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Frustration and nihilism will never herald any solution nor drive to find success. Nonetheless, politics and political turmoil of Nepal has grossly failed to evacuate people from torrent of relentless hopelessness. For ages, people have desperately anticipated basking in the bright light of prosperity and all-round development. Several series of upheavals and mass movements were cast and were heartily corroborated for the same aspiration. But the entire drive seemingly appears to be recklessly and reflexively on reverse gear. Apocalyptic signs are rife; rapidly evolving situations portend an ocean of apathy from concerned authorities. 

Of late, as a consequence, the height of dismay is countlessly compounded that even after many series of political changes the country has not yet reached and received the expected pace of development. Dynamics of welfare state and development is a subject that is continuously raised by the leaders of all political parties. From the last few years, the discussions about slow progress and sluggish development pace are attributed to brain-drain. It is believed that brain drain is the main reason for the under-development of the country and urged for diasporas’ return to accelerate it.
A large section of society is impressively whitewashed to conceive a faulty narrative of brain-drain in Nepal. The latest data shows that nearly 5m Nepalis are abroad. In-deed it has chained our mind, blurred the logical reasoning too. Nowadays, approximately 2,000 people prepare foreign trips every day under various pretexts and wishes. According to the World Bank’s report ‘Large Scale Migration and Remittances in Nepal’, Nepal is the third country in the list of remittance dependent countries after Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz republic.
It is undoubtedly true that many people have gone abroad. But to think that there is brain-drain in the country—merely because more people have gone abroad and everyone is obsessed with foreign countries—is a fantastic delusion. Exploring the details will evidently chart another bleak picture of reality. 

Not everyone who has gone abroad can or should be considered a brain drain. Most of those who went there do not contribute at the level of the brain. They are used only as tools or physical labor; they have lived as a laborer, literally. The number of people who are really contributing with brains and are doing intellectual work is very infinitesimal and far more negligible to count or graph. Also, if those people don’t return here, there shall be no scarcity of people with that level of expertise or brains in the country. Certainly, a dense number of experts, qualified, capable, skilled, intelligent personalities for various required fields are still readily available in the country.
Those who have contributed intellectually abroad do not even feel disappointed to leave the country. They assume it as an achievement and present it as pride. After the foreign trip is decided, they throw a lavish party and write statuses as if they are the winners. They abuse the people living here and blame us as if others, especially those who opt stationing in the nation itself, are unable to do anything worthwhile. Their wives, children and family members too accompany them for permanent settlement. Most of them opt in selling property here and grapple with the best in settling abroad itself. They contribute very little or no remittances at all. They did not go there on being deprived of opportunities, rather they flew after pouring crores of rupees. Michael Mathiesen’s book ‘Brain drain: Beyond the Green New Deal’ states that brain drain is not something that should be worried much about and should be included in the adoption of control measures. Instead, labor drain is becoming more of a problem than brain drain. 

Today, there is a stark need for general labor in the country. India is the country with the largest number of emigrants in the world. Nepal ranks seventh in the list of countries that send remittances to India. It seems that about three to four billion rupees is taken annually by various workers of Indian origin. This capital flight is not caused by doctors, professors, technicians, engineers and experts. The pool of human resources used in different types of labor market i.e. including house builders, hair saloon operators and construction site employees cause a capacious pecuniary deficit. Almost the same amount is spent on food imports annually. The basis of the necessity to import food is the exorbitant migration or flight of labor force from Nepal.

That group of people are deeply in a dismal situation because they have to stay away from their country and family. Here, various problems and discomforts such as family disintegration, sexual misconducts, and crises in parental intimacy are rampant. That group of people who have gone abroad as a labor force is also really suffering much. Existing data pool gives a hint that the works done by most of them are not only risky, comparatively unattractive and exploitative but also dirty, dangerous and disgusting. Most scholars researching the domain of season migration as well as foreign employment call it a 3D job to highlight the pathetic compulsion. By sweating it out day and night, they are also sending huge remittances to the country. There is also an extreme shortage of the labor they are doing there. But those about whom we are having a superficial debate do not contribute, nor is the country standing still in their absence.

Some of the experts and leaders opine that those who have gone abroad are gems for the country; and praise that they will magically change the country if they return. Such a senseless meta-narrative is obviously deep mental stress and abuse on the dutiful group of experts who want to contribute as much as possible to the country by staying in the country. 

Migrant groups’ purported leaders often arrange/sponsor foreign travel arrangements for leaders. There will be extra visits and hospitality as well as occasional gifts and favors. That’s why our leadership might have felt an involuntary attraction toward the group. Have the country’s needs, gross domestic requirement, also been studied in this regard? Regarding brain-drain, both the contribution to the country and the loss to the society due to their absence are almost nil. Our country requires more people who are apt for the labor market. Our country is suffering multifaceted losses due to the lack of people who are to be consumed in the labor market. They also contribute to running the country. Therefore, the discussion of intellectual escape (brain drain) is only amateurish self-righteousness; but the deep attention should be paid on labor drain. They should be the priority of discussion and management. Let’s relieve ourselves from the illusive debate of brain drain and begin questioning it.

There is influence of Westerly and local wind across the country at present. Along with this, there is also the influence of the moisture-laden wind entering the country from the Arabian Sea, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. 

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region and mainly fair in the rest of the regions. Light to moderate rainfall is predicted at a few places of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces while light to moderate precipitation accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region of the country including in Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces and at one or two places of the rest of the regions today. 

Similarly, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall at a few places in the high hilly and mountainous region of the country today.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division also stated that the haze that is prevalent throughout the country at present will gradually start dissipating.

The Division has called for taking necessary measures and precautions to avoid the effects of thunderstorm, lightning and rain and snowfall that could affect health, daily life, agriculture and road and air transport.

Wheat is Nepal’s third most important food crop after rice and maize. As a globally significant cereal crop, wheat is Nepal’s most important winter crop. It is a major source of calories and protein. Wheat cultivation in Nepal spans from the Tarai plains to the high hills. In the fiscal year 2022/23, wheat was cultivated on 716,978 hectares of land in Nepal, yielding 2,144,568 metric tons of production. Currently, the average wheat productivity in Nepal stands at 2.99 metric tons per hectare.

Although both the area under wheat cultivation and overall production have increased in recent years, the import of wheat, wheat seeds, and wheat-based products has not declined. According to data from the Department of Customs, in the first four months of the current fiscal year alone, Nepal imported 20,279 metric tons of wheat-based products worth Rs 986.7m.

In the previous fiscal year, Nepal had imported 10,112 metric tons of such products, spending Rs 684.38m. In fiscal year 2021/22, 24,785 metric tons were imported, amounting to Rs 1.16m.

Currently, fields in the Helambu and Panchpokhari Thangpal rural municipalities of Sindhupalchok district are lush green with wheat crops. A local resident mentioned that the major food crops in that area include potatoes, wheat, maize, and millet.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli participated in the sixth BIMSTEC Summit held on April 4 in Thailand, where he engaged in three significant events. He addressed the summit, held a one-on-one meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines, and conducted bilateral talks with Thai officials. The discussions with Thailand led to the signing of several key agreements, taking Nepal–Thailand relations to a new level.

Oli’s brief meeting with Modi has drawn considerable attention back home, as speculation continues over the nature of their discussions. There is a widespread perception that the relationship between the two leaders has not always been warm, and many wonder if this encounter has paved the way for Oli’s long-awaited official visit to New Delhi. However, a close reading of Oli’s statements upon returning to Nepal indicates that such a visit is unlikely in the near future. In fact, both Oli and his team appear uncomfortable when questioned about a possible India trip. On the other hand, Indian officials maintain that bilateral ties are on a positive path and that high-level visits could occur when the time is right.

India’s engagement with Nepal has visibly increased in recent weeks. The two countries’ judicial bodies recently signed an agreement to cooperate on legal matters, and a fresh Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to expand cooperation in agriculture, covering crop production, trade, and technology. There was initial speculation that Prime Minister Modi would attend the Sagarmatha Dialogue in Nepal, but Oli confirmed that Modi had declined the invitation due to a scheduled trip to Europe during the same period. According to Oli, India has committed to sending a high-level delegation in his place. The Nepali government is also exploring the possibility of having the Chinese Premier address the Dialogue.

In a major political development, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane was arrested following a court order from the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court in connection with a cooperative fraud case. His arrest came just days after he resumed his position as party chair and began overseeing party affairs. The timing and manner of his arrest, particularly its execution in the late evening, have drawn criticism from party leaders and supporters, who view it as politically motivated. DP Aryal has been named acting chairman of the party.

The re-arrest of Lamichhane has fueled rumors that the RSP may lean towards supporting the ongoing pro-monarchy protests, especially amid perceptions that the party’s commitment to the current political order is uncertain. The RSP is an ideologically diverse party, including liberals, conservatives, and left-leaning voices, making it difficult for the leadership to take a clear stance on political ideology without risking internal fractures. Instead, the party has focused heavily on issues of governance, appealing to a disillusioned electorate that is less concerned with ideology and more with performance.

Meanwhile, the pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) organized a mass protest on April 8 in Kathmandu, marking the first major demonstration since the violent March 28 rally. The RPP is attempting to take charge of the royalist movement, though not without resistance. Prasai, the controversial figure behind the initial protests and currently in hiding, released a video accusing certain leaders of attempting to hijack the movement. RPP leader Rajendra Lingden is working to consolidate leadership, but other pro-monarchy groups remain hesitant to support him. Kamal Thapa’s faction, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, has stayed largely inactive, although Thapa has been vocal on social media, cautioning against blaming former King Gyanendra for the March 28 violence. Senior RPP leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana are currently in police custody. The Jug Man Singh Gurung-led committee is preparing another protest in Kathmandu, demanding the release of those detained over the March unrest. Prasai, despite being underground, appears determined to position himself as a political leader, though he may face legal action for inciting violence during the protests.

In another significant political development, seven Madhes-based parties—both represented in Parliament and outside—have formed a unified alliance to advocate for the region’s shared interests. Their main agenda is to push for constitutional amendments that address long-standing issues in the Madhes. The alliance also aims to send a clear message to both royalist and mainstream parties, whom they hold responsible for growing public discontent.