Deepak Adhikari in his essay Casket of Dreams: Death of Nepali Migrants Overseas, focuses on the very unpleasant and unhealthy situation of Nepali workers abroad. He explores the misery and untimely and unexpected end of their dreams presenting some incidents of death in abroad and difficulty to get their dead body in Nepal.
Many Nepali youths have been working abroad and the number is increasing day by day. It's beneficial for the government as it earns a huge remittance. But there is tragic point too. Many workers have been killed in their work abroad due to many reasons. To get their dead body to Nepal, the family members have to face many difficulties. The process sometimes takes more than six months because of the weak mechanism of Nepal government with foreign countries.
The reasons for the deaths abroad are lack of pre-departure orientation, lack of good accommodation, unhealthy life style, work loads, depression and the unbearably hot temperature, according to Puspa Bhattarai, section officer at foreign affair. One of the leading cause of death among immigrant workers is heart failure. Most of those who died seem to have died in their sleep. Most of the laborers work in extremely hot desert like temperature of 50 to 55 degree Celsius and when their bodies can not adjust to their air-conditioned rooms, then immediate death. Many deaths are due to road accidents. The normal highway speed in the Middle East is 140 km per hour. The Nepali workers can't guess the timing and are dead while crossing the road. Some of the deaths are due to murder. Similarly, suicide is another cause due to the family tension back home.
The process of sending the dead body has been difficult and takes even longer time. For it, language is the first barrier. Nepali delegates in Golf can't perform best because of the solo use of Arabian. The next reason is that there is evidence of discrimination between Muslims and non-Muslims for compensation. The Saudis are uncooperative with foreigners. Most of the workers in the Golf are not with the insurance. Hence, it is difficult process and takes longer time.
The essay presents the tragic events of losing the family members abroad. The tragedy of Karuna Subba of Jhapa in agony of losing her husband and losing two sons of Lila Subedi of Jhapa are the two tragic events that make everyone burst in tears in the text.
The text shows the tragedy and hardship caused by the unsecured foreign employment and longs for immediate reform to save the workers abroad.
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