By Narayan Prasad Mishra
Owing to the country’s deteriorating condition, disorder, and lack of opportunities, a large segment—nearly one-third of the population has been forced to seek employment abroad. Both educated and uneducated individuals are forced to use their labor, skills, knowledge, and education in foreign lands. It is widely acknowledged that the country and many families survive largely on remittances sent back. Living in a foreign country—enduring others’ kicks, scolding, humiliation, insults, suppression, oppression, and both respect and disrespect—is not easy; only those who experience it truly understand. Yet millions of Nepalese are compelled to live abroad.
After living abroad for many years, life often becomes easier with the acquisition of foreign citizenship. For this reason, some individuals, even unwillingly and without desire, adopt foreign citizenship. However, whether one acquires foreign citizenship or not, a person living in another country is generally regarded as a foreigner by the people of that country. This is understood not only by those who have experienced it, but also by those who have not. Even if one does not realize this, it becomes clear upon honest reflection: when Americans or Europeans obtain Nepali citizenship and live in Nepal, do we consider them Nepali, or do we still regard them as foreigners? Undoubtedly, we all consider them foreigner based on their skin, complexion, and language, and do not consider them Nepali at heart. However, we consider them Nepali just because of their Nepali citizenship papers. This tendency is everywhere the same.
Despite this reality, there are individuals such as former minister Lal Babu Pandit of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) who interpret the acquisition of foreign citizenship or permanent residency (PR) as abandoning love for the nation. Nevertheless, with the consensus of all political parties at the time, Nepal’s current constitution provides for Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship, granting economic, social, and cultural rights to those who acquire foreign citizenship. Since October 30, 2023, the Government of Nepal has been issuing NRN citizenship. This is undoubtedly happy news for all Non-Resident Nepali citizens who love Nepal.
However, I would like to highlight one issue: this citizenship appears as meaningless as the Nepali proverb “a strange spectacle in Hadigaun”—something out of place and impractical.
This concerns an acquaintance. He has lived abroad for 35–36 years for employment. He held permanent residency (PR), Nepali citizenship, and a Nepali passport. He frequently visited Nepal and spent time with his family. He maintained savings and fixed deposit accounts in Nepal with substantial funds. Encouraged by the introduction of NRN citizenship, he renounced his Nepali citizenship last year, acquired foreign citizenship, returned to Nepal, and obtained NRN citizenship before going back abroad.
Meanwhile, his fixed deposit in a Nepali bank matured. When he asked the bank to renew it, they demanded an NRN identity card bearing the following wording, which he did not have and had never needed before.
He provided a copy of his NRN citizenship certificate, but the bank refused to recognize it and informed him that his account had effectively been frozen. This clearly shows that the NRN citizenship issued by the government is not even sufficient to renew an existing bank account and holds less practical value than an identity card. He was in a situation where he could neither renew his FD nor transfer money to his family in Nepal. This is the result of his obtaining the non-residential Nepali citizenship.
There appears to be no valid reason for such an important document as citizenship to be rendered meaningless in practice. It is difficult to understand how such a situation has arisen. The government must urgently address and resolve this issue if it is committed to the rights of non-resident Nepali citizens guaranteed by the country’s constitution. If not, and if the present non- resident Nepali citizenship paper is valueless and meaningless, they should stop issuing these papers.
Login to add a comment