[Reader-list] research proposal

[Hari Roka]

Dear friends
I am sending copy of my research proposal.Iam hoping that,Iwill get your 
valuable suggestions, views and comments.
hari.Nepali Migrants in Delhi

Nepali Migrants in Delhi

1: The Present scenarios:
The countryside is burning by civil war. The Maoist guerrillas and Royal 
Nepal Army both are severely fighting between each other. Seven years 
before, when Nepali Maoist commenced their insurgency was affected only in 
small area of western middle hill region. But today it spreads all over the 
nation as like the fire of the jungle. But for outsider it is not possible 
to visualize the situation of “civil war” because of refugee problem still 
not have been apparent externally outburst. So it is not looking so serious 
because of two reasons: First, the Nepal -India border is open for citizens 
of both countries. The huge migration of Nepali people in India does not 
seem bad impact because of later country has huge population of more than 
one billion. Nepali migrants easily accommodate themselves within India 
finding labor-intensive job for livelihood which does not impact on overall 
unemployment problem is another reason where no sounds come out side. 
Secondly, the local elites and political activists are still getting 
shelters, security   and small amount of money for livelihood in district 
head-quarters with the help of government  thus rumors is not broaden 
outside.
Basically, there are two types of migrant tendencies in India; one is for 
long term migration and second for seasonal works. The first type migrations 
are employed in public sector, state police, and in Indian Army employment 
as well as security guards in urban area. The seasonal migrants basically 
works on constructions site especially in physical infrastructure  such as 
road, building, cannel constructions etc, and in agricultural field as a 
manual workers.  In the prior period later type migration was as usual. But 
today the nature of migration has changed while the insurgency spread all 
major part of the periphery has been badly affecting in rural Nepal, and the 
migration from Nepal to India became exceptional. It is not easier position 
like earning money and sending remittances to the needy villages.
Today, the migrated people has two objectives one for safe of lives from 
terror  such as killings, detain in custody, high jacking, missing,  from 
the side of government’s army and as well as  Maoist side, and  the second 
objective is to earn something for livelihood and save a little for 
uncertain future. Still Nepali migrants have a link with agriculture. Their  
  families are living in the remote and terrorize villages. In 1998 the 
World Bank pointed out that 86 percent of its household cultivates some 
land, 80 percent have some livestock and agriculture constitutes the main 
sector of employment for 83 percent of all individual in the labor force. 
The remittances from outside is very much helpful to their families for 
overall livelihood. Because the available land is not sufficient to produce 
food according to their family needs. And even for their basic needs such as 
clothes for family, school fees and stationary for children, kerosene for 
light, and other essentials goods which would be mange through remittances.
The number figure of Nepali migrants in India is unidentified. Only 
official’s workers and those who are working in Indian Army and police and 
in public sectors employee have official records. According to one 
estimation of 1997 there were 250,000 workers were working in public sector 
enterprises. But it is only a conservative estimate. In India   by all 
accounts hundred of thousands of Nepalese are working. In one rough estimate 
in 1997 there were more than 1.3 millions Nepali workers working in India. 
That period was a very normal period. Within the past seven years the volume 
might be double because of flow of exodus but how many? There are no 
official records available.
2: In Delhi
An unofficial estimation of 1997 there were fifty to sixty thousands Nepali 
migrants working in Delhi. Now it is imagine that the numbers of migrants 
has tripled within these five years. The majority of Nepali migrants are 
from mid west and far western regions (these regions are highly affected by 
insurgency) in which 25 percents were employed in civilian occupations. 
Others are working in several fields such as in restaurants, and dhabas as 
waiters and cleaners, cook for merchant’s house, some are working in private 
industries, night watchman ship in town area. Women are working as house 
maid. But most of the women migrants are working in brothels and other types 
of sex industries. But  after insurgency hundred of thousands people  are 
searching jobs of any type  as like other trans- national migrants from the 
third world which found usually in mega cities –janitors, security guards, 
or  domestic workers. Delhi the capital city of India is providing such jobs 
for Nepali people who are staying here. Most of the jobs in which Nepali 
migrants are employed fall in to the categories much cited by migrants 
themselves of three ‘D’s (difficulties, dirty and dangerous). There is 
considerable anecdotal evidence of workers being repatriated without 
compensation after suffering from ill health or accidents, or after simply 
being dismissed. But the information of their losses would not reach in 
proper place in proper time, because nobodies are responsible for any kind 
of casualties.
3: Problem Identification:
In Delhi like other mega cities the process of globalization has been 
introduced in 1991. The procedure of divestment of industries has been badly 
influencing the workers. They are losing jobs from the divested industries 
and other public enterprises. That is why; there is no easy excess for new 
Nepali migrants to get entrance in public sector enterprises. Similarly, 
most of the Nepali peoples those who are working in several institutions as 
security guards in private as well as in Government’s forms comes from the 
individual linkages. In stead of it, another process has begun in organized 
way like “Group-4” security groups and others. But, Nepali people are not 
customary for such organized work. They have weakest linkages on personal 
basis. Nepali  migrants those who were involved in India since more than two 
centuries is really in difficulties  this time because of tough internal and 
external competition. In this respect there are lot problems which Nepali 
migrants are facing and also should face in near future. They should search 
answers of the following questions:
1, How they are affecting by the country’s situations which are creating 
tough competition from inside?
2, how they can manage extra burden from exodus- flow like a flood from the 
native villages those who are their relative too?
3, how they will manage their earnings to remit in their home in such 
circumstance of insurgencies?
4, how they are managing to communicate with their families when most of the 
means of communication are destroyed?
5, how they are managing their relationship among the Nepalese those who are 
employing in Delhi?
6, Are they organized politically and socially? If they organized 
politically then how they think about the resolution of the present national 
crisis?
7, Have they any knowledge about the changing situation in India and abroad? 
Have they any idea about the words such as ‘new culture’, ‘globalization’, 
‘WTO’ and etc? Which are badly affecting their job in near future?

8, if the Government of India implements the policy of work permit violating 
old treaty then what they will do? Shall they trying to request their own 
government to resolve the problem or they want to use other means?
9, what type of media they used for getting regular information about the 
country? What they felt when they heard the news of killed of own family 
member in civil war? And how they shared the grief of their relatives 
killing, missing, or wounding? To whom they blame? Want them peaceful 
settlement of the conflict and at what cost?
10, has there any trouble or have an effect on their job by insurgency? If 
so, how they settle down the problem? Are they getting any help from outside 
from local police, or any kind of society, or local administration and 
others?
11, which media they prefers in Delhi? (Radio, television, news papers etc), 
they have any knowledge about the internet and email system of 
communication? Have they any knowledge about extradition treaty between 
Nepal and India which recently activated?
12, how much portion of their earnings they spent here for their livelihood 
and how much save for remittance?  Have they any habit of deposit in bank? 
Or they deposit their earnings in the hands of their relatives? Or send 
directly of their saving through money order or bank draft to their family? 
Which channel they used to prefer for sending money at home? Have they any 
information that their remittances used properly? Is that safely reached? Or 
looted outside?

4: Methodology

Primary survey will be taken for the fact findings; direct conversation will 
be preferred among selected persons on different occupational. For this near 
about hundreds of people will be selected from different income level, and 
from different places. Different places will be chosen for different stratum 
of people for example industrial workers will be chosen from Okhala north 
Delhi area, house maid from Canaught place, central Delhi, security guards 
from JNU, public service personnel from Palam area and boys from several 
Dhaba and restaurants in old and New-Delhi.

5: Objective