Recent news suggests that casino staff from India, working at casinos in Nepal, are being forced to leave. The Maoist affiliated All Nepal Hotel and Restaurants Workers Union has issued threats that have caused an Operations Manager at Casino Royale and a Food & Beverage Controller at Casino Everest to resign and leave Kathmandu. The Union submitted a 14-point demand to casino management in Nepal that all foreign employees be removed.

The Union wants the higher paid Indian nationals to go and to be replaced by Nepalese staff. However, the red carpet is rolled out for the incoming Indian tourists. The Nepal Recreation Centre (NRC) has recently launched the Casino Shangri-la, which will target high-spending Indian visitors and offer extras such as foot massage and special gaming rooms. There are now seven casinos within a 28-mile radius in Kathmandu, all operated by NRC.

Civil unrest in Nepal has caused a marked drop in tourists following a unilaterally declared State of Emergency by the king. In May this year the reinstated House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state. Around 80% of Nepalese are followers of Hinduism. As one of the poorest and least developed nations, Nepal is reliant on foreign aid from India, China, USA, Japan and EU.

The Nepalese Rupee has been tied to the Indian Rupee for years, and a long-standing economic agreement is the basis of a close relationship. The incidence of the Union threats to Indian casino employees has been well reported in India. It has come at a time when Nepal should be doing everything possible to maintain good relations with its neighbour and encourage tourists to visit. More than casino revenues depend upon it. (E-08.03.06)

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