N.ARYAL

With the increase in violence, insecurity and unemployment, Nepali youths leaving the country to find good jobs and earn some money has increased tremendously in the recent past. The government provided data indicates more than a hundred thousand youths leave the country for foreign employment.

Whereas, unofficial sources claim number of youths leaving country could be even a staggering high as there are other ways, like acquiring a tourist visa and living in the country of destination illegally.

In the meantime, the Iraqi episode has drawn major attention because there are no legal ways for living and working in Iraq. Now comes the question that how those ill-fated Nepalese landed in war torn Iraq?

“With the increase in violence in the kingdom and the ever swelling number of fake and illegal man power companies, they lure the dejected and frustrated youths and thus the directionless youths get tempted for flying abroad no matter what is the working condition and even the salaries that they would get there”, told an owner of a manpower company in Kathmandu to the Telegraph weekly over telephone.

It were the Maoists, who first started abducting their own countrymen be they small kids going to a primary school or a laymen who knew nothing about the ongoing conflict.

Normally the Maoists abduction comes in the name of revolutionary indoctrination; the preached ones of course are forced to pay attention.

Now Nepalese are in the news all over the world, courtesy the Maoists at home and abroad.

In Iraq there are 13 of the Nepalese abducted by the Islamic militants and the government does not have a trace of information as to why they are abducted and when they would be released.

Then comes another news form Afghanistan where International media claims three of those who died recently in a bomb blast in Kabul were of Nepali origin.

Our foreign ministry as usual is unaware of the situation and Nepali diplomats around Afghanistan prefer to shift the duty onto the heads of others.

Kantipur F.M reports that the Nepali Mission stationed in Pakistan when asked about this episode clears itself by saying that Kabul does not belong within its jurisdiction. Nor the Delhi Mission responds but the Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya at the Shital Niwas claims that as a matter of fact, New Delhi used to and should take up the matter.

Lost in the process is the fate of the youths missing or killed in Afghanistan or in Iraq and in Mumbai.