Pages

Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

People without a nation

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 06:19 AM PDT

Entering Bhutan through the Phuentsholing border is an amusingly contrasting experience. The bumpy road of the Indian town of Jaigaon burdened by the chaos of people, auto-rickshaws, vehicles and muddled shanties suddenly ends at the border gate. What follows is an orderly serenity manifested by broad clean roads with parking spaces, identical architectures with similar signboards and people dressed alike.

A taxi driver dressed in the traditional 'national dress' – Gho or Bakkhu – welcomes me to Bhutan. He introduces himself as Shakti Gurung. A mixed stream of emotions churns inside me with the soothing breeze and altered landscape. Had I not visited the 'refugee camp' in Jhapa district of Nepal just a few days ago, I would also have taken the beauty at face value like many tourists in Bhutan.

THE HAZE
Phuentsholing to Thimphu is a four-hour drive on meandering mountainous road mostly covered in haze due to sudden rise in altitude. This haze, as one looks at history, Bhutan has been able to maintain in its politics and policies toward the refugees. Or, at least it tries to with the help of the altitude of privileged platform provided by India.

Rising further into Bhutan, closer to the center of power, Thimphu, closer to Tibet, the land from where the present ruling family (and the ruling class of people?) originally came in the sixteenth century, the mist seems to clear away. Southern Bhutan, geographically similar to hilly regions of Nepal, is home to the people of Nepali origin. These people who migrated to Bhutan about a century ago from different parts of Nepal were suddenly deprived of many privileges by a very stringent citizenship rule in 1985. The Gorkhaland movement in India, the uprising for democracy in Nepal and the expulsion of people of Nepali origin from Bhutan happened in the same chronological neighborhood. And for people who try to interpret events in history through intentions involved, this is not a mere coincidence.

The Gorkhaland movement in India, the uprising for democracy in Nepal and the expulsion of people of Nepali origin from Bhutan happened in the same chronological neighborhood. For people who interpret events in history through intentions involved, this is not a mere coincidence.

SKEPTICAL DEMOCRACY OR JUST AN OUTER FAÇADE
Looking at the outer façade, it is hard to realize the price paid for uniformity in culture and politics by the 'people'. The uniformity in architectural landscape, which provides Thimphu city its uniqueness, comes from stringent rules regulating constructions. The exclusivity of culture and tradition comes with the 'legal' compulsion for Shakti Gurung to wear the completely wrapping attire in the hot weather of the southern plain. When I realize this, I suddenly stop admiring it. And, I believe, anybody with slightest idea of democracy will not appreciate this.

These regulations are a result of the 'one-people, one-nation' policy. This was also the root cause of the expulsion of the people of Nepali origin from Bhutan 20 years ago. Policies of the monarchy are always aimed at strengthening its roots in the country, be it on foreign affairs or internal matters. The people of Nepali origin were seen as a threat to the monarchy in the years to come. Hence, this shrewd political ante under the shroud of the 'one-people, one-nation' policy was propounded by the king. With the convenient ignorance and comfortable numbness of the southern neighbor, it was executed to perfection.

PEOPLE TORN APART: WITHOUT A NATION
Although two of the ministers in the first elected democratic government of Bhutan are of Nepali origin, many people of Nepali origin who still live in Bhutan whisper about the injustices. The stringent rule for jobs, where a no-objection certificate (NOC) is mandatory is one such example. If any member of the family was ever involved in any anti-government (read anti-monarchy) activity, you will not get the NOC. The vague definitions of such activities, left for the interpretation of local authorities at their own discretion, further makes things difficult for people like Shyam Bahadur Darnal.

Shyam is a friend I met in Delhi. After graduating in Bhutan, he moved to Delhi, completed his MBA and worked in a multinational for over five years. His father, after 20 long years of service to the government of Bhutan has now left the job without pension because of problems in documents. Shyam has come back from Delhi to support his family.

The café in Thimphu where I met him is run by a couple in their early thirties. The woman is of Nepali origin and the man is a Bhutanese. "I got a job so easily in Delhi. I used to in fact hop jobs without any insecurity. Here, in my country, it took me four months to get a NOC." He takes out his frustration. There are other reasons too. The property that belonged to his father has been nationalized by the government. The documents were still with his grandfather when they left the country. (His father was the only one from the family who stayed back, being in a government job.) His grandfather is dead now; his grandmother lives in a refugee camp in Nepal. His uncles have moved to the USA and Canada, conveniently accepting the third-country settlement after two decades of exile. And Shyam's father now cannot prove his ownership over the property.

THE FUTURE
Almost one sixth of the population of Bhutan was expelled due to many reasons. They are still living in the refugee camps in eastern Nepal where the population now has reached more than a 100,000. Many of the youths in the camps are people who have never known any life other than that of a refugee. The Bhutan government continues to give a deaf ear to the issue with an audacity beyond its capacity. Lyonpo Khandku Wangchuck, a minister in the government was unbelievably shameless to remark: "We are a peace loving Buddhist country. We can't even get rid of street dogs. How can we do this to fellow human beings, our own citizens? They are all volunteer emigrants."

Whatever be the play of words, whatever is the force behind the unacceptable behavior of the nations concerned and wherever they may be sent for resettlement, till the time they come back to Bhutan, they remain people without a nation. Things are not any better for people who are still in Bhutan.
(The writer can be reached at: dinkar.nepal@yahoo.com for comments)

Courtesy : Myrepublica, July 28, 2010

CDO asks to withdraw sit-in protest, assured registration

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 03:00 AM PDT

Chief District Officer of Jhapa, Yadav Prasad Koirala, Monday asked all the agitation Bhutanese to end up their ongoing relay hunger strike.

Koirala requested a joint team of camp secretaries and the struggle committee that has been demanding registration and refugee status of all pending cases.

Agitating Bhutanese asylum seekers in Bel-I/Arjun Pradhan

Agitating Bhutanese asylum seekers in Bel-I/Arjun Pradhan

The delegation that reached Chandragadi, Jhapa this morning also submitted a 10-point demand paper to the CDO. Their demands included registration of non-registered Bhutanese, settling all pending cases for refugee status, issuance of photo identity cards to those whose registration was over, and facilitate local women married to Bhutanese for an aid basket, among others. With a 15 day ultimatum, the struggling committee and camp secretaries decided to withdraw their all protest programs.

CDO Koirala assured to resume the installed verification process. “I have notified the government regarding your concerns,” he told the delegation, “We are trying to verify the pending cases immediately.”

Meanwhile, the Country Representative of the United Nations High commissioner for Refugees, made it clear that UNHCR has formally asked the government of Nepal to resume the office of Joint Verification Team (JVT) as early as possible.

The Bhutanese delegation with CDO Jhapa, Koirala/Arjun Pradhan

The Bhutanese delegation with CDO Jhapa, Yadav Prasad Koirala/Arjun Pradhan

He said so in an exclusive interview with Saranarthi Sarokar, weekly radio magazine from Nepal FM, Kathmandu yesterday.

“It is not good to keep these people unregistered,” Stephane Jaquemet said, “We are equally concerned regarding their demands.”

He told that the UNHCR had sent a formal proposal to the government. “We were responded to make some amendments in our proposal, which we did,” he explained.

He also said that it was not good to keep unregistered people for another month.” The process must start in few weeks,” he added.

According to UNHCR, it is ridiculous to assume the non-registered cases as high as 40,000. The highest figure in our record is 3,000, Jaquemet elaborated.

“Until we register Nepali, we can never achieve such a large figure.”

Bhutan News Service and Radio Bhutan Online will publish an interview Jaquemet the coming week. BNS: Inputs from Jhapa by Arjun Pradhan in Chandragadi.Please comment us at editor [at] bhutannewsservice.com

H1N1 hits Bhutan once again

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 07:42 PM PDT

Days after government’s claim that Bhutan is H1N1 free,  Damphu Lower Secondry School In Tshirang has to be shut down  since yesterday due to Swine Flu outbreak.

One student tested positive for Influenza A yesterday and 40 others showed influenza like illness. About 280 people with the flu like symptoms visited the Damphu hospital since July 22 and 10 people have been tested positive so far.

The school first noticed  H1N1 when one of the students was tested positive for influenza A followed by other 40 students who had flue like symptoms. Damphu hospital has remained crowded since July  22 after the flow of over 280 people with flu-symptoms. So far, 10 people have been tested positive.

The H1N1 outbreak was confirmed by the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Thimphu last Saturday, after three out of five samples tested positive.

Although, the NPHL  had earlier reported a gradual decrease in the number of people who have been coming there to get tested for H1N1, this has been the second time that the country has seen the swine flu spread . Earlier, schools in Samtse district had to be closed for sometimes in the second week of June  due to the same reason.