Nepali migrant workers returning home from India for Dashain have complained of harassment and extortion at the hands of Indian security personnel and customs officials at Banbasa and Gauriphanta border points. 

 

A large number of Nepali workers from the far-west region return home from India for Dashain celebrations. With the beginning of Dashain, hundreds of Nepali workers in India are heading towards their homes via the border points on a daily basis. 

 

Ubje Pariyar, a Nepali migrant worker of Jamaldar Rural Municipality, Mugu, complained with Kanchanpur police that Indian police personnel at the border forcibly took away Rs 15,000 from him while he was returning home from Almorha, India on Friday. “Despite my complaint, police have done nothing to get my money back,” he added. The migrant worker said he returned to his house empty-handed with the help of his relatives in Kanchanpur. 

 

Likewise, Indian security personnel deployed at Gauriphanta had taken away Rs Rs 50,000 from Narendra BK, another migrant worker of Darchula while he was on his way home. Nepal police, however, managed to get the money back, later. 

 

Head constable Surendra Dev Bhatta at the Nepal police help desk said his team was able to reclaim BK's amount from Indian security personnel. He, however, said no Nepali migrant worker returning from India had complained at the help desk despite atrocities meted out to them by Indian border security personnel and customs officials, adding that the desk had received only one such complaint over the last week.

 

Despite talks between security officials of Nepal and India, Nepali migrant workers continue to be harassed by Indian security personnel and customs officials at border points .

 

Hukum Prasad Upadhaya, another migrant worker of Sinja, Jumla, said even Nepal police personnel had asked fellow Nepalis returning home from India for money at various places. Upadhaya rued that they were forced to give up all their hard-earned money on their way home. He asked the government to take measures to address the problem.

 

Chief District Officer of Kailali Govinda Prasad Rijal said his office had held discussions with Indian border security agency and customs officials after such complaints were registered at his office. He informed that the Indian side had assured they would take action against their security personnel and customs officials if their involvement was proved.

 

He urged all victims to file complaints at Nepal police and Armed Police Force posts set up at border points if they faced any harassment or extortion while returning home.