Speakers at a Kantipur Conclave session on Monday unanimously said that political stability-and a stable government-have raised hopes for Nepalis living abroad to return home and do something for themselves and the country.

Speaking at the session on the theme “Farkera Ke Paainchha?” (What do we get after returning?) on the second day of Kantipur Conclave, the Kantipur Media Group’s global flagship event, Arnico Panday, regional programme manager (atmosphere) at ICIMOD, who returned to Nepal after spending almost two decades in the United States, said: “I got the opportunity to raise and expand awareness about air pollution after I returned here.”

“One should go abroad in his or her lifetime to learn skills. I thought I should return while I still had age on my side instead of returning at an advanced age,” he added.

Prativa Pandey, chief executive officer of Catalyst Technology, said that she knew she would come back to Nepal when she left for the United States a decade ago to pursue her higher studies.

“Now I am trying to use my knowledge and skills to do something in Nepal,” said Pandey of Catalyst Technology, which works in the field of research and development. “We are working on products based on medicinal plant extracts.”

Asked about the difficulties she has faced after setting up her company a year-and-a-half ago, Pandey said challenges are aplenty but “one needs to be persistent”. She said, “We cannot blame others all the time; to bring about a change, we must realise that we are also responsible for things not working out.”

The third speaker, Pradeep Paudyal, vice-president at Citi Bank, Kuwait, expressed his desire to return to Nepal as early as possible. “But I am struggling a bit and it might take me some time to decide,” said Paudyal, who has been in Dubai and Kuwait for the last 11 years.

However, he is positive that it will be a “comfortable” situation for people who are contemplating on returning home.

“Earlier, there was political instability and frequent changes in governments, which meant unstable policies. That used to make Nepalis who wanted to return uncomfortable,” he said. “But now with a stable government in the country, I, for one, am really excited about the coming days.”

The session was moderated by Sanjeev Satgainya, head of news at The Kathmandu Post.

On what message the panel members wanted to convey to hundreds of thousands of Nepalis who leave for Malaysia and the Gulf countries in search of employment every year, all had unanimous answer—“wherever we go we have to work and work hard, and if we are ready to work hard, there is no dearth of opportunities in Nepal.”

“Wherever one goes for study or work, they will carry the skills and knowledge he or she acquires with them. Those skills and knowledge can be applied anywhere, then why not in Nepal?” said Pandey who returned to Nepal three-and-a-half years ago.  

When asked whether there are places and opportunities for returnees to utilise their acquired skills and knowledge in Nepal, the panellists conveyed the message of being “extremely hopeful, as things are slowly falling into place”.