added that the establishment of the border security post has made travel easier for returnees.
“Festivals are about meeting family members, sharing traditional delicacies, and celebrating together,” Saud said. “For those of us who live away from home for a long time, it turns loneliness into joy.”
Similarly, Shivraj Dhami of Kailali, who had been employed in a hotel in Bangalore, said he came home to receive Dashain *tika*, meet his family, and help with the harvest. Rajendra Giri of Bajhang, who had been working in Delhi, also said he returned home to celebrate the festival.
For many Nepalis, migration to India for work is seasonal. Those with farmland often travel for temporary work in India and return home during the harvest period. Those without farmland generally stay away for longer, but also come home to observe festivals.
Large numbers of youth from Kailali, Kanchanpur, and other hill districts of Sudurpaschim Province go to major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Pithoragarh, Nashik, Punjab, and Ahmedabad for employment. Since jobs are relatively easy to find and visas are not required, India remains a major destination for workers from the region.
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