Two viral messages, two different realities

KATHMANDU, March 17: People often dream of one future, but life sometimes writes a very different story.

Messages written jokingly on friends’ shirts during school farewell programs occasionally turn into reflections of life’s deeper realities. Two such messages that recently went viral on social media—“See you in the Gulf” and “From Kharidar (Non-Gazetted Second Class Worker) to Joint Secretary”—have come to symbolize the dreams, struggles and changing paths of Nepali youth.

Those who once joked about meeting in the Gulf are now building businesses in Nepal. Meanwhile, a student who dreamed of serving the country through government service has been forced to leave the country for foreign employment.

When the two viral photos are seen together, they reveal a deeper social reality.

Two years ago, after completing her Grade 12 examinations, Indira Phuyal appeared excited during a farewell program organized by her school. While many of her classmates were discussing their plans to go abroad—some to Australia, others to Gulf countries—Indira had a different aspiration.

She had told her friends that she wanted to stay in Nepal and serve the country rather than go abroad.

Seeing her enthusiasm, teacher Dambar Thapa Magar playfully wrote a timeline of her future career on her shirt: “2025 – Kharidar, 2026 – Nayab Subba (Assistant Officer), 2028 – Section Officer and 2033 – Joint Secretary.”

The photo of Indira smiling with the message on her shirt quickly went viral on social media. Many people saw it as a symbol of hope, and the story was even published on the front page of a national daily.

At the time, many commented that youths with such thinking could change the country.

But life did not unfold according to that hopeful script.

A few days ago, another photo of Indira began circulating on social media. This time, she was standing at Tribhuvan International Airport. The smile seen in her earlier photo was gone. Her eyes were filled with tears as she prepared to leave the country on Thursday.

When asked what had happened to her dream of working in Nepal, she remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she said briefly that she had wanted to do something in Nepal and had tried, but was ultimately forced to go abroad.

Indira, originally from Belkotgadhi in Nuwakot, is the only child of her parents. She had always been known as a hardworking student. She had earlier said she wanted to stay in Nepal and do something positive despite the many reports of corruption she heard about.

Her story today is no longer just about one individual. It reflects the reality faced by thousands of Nepali youths.

As Indira’s story resurfaced online, another viral photo from the past also began circulating again. In the picture, Grade 12 students from Bageshwori Secondary School in Bhaktapur had written on a friend’s shirt during their farewell program: “See you in the Gulf.”

The photo, first shared in 2023, sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many saying it reflected the harsh reality of Nepali youths leaving the country for foreign employment. At the time, many assumed that the students in the photo would eventually end up working in Gulf countries.

However, their stories took a different turn.

One of the students in that photo, Rajan Manandhar, now runs a tea shop at Pulbazar in Banepa. He started the business two years ago with a small investment, and the shop has gradually expanded.

Rajan says the business now generates good income and has provided employment to four people. He is currently planning to open another branch in Dhulikhel later this year.

His friends have also chosen to remain in Nepal and pursue their own ventures. Nirajan Mainali has started a soap manufacturing business, while Bishan Nagarkoti has launched a tailoring enterprise. Another friend, Niraj Tamang, is also working in Nepal.

Rajan says the four friends who once wrote “See you in the Gulf” now meet each other in Nepal instead. Sometimes, he jokes, it feels good when the prediction they wrote on the shirt does not come true.

The two viral messages reflect two different emotions within Nepali society. “See you in the Gulf” represents the compulsion many youths feel to leave the country in search of employment. “From Kharidar to Joint Secretary” represents the hope of serving the nation from within.

Both sentiments are real. Yet life often unfolds in unexpected ways.

When Indira’s message first went viral, it had received widespread praise on social media. At the time, K P Sharma Oli had also commented that it reflected a positive aspiration. He wrote that while going abroad was not wrong, building enterprises or serving the country from within was even better.

Rajan Manandhar said he felt saddened when he heard that Indira had eventually been forced to go abroad.

According to him, a better environment should be created for those who wish to work and build their future in Nepal. He believes that if such an environment is created, many youths like Indira would not be compelled to leave the country.

Sociologist Ganesh Gurung says the trend of foreign employment among Nepali youths is largely driven by necessity. The lack of sufficient employment opportunities, supportive policies and economic prospects pushes many young people to seek work abroad.

He argues that if opportunities are created within the country, many youths would prefer to stay and work in Nepal.