There are only 13 households in the remote Baki village of West Rukum. Except for two, some of them have reached America through illegal means from their homes. Even those who have not gone are preparing to go sooner or later. It seems that the entire village is on the verge of entering America. This is not just a story of a village.
10 October, Rukum West. Magma River flows nearby. Rukum Paschim Bafikot Rural Municipality-6, 73-year-old Chandrakali Kusari of Baki village spends most of her time at home. As she is living an old age, she has started to feel alienated from her own village. The reason why Chandrakali feels alienated from the village is the ‘American invasion wave’ that has entered this remote village. Chandrakali says, ‘Everybody in the village started going to America, we old people were going to be alone.’
However, not only Chandrakali’s son-in-law, brother-in-law, from father to grandson have entered America. This 73-year-old woman is thinking of going if her children take her. She says, ‘My son said I will take it, so I will go there.’ Like Chandrakali, Darbe, 78 years old, and Ghante Kusari, 70 years old, from the rest of the village feel that they will be forced to leave their home and walk. Because his son Lokes Kurasi, who entered the US illegally three years ago by paying 90 million rupees, has said that he will take his parents too soon.
“Who would want to leave a house built by sorrow?” Darbe Kusari says, “The village itself is empty, and when there is no one to carry the ghat after death, how can only the old people live here?” There is almost no house in the village that has not gone to America. Young people are not found in villages. Some of the rest are in the process of going to America. According to locals, many more are on their way to America.
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