Why stay in the homeland ?

 Why stay in the homeland ?

The number of people leaving the country for employment opportunities is increasing rapidly. Although the country is receiving a high amount of remittance, the migration of youth to foreign lands has become one of the major problems of the country. In the 11th edition of the Nepal Literature Festival, a discussion session was conducted about it. The speakers of the session were the former CEO of Nabil Bank, Anil Keshari Shah, Professor Kapil Adhikari, and entrepreneur Prathana Saakha. The theme of the session was "Swadesh Kina Basney?" which translates to "Why stay in the homeland?" in English.

During the session, Shah said it has been challenging for many people to stay in the country and do something.

"Only if youth start seeing the future in the country, will the country be better," says Shah. "If we cannot create a situation for youth to stay in the homeland, they can't be stopped from leaving the country."

Shah further notes that most students studying in expensive colleges are willing to go abroad for further studies, which is a sad thing.

Prathana Saakha suggests that if someone tries to start a business during their student days, they can be successful and do not have to leave the country.

Referring to her business of helmets, she says, "Nepal has so many challenges; if one is willing to solve any of those problems, they can be a good entrepreneur."

Shah further states that besides Nepal, people from other countries are also migrating. Every country has its reasons for migration.

"Some people leave the country due to religious issues, some due to societal issues, and some due to ideological issues. But Nepalis are leaving the country due to economic issues. So, the only solution to this problem is economic reform," says Shah.

Nepal should invest in hydropower, sports, and others, he adds.

Shah is hopeful that youth will return to the homeland after obtaining necessary skills from foreign lands.

Faculty Dean of Gandaki University, Kapil Adhikari, says that most youths are leaving the country under the pretext of higher education.

"The current education system of the country has problems. The education system has political influences," says Adhikari.

Adhikari, who earned his Ph.D. from American universities, says that the foreign universities where Nepali students are studying have lower standards than the universities of Nepal.

To motivate students to remain in the homeland, they should be taught about their country, says Adhikari.

For an entrepreneur in Nepal, more than economic challenges, they have other challenges to face. If someone has a small amount of money, they should start the business with the amount they have.

Saakha started her business with an investment of Rs 25,000; later, the company had an evaluation of one crore.

The problems of tax, regulation, and policy create difficulties for entrepreneurs, says Saakha.