National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

A Spent Force?

The large number of Nepalis living in Europe and North America could do more to help their country of origin

By KESHAB POUDEL

Nepali immigrants in North America and Europe have become a formidable force who have the power to promote the country's interests there. The stronger and more prosperous the Nepalese community abroad becomes, greater the gains Nepal can expect from them.

The contributions made by non-resident Indians in promoting the interests of the country abroad and influencing policy decisions has been avidly followed in Nepal. Had Nepalis in the United States and Britain lobbied harder, the country could have received greater attention in the West during its current hour of trial. But that does not seem to be happening.

The 20th annual convention of the Association of Nepalis in the Americas (ANA) chose to ignore Nepal's burgeoning economic and security problems. Instead, the participants praised their own role in strengthening democracy in Nepal and in establishing their identity in the United States.

At the ANA conference, many renowned Nepalis who have made significant contributions to the community were felicitated. The gathering was aimed at promoting their own cause and to help to recognize and celebrate the individual and collective achievements of Nepalis as a distinct immigrant community in the United States.

The Nepalese government has realized, if belatedly, that Nepalis abroad could do more for the country. Just a month before the ANA convention, the government decided to give special visa privileges to non-resident Nepalis. "This is a major decision to lure non-resident Nepalis' investment in Nepal," said advocate Gandhi Pandit, a US returnee, who was actively involved in introducing the policy change.

Part of the non-resident Nepalis' inability to become more actively engaged in the cause of their country can be attributed to the fact that they are divided on the basis of political ideology, ethnicity, linguistic groups and other distinctions. What is also true, though, is that many are concerned about the degeneration of politics back home to the exclusion of all the other problems. Many Nepalis returning from visits to New York, Washington and London often complain of the deepening cynicism that seems to have gripped their compatriots living abroad. This scribe, too, has experienced this trend.

"The hospitality of the Nepalis was very warm. They treated me very well by offering Dal-Bhat and other dishes, but I found it very difficult to swallow the food when they started to accuse us," said a former minister who recently participated in a global conference in New York, requesting anonymity. "I was tired of listening to their cynicism and self-congratulatory air. Had they raised the country's genuine problems, it would have contributed a lot to Nepal."

But non-resident Nepalis say their criticisms are rooted in good intentions. "We love Nepal, so we care about everything," Krishna Nirala, president of the ANA told SPOTLIGHT in Washington. "We have to develop a positive approach toward our country of origin." Nirala is one of the few non-resident Nepalis with that kind of a positive outlook. "Frankly speaking, Nepalis have been still struggling to establish themselves in the United States," said Nirala, a civil engineer, explaining their anxiety at the drift back home.

Things are hardly in order in Nepal. Leaders have been struggling to steer the country with virtually non-existent modern institutions and amid hostile geo-strategic conditions. But why do non-resident Nepalis ignore these genuine factors behind the political instability back home?

Living in the economically developed western world, non-resident Nepalis might have more knowledge than poor Nepalis. But they have not been able to put an entirely positive value on their discontent. "We don't want political lectures and other write-up from those who live far away from Nepal," says the former minister. "If they want to condemn Nepali politics, they must come and live in Nepal. If they cannot promote the interests of Nepal, they shouldn't shed crocodile tears."

Nepalis began emigrating to the West in the late 20th century. They are growing fast and are gradually becoming a formidable force in the United States with the power to lobby for the good of the country. In international organizations like the World Bank and the United Nations, people of Nepalese origin have gained senior positions.

They are well positioned to advance Nepal's efforts to bring peace and prosperity in the country. Right now, though, they have become the category of people the late poet Bhupi Sherchan wrote about in his poem "We": Once reach the top, we ignore own land, river and river bank."