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The agriculture sector, the backbone of the Nepali economy for eons, has been receiving less attention than it deserves. The industrial sector has not been flourishing, either. The private sector is mainly involved in risk-free and unproductive ventures such as real estate and auto business sectors whereas the public sector remains mired in corruption, bribery and smuggling scandals. 

Thanks to the lack of stability, the economy has not even taken off with potential economic sectors capable of boosting the economy unexploited. Reeling under unemployment, an increasing number of people have been leaving the country over the years.  

It can be surmised that a majority of the 0.75m people, who left the country in the fiscal 2022-23, did so in search of employment opportunities. Their destinations included countries in the Middle East such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel, and Malaysia, Japan and South Korea in East Asia. 

According to estimates, about 50,000 Nepali people migrate to developed countries annually for permanent residence. In 2023, 1.6m people flew abroad for different purposes, including for permanent settlement in developed countries like the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. In 2022, according to the Immigration Department, 71,000 people flew out of the country for permanent residence. 

The migration of Nepalis to the United States started in the 20th century. In the beginning, the outmigration was nominal. For the first time in  1974, Nepali living in the US were categorized under a separate ethnic group with the recognition of 56 people as Nepali Americans, a marked shift from the practice of putting Nepalis under the Other Asians category.

Despite a surge in the number of migrants, not even 100 Nepalis used to migrate to the global superpower and economic powerhouse annually until 1996, the year Diversified visa (DV) program was launched in Nepal. Since then, an increasing number of Nepali people have been migrating annually for permanent settlement in the US.

According to  the Pew Research Center, the population of Nepali Americans in 2019 was 198,000, which reached 206,000 in 2020, marking a 4 percent increase in the Nepali population in the US. 

Among them, 78,000 are living in different metropolitan cities of America. Dallas is home to 15,000 Nepali Americans, followed by New York (12,000), Washington (10,000), San Francisco (7,000), Baltimore (7,000), Boston (6,000), Atlanta (5,000), Pittsburgh (5,000), Acron (5,000) and Chicago (5,000).

Nepalis with modest means dream of leading prosperous lives in America. While some are indeed growing rich, a majority of Nepali Americans remain under deprivation. The annual median income (which divides the people in two equal parts on the basis of income distribution above and below median income) of Nepali Americans is  $55,000, far less than the annual median income of all Asian Americans ($85,800) and the median income of all Americans ($68,000). 

Seventeen percent of Nepali Americans are living under economic deprivation, holding low-paying jobs. The percentage of Nepali Americans living below the poverty line is more  than the percentage of Asian Americans (10 percent) and of all Americans (11 percent) below the line. What’s more, only 33 percent of Nepali Americans have their own occupancy, while others are living in rented accommodations. Only 22 percent of Nepali Americans are college graduates against 30 percent Asian Americans. A majority of Nepali Americans are living in relative poverty, near poverty and absolute poverty.

Ramlal (name changed) was born to a farming family in Dhanusha. He was about ten when he realized he was different from the other boys of his age. He had feminine traits and took pleasure in grooming himself to look pretty.

“I enjoyed wearing lipstick and bangles. Playing with girls brought me joy,” he says. 

Ramlal’s girly interests invited bullying and harassment not just from his contemporaries but also adults in his neighborhoods. They hurled derogatory terms like ‘chhakka’, ‘hijra’, and ‘mangmehra’ at him. Even his family members harbored feelings of embarrassment because he identified as a girl. Out of shame, his father refused to send him to school. 

“My father cursed me, often expressing regret for my birth. My younger siblings also didn’t accept me for who I was. They were resentful because they felt that I had tarnished our family’s image.” 

The only person who supported Ramlal was his mother, though she insisted on him getting married to a girl. “She thought that marriage would fix me,” says Ramlal. “Time and again, she would suggest that I get married.” 

At the time, Ramlal felt that he was the only one in the world. He tried and failed to fit in to become “normal”.  Eventually, he met some people from the LGBTIQA+ community who advised him that it was okay to get married. Ramlal agreed to this advice and got married. 

Little did he know about the problems that were coming his way. His marital life blew up after his wife learned about him. Provoked by villagers, his wife would abuse and berate him.

“The villagers used to ask my wife how she could bear a child from a transgender husband. They would even spread rumors about her having affairs,” says Ramlal. 

Out of societal pressure and taunts, Ramlal and his wife had two children, a son and a daughter. But having children didn’t stop the rumors and insults. The villagers started taunting Ramlal’s children.

“My children were told to expel me out of my home, labeling me useless due to my transgender status,” says Ramlal.

His home life was never peaceful. He and his wife used to fight constantly. His relationship with his parents was also deteriorating. All his savings were in his wife’s bank account, and his parents had transferred his inheritance under his wife’s name. 

Ramlal says he felt alone and unwanted, and even contemplated ending his life. Fortunately, he was rescued by a man from his neighboring village. He couldn’t live in the village anymore, so he decided to leave for India. 

When he reached Janakpur, Ramlal encountered someone from his village who worked at an Antiretroviral Therapy Center. Aware of his suffering, he guided Ramlal to the office of Blue Diamond Society, an LGBTIQA+ rights organization. 

Ramlal spent a week at the society office, receiving counseling and hearing about the stories of other people who had gone through similar experiences as him.

“Their empathy helped me understand that everyone in our community faces struggles, but most persist, fight against the odds and live a dignified life,” says Ramlal. 

He eventually moved to India and found himself a job at a general store. Ramlal has left his past behind, and he is happy that he did.  

“Janakpurdham’s Blue Diamond Society is my home now, and its people are my family,” he says. 

Ramlal’s family has also forgotten him, it seems. When his mother passed away three months ago, no one tried to contact him. Despite being the eldest son, he could not participate in the funeral rituals of his mother. He learned about his mother’s passing from a friend who was visiting Janakpur.

“What I have gone through I wouldn’t even wish upon my worst enemy,” says Ramlal.

Pradip Yadav, program coordinator at Blue Diamond Society, Janakpurdham, says, the real problem for most LGBTIQA+ persons starts at their homes in the forms of abuse, ignorance and non-acceptance. 

“Little has changed over the years. LGBTIQA+ individuals endure humiliation at home and they are denied education, resources, and job opportunities.” 

Even though Nepal has legally recognized LGBTIQA+ community and their rights, Yadav says the community members still face many challenges. It has been observed that the implementation of various government orders has been fragmented and lacking in tangible progress. Legal and government orders have been inconsistent and incomplete, indicating a need for more comprehensive and effective implementation strategies. 

“The core reason for their lagging behind is the denial of education, leading to failures across sectors,” says Yadav. “Majority of the LGBTIQA+ persons lack access to education; only a few reach primary or secondary levels, and a handful secure promising careers.” 

Despite our attempts, academic challenges persist for the LGBTIQA+ individuals. He says there was a resistance from Private and Boarding School's Organization Nepal  (PABSON) and National Private and Boarding Schools’ Association (NPABSON) when he requested for LGBTIQA+ representation in school committees. 

“PABSON and NPABSON were worried about society’s readiness for such an inclusion.” 

He added that advocacy for the LGBTIQA+ community faces a significant obstacle due to their political exclusion, hindering their representation in policy making spheres. The crux lies in the necessity for advocates who intimately understand the community’s struggles, particularly those grappling with their identities. 

To justify and effectively drive this advocacy, it’s imperative that individuals who have navigated similar challenges are part of the political landscape. Their presence ensures a more comprehensive and authentic approach to policy making, essential in securing the long-denied rights of the LGBTIQA+ community.

“Multiple laws were drafted in our favor. But sadly, their implementation has fallen short,” says Yadav. “The contemporary definition of minorities, for instance, excludes the LGBTIQA+ community. While Dalit, Muslim, women, and Madheshi are seen as minorities, our identity is overlooked.” 

Moreover , despite ongoing discourse about political representation, political parties often fall short in practicing inclusive policies effectively. Yadav’s personal experience of being offered a ticket from Nepali Congress under the condition of not publicly revealing his sexual orientation and identifying as male highlights the persistent challenges faced by LGBTIQA+ individuals in accessing political opportunities. 

“The ultimate solution lies in political inclusion. Without representatives from our community, advocacy for our rights remains futile,” says Yadav. “We’re just like everyone else. We’re part of this world too. Consider us as a part of the society and that will be enough for us.”

More than 500 savings and credit cooperatives across the country are not in a position to return depositors’ money, say cooperative victims.

Harish Chandra Shrestha, coordinator of the National Campaign for the Protection of Cooperative Depositors, said these cooperatives have embezzled hard-earned savings worth Rs 65bn from hundreds and thousands of depositors.

According to the Department of Cooperatives, there are more than 32,000 cooperative organizations across the country. These organizations have mobilized deposits from 7.3 million members and have a combined share capital of Rs 94bn. Likewise, they have mobilized Rs 478bn in deposits and invested Rs 426bn in loans.

“Many of those who embezzled people’s money parked in cooperatives are now affiliated with different political parties. Some have fled the country,” Shrestha said. “Most of the promoters of cooperatives are affiliated with one party or another. They become lawmakers and formulate laws that suit them. That is why the voices of cooperative victims go unheard.”

16 cooperatives ‘troubled’, Rs 13.5bn at risk

Dozens of cooperatives across the country have run into trouble. The government has declared 16 of them as ‘troubled’ institutions. Deposits worth Rs 13.14bn of 272 members are stuck in 15 out of these 16 cooperatives, according to the department.

The government, for the first time in 2018, declared 19 cooperatives—Standard, Standard Multipurpose, Kuber, Pacific, Prabhu, Chartered, Consumer, Kohinoor Hill, and Vegas—as troubled. Societal, Lunibha, Oriental, Pashupati, Tulsi Multipurpose, Shiva Shikhar, and Hamro Naya Krishi were added to the list later on. Of them, Oriental alone has mobilized Rs 3.19bn from 259 members. More than 600 depositors of Oriental have complained to the government, stating that they deposited the money for apartment units developed by Oriental chairman Sudhir Basnet.

The government declared Oriental ‘troubled’ a year ago.

Cooperative institutions that are unable to conduct financial transactions are declared as ‘troubled’ on the recommendation of the department.

Kashi Raj Dahal, chairman of the Troubled Cooperatives Management Committee, said cooperatives doing financial transactions and those based in urban areas have run into trouble. “About 500 cooperatives are in a situation of trouble. Of them, 145 come under the ambit of the federal government and 16 of them have been declared as ‘troubled’ institutions,” he added.

According to Dahal, the committee has already cleared all the liabilities of three ‘troubled’ cooperatives—Standard Multipurpose, Kuber, and Chartered. Likewise, the committee is in the process of clearing liabilities of two more cooperatives—Societal and Lunibha, he added. “As for other troubled cooperatives, the committee is searching for assets of their promoters and lenders. Frozen assets of these people are in the process of being auctioned off,” Dahal said.

According to the department, more cooperatives are being added to the list of troubled institutions. “We are investigating the financial transactions of six cooperatives. We will seek clarification from the promoters after the study is complete. If their clarification is not satisfactory, we will declare them as troubled,” Tol Raj Upadhyaya, the information officer of the department, said.

Why did cooperatives fail?

The committee has said that most of the cooperatives that have been declared as troubled institutions were facing a shortage of resources, means, and workforce. Many promoters are found to have used money collected as deposits to buy fixed assets and pledging them as collateral to take bank loans.

“Many cooperatives are found to have violated the norms. Some promoters lacked the expertise to run institutions that mobilize people’s money,” Dahal said. “Some promoters had the bad intention of misusing depositors’ money for personal gains. Those misusing people’s money must be brought to book.”

Dahal also said promoters got free rein over cooperatives due to lack of effective monitoring and regulation by state agencies.

According to the committee, it is facing difficulty in clearing liabilities of troubled cooperatives as assets of promoters are already frozen by the court after investigation by the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police.

Committee chair Dahal said there is a need to give direction to state agencies to facilitate unfreezing of assets of cooperative promoters so that their liabilities can be settled.

Coordinator of the campaign Shrestha said the government did nothing even though a single individual went on to open as many as six or seven cooperatives. “Their motive was never questioned. This is mainly due to a lapse in regulation by state agencies,” Shrestha said. “The lack of monitoring of cooperatives conducting transactions worth billions of rupees speaks volumes.”

Prashant Tamrakar has been turning heads in the fashion world for three decades. He isn’t just a model but also a choreographer, actor, and founder of Big Bell Edutainment and Fashion Network Nepal (FNN), which is an e-commerce and fashion business platform. Tamrakar is a trendsetter whose ingenious ideas continue to shape the fashion industry in Nepal. He is determined to make the fashion space a viable one for the younger generation.

“Fashion is a lifestyle. It’s not just about putting on nice clothes. It’s about expressing your desires, being inventive, and figuring out how to use what you have to your advantage. When basic needs turn into something luxurious, that’s when you’ve got fashion,” he says. Talking about his style, he says it reflects the confidence and ease he feels within.

Tamrakar was just 17 when he started modeling. It was a largely unexplored territory in Nepal back then. There were little to no opportunities. The decision to audition was a bold one, he confesses, one that he is now glad he took. But it wasn’t easy to make a name for himself. Connecting with the media, both national and international, was challenging. 

It also didn’t help that he didn’t have anyone to look up to during those early days. “We made lots of mistakes and learned things the hard way. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m in a good place and I want my work to inspire the younger generation,” he says.  

In 1994, he made history by becoming the first male model to represent Nepal on the international stage at Manhunt International in Singapore and Graviera in India. The international exposure introduced him to various professions like makeup artistry, event management, and fashion design. His foray into fashion choreography, however, came as a detour when he was training as a model under a Norwegian choreographer. 

Leveraging these global experiences, he officially ventured into the event management business and choreography afterward. His company, he claims, was perhaps the first event management company to get registered in Nepal at that time.

Tamrakar says when he started, 30 years ago, the fashion industry was more like a small club. There weren’t many people involved in it. But now Tamrakar, who is in his 50s, says everything is big-scale now. It takes a village to put up a show. From makeup artists, choreographers, and event managers to stylists and fashion designers, a lot of people are involved in the making of a fashion extravaganza. He sees this change as a huge win in life. 

As an entrepreneur, he is determined to take things even further and make the fashion industry in Nepal a big, booming business. He says he wants to give a platform to those with the skills and talent to take fashion forward. 

But Tamrakar doesn’t believe in limiting himself to just one thing which is perhaps why he took up acting as well. During his modeling days, he was offered quite a few movies. But due to his focus on his business, he decided not to take them up. When things were a lot more settled, he decided to give it a shot. 

In 2017, he took up the role of the villain in the movie ‘Aishwarya’. The movie was a hit and people took notice of Tamrakar. He could act and act well. That much was evident. Following that, he bagged roles in other movies like ‘Captain’ and ‘Ranveer’. As of now, he’s working on a few South Indian projects, including one titled ‘Hitman’, which will be out soon. 

The versatile actor, model, and choreographer is also busy with his reality show projects like Nepali Beauty Star and Nepal Fashion Festival. He is also the official choreographer of Miss Universe Nepal. “I focus on teaching good habits, building a strong work ethic, and emphasizing the importance of dedication,” he says. Working with his team, he aims to bring out the best in each young individual, emphasizing their uniqueness. 

Tamrakar also champions a few causes like cancer awareness, environment conservation, skill development, and education through his company that he founded 18 years ago. He is involved with a few social organizations and businesses as well. He has a lot on his plate and though juggling it all can sometimes be taxing, he says he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Tamrakar says he is on a mission to give the fashion industry a makeover. He dreams of having a fashion council in Nepal to take industry issues to the policy level for investment and budget decisions. “We’ve got great talent, but we need a platform for the industry to grow,” he says.

As a staunch supporter of sustainable fashion, he says Nepal needs a fresh business approach that’s economically viable. This, he says, will ensure sustainability and stability in the market. He believes that investment in the textile, handlooms, and handicraft industries can boost the fashion market and thus the economy of the country. “Our old-school trends can integrate with the new fashion and tech trends to boost production,” he says.