Nepalis are going to Shimla hoping to get 5-600 bharu daily wages, plan to save up to 40,000 in three months.
What you should know
Ankesh Chaudhary of Attaria Municipality-5 of Kailali is a house builder. He, who has been working as a mason for four to five years, walked to Shimla in India from Gaddachouki crossing with his uncle Dinesh Chaudhary on Friday.
"There is nothing to work now, even mason work is rare in the dry season," he said, "If uncle says let's go apple picking, I will pick apples in Shimla till Dashain to raise expenses."
Ankesh is going to Shimla for the first time. He got ready because he earned more from picking apples than the wages he gets here. He plans to save some amount by Dashain as he will get 600 bharu daily salary and board.
After planting, those who go to Shimla to pick apples are now crowded at the border. From the young to the old, the hulka hula are heading towards India with bags on their backs. Dinesh Chaudhary, who has been picking apples in Shimla for seven years, said, "If we get a bus across now, we will reach Shimla by tomorrow evening. "Now the work will be very busy." Apple picking, grading, transportation and packaging work is available from July to October-November. Nepalese earn 5-600 bharu daily.
Earlier they only went to the hilly districts of Far West and Karnali, but now Tharu youths from Terai also go in large groups. Due to the summer holidays, teenagers are also going to school because of unemployment after finishing farming. According to Ravi Chowdhury of Bhajani Municipality-2 of Kailali, one person can save 35-40 thousand Bharu in three months.
The tradition of going to Shimla to pick apples is old. This job has become attractive for Nepali workers because they can pick apples in the dry season and cut grass and goads in the winter. At present, 5-700 Nepalis are entering India through the same border every day.
