While the football world cup is coming soon this year the stadiums built with the blood of innocent Dhan Bhadurs should not go unnoticed. Being born poor is already a handicap but having no option, being forced to leave home, and dying young in the middle east is unjustifiable.
According to the Nepal government’s preliminary census report, in 2021 around 2.1 million youths of Nepal have gone abroad with labor permits to the middle east. It is believed even higher numbers go to neighboring India as migrant laborers. The working condition and the treatment of migrant labor seem like modern slavery.
Yes, the conditions at home in Nepal are harsh. The construction workers in Nepal have unsafe working conditions, low wage and difficult life. However, worsening medical conditions due to heat, or appalling working conditions causing death is unimaginable. Conditions at home being bad can’t be an excuse for the poor migrants to die abroad, it can’t be a reason for the marginalized to be exploited.
Come November, the world cup is happening and even we in Nepal are waiting to watch the FIFA World cup 2022. We at Shram are working on a grassroots level for upskilling youths and hopefully stopping one day forced migrant labor.
But right now, could we have some impact on the policy level for migrants in Qatar by boycotting this world cup? Could the use of our voice for the voiceless and have their voices be heard?
We can use this football world cup as a means to highlight the working condition of labor migrants in the entire middle east region. It's going to be hard to resist not watching the beautiful game, but if it is a sacrifice for the unnecessary blood that has been spilled in Qatar and we gotta highlight it.
Because Dhan Bahadur should be alive right now!
Because Dhan Bahadur should be watching the game too this year!
He isn't and I am not either.
#Notwatchingit #Migrants #Worldcup2022