In this process, people have crossed leaps and bounds (literally) to find happiness – whether that happiness may mean money, stability, security or whatever else. And we Nepalis are no exception to this norm, either.
Just thinking about the numerous Nepalis who have resettled out there in different parts of the world makes me wonder what kind of future Nepal will have in terms of a diverse population, and what exactly will a Nepali population entail.
To begin with, many of the second- or third-generation Non-Residential Nepalis might not even have a Nepali citizenship but might very well feel attached to Nepal – be it through familial ties or a common language (given that they are raised speaking the language).
Yet, being inclined to Nepal at heart, there is also another side that is not to be forgotten in the process: the side that identifies with the country they/their parents have settled in.
So these kids would essentially grow up in very different settings, very different cultures than your average “Nepali” Nepali and seek to understand Nepal rather than experience Nepal. They would “hear” about life in Nepal, the “problems” in Nepal and yet not really be in Nepal to unravel the many mysteries attached to it.
Most of these kids would grow up not speaking a word of Nepali, not knowing who their relatives are, and missing out on their entire family circles back in Nepal. At best, everyone back home like mama, kaka, hajur buwas would be uncles, and maiju, kaki, hajur muwas would be aunts: two common words to define every relation.
The only Nepal they would know of would be through memories of their parents and the previous generation, the only Nepal they would see would be the few weeks of school holidays that they receive, the only Nepali cousins they would see would be other Nepali or South Asian people their families would hang out with (save for skype conversations but how likely is that). And yet, at the heart of it, I guess they would still be Nepali.
It is interesting to note that Nepal would not only be a plane-ride away for them, but also a ride back in time. What with all the animal husbandry prevalent here and the reliance on agriculture, the dire situation of the nation would be mere excitement to add to their holiday here in their native land.
Nepal, the country we grew up in, the country we feel the desperate urge to defend even when someone is far from pointing a finger at it, would just be a place devoid of any true emotions or sentiments for them.
But this might not necessarily be the case. It is also likely that the family has a lot of members in the vicinity of the foreign land and that they meet regularly for the kids to know each other well enough. Also, there is a probability that the kids will be taught about Nepal and our culture very well – maybe even better than those of us who grew up here. However, just how likely it is, is a question that often bugs me.
The way I see it, grandparents should not have to be happy to hear the children of their children speak the language they were supposed to speak in the first place. But I guess it is a way of finding happiness in the disappointment.
Moreover, with the Dashian and Tihar not at all being the same disordered yet entertaining affair they used to be thanks to all the resettled Nepali population, you can really sense the emptiness around town, I guess.
Of course, this is both good and bad. Good because it gives us hope that our bideshi Nepali cousins will have a brighter future awaiting them than they might have met with in Nepal. And bad because it takes away hope, in that most of our families don’t desire to be Nepalis anymore.
Their offspring come out saying “dad” and “mom” as opposed to what we are used to. Their offspring don’t know the ins and outs of their country like they could have, and their offspring have become less Nepali and more bideshi Nepali by every passing day.
You know I want to be wrong when I claim such things. I want someone to tell me that this is not how it is going to be, and that Nepali kids will still be fluent in Nepali, still know the value of Saraswati Puja and still know who their family is. I want to be wrong. But tell me, am I totally off tangent in assuming so?
Ayushma Basnyat is a student of Political Science at Thammasat University who enjoys exploring life and all that it has to offer.
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