Bhutan News Service |
| नयाँ देश र परिवेशमा नयाँ संस्कारको थालनी Posted: 15 Sep 2010 07:14 PM PDT अलग्ग लुकेर परम्परागत ढाचामा मन्त्र जप्दामात्र धर्म र संस्कार मानिन्छ भन्ने मान्यतालाई तोड्दै अष्ट्रेलियाको एडिलेडमा पुनर्वास भएको एउटा भूटानी परिवारले नयाँ संस्कारको थालनी गरिदिएको छ। भूटान मानवाधिकार मञ्च (पीएफएचआरबी)-का पूर्व उपाध्यक्ष गोपाल घिमिरेको एडिलेडस्थित निवासमा दिनको करिब 2 बजेपछि घरमा निम्तारूहरूको ताँती लाग्यो। अधिकांश निम्तारूहरूलाई के लागि निम्त्याइएको हो भन्ने जानकारी नै थिएन। ''मलाई लाग्यो त्यहाँ कुनै महत्त्वको कुरा हुँदैछ, हुनसक्छ कुनै सभा-बैठक हुनेहोला'', एक निम्तारूले अफ्नो गाडीबाट ओर्लँदै भने। ''मलाई त त्यहाँ पार्टी (भोज) छ भन्ने लाग्यो'', अर्काले भने। तर घिमिरेको घर पुगेपछि असामञ्जस्य धेरै बढेर गयो। एकपटिको भित्तामा अडेसिएको एउटा टेबुल छ, जसमा चाना पारिएका फलफुल, फूल, चामल राखिएको छ र एउटा दियो पनि बालिएको छ। टेबुलमाथिको आलमारीमा एकपटि घिमिरेका पूर्वजहरूको नामावली टाँगिएको छ भने अर्कोतिर उनकी आमा र श्रीमतीका पूर्वजहरूको नामावली क्रमशः टाँगिएको छ। यी सबैको बीचमा उनका स्व. पिता तुलारामको नाम छ र यस कार्यक्रमको नामचाहिं 'पितृ स्मृति दिवस' राखिएको छ। एडिलेडभन्दा करिब दुई घण्टा दूरीको मोटरयात्राबाट आएका सुशिल पोखरेलको आगमनपछि उनले मन्त्र भने र फेरि दीप प्रज्वलन गरी कार्यक्रमको औपचारिक शुरुवात गरियो। जोगेन गजमेर, रतन गजमेरलगायतका निम्तारू अतिथिहरूलाई स्वागत गर्दै घिमिरेले कार्यक्रबारे खुलासा गर्दामात्र सबैलाई थाहा भयो कि यो कार्यक्रम उनका पिता तुलाराम घिमिरेको श्राद्धमा केन्द्रित रहेछ। अतिथिहरूलाई सो श्राद्धमा बोलाइएको रहेछ। पूर्व निर्धारित योजना अनुसार स्व. तुलाराम घिमिरेको आत्मा-शान्तिको कामनामा 2 मिनट मौन धारण गरी परिवारले पितृ स्मरण गर्यो अनि मंगलाचरणपछि कार्यक्रम समापन गरियो। परम्परागत नियमले हो भने अघिल्लो दिन नै सरोकारवालाको केश काटिन्थ्यो, श्राद्धको दिन पिण्डदान हुन्थ्यो, के के हो के के! बिस्तारै घिस्रिएर बढ्नुभन्दा रूढ परम्परालाई तोड्न यसरी फड्को मार्नु नै उचित हुने ठोकुवा गर्दै घिमिरेले भूटान समाचार सेवासित भने,''यो 15 वर्ष अघिदेखिको लामो सपना थियो, मेरो परिवारलगायत मित्रहरूको बलियो सहयोगमा मैले यसलाई बिपना बनाइछाँडें। हामी अहिले नयाँ देश र नौलो परिवेशमा छैं जहाँ परम्पराभन्दा कामदारी ठूलो कुरो छ।'' उनले अझ थप्दै भने,''हामीले जे गरे नि न्यायसंगत र तर्कयुक्त हुनुपर्छ अनि आफूले जे गर्या छ आफ्ना छोरा-नातिलाई सुनाउँदै जानुपर्छ। नयाँ कुराको थालनी यसरी नै त हुन्छ नि।'' भूटानी समाज आज जुन परिवेशमा छ त्यस अनुरूप आफ्ना परम्परागत संस्कृतिहरू समयानुकूल परिवर्तन नगर्ने हो भने आगामी पुस्ताले पूरै यसलाई त्यागिदिने खतरा रहेको आशंका उनले व्यक्त गरे। ''मेरो छोरा कारमा चढेर काममा जान्छ, सबैसँग रमाएर एउटै टेबुलमा बसेर परिवारमा झैं खान्छ, साथीहरू लिएर घरमा आउँछ। कथित तल्लो जाति भनेर कसैले कसैलाई दैलोमा छेक्न सक्दैनँ।'' स्व. तुलारामकी 84 वर्षीय श्रीमती सरस्वती घिमिरेले आफ्ना छोरा गोपाललाई एडिलेडमा आएदेखि नै यस्तो नयाँ कामको थालनी गर्न घच्घचाएकी थिइन्। ''मलाई एउटा छिमेकीले हामीले जोसुकै जातिलाई घरमा पस्न दियौं भन्ने कारण देखाएर एक मेरो घरमा चिया पिउन मानेनँ, त्यो कुरा मलाई मानवताविरुद्धको गम्भीर अपराध झैं लाग्यो।'' आँखाबाट आँसु झार्दै वृद्धा सरस्वतीले भनिन्। उपस्थित सबै अतिथिहरूले घिमिरेको कदमप्रति समर्थन र सद्भाव जनाउँदै अब उसो आफ्नै समाजभित्र तल्लो-माथिल्लो जातिको नाममा कुनै किसिमको भेदभाव भए त्यसविरुद्ध चोटिलो संघर्ष गर्ने प्रतिबद्धता जनाएका छन्। |
| Posted: 14 Sep 2010 09:06 AM PDT Gross National Happiness An excitement is currently sailing in Bhutan, mostly in part due to the success it continues to have in exporting GNH abroad. Coincidentally, there are about 25,000 Bhutanese refugees currently living in USA. A small group of Bhutanese youth activists from among them too had an opportunity to participate and share their perspectives. Tiny Bhutan is sandwiched between two economic power houses, India and China. 'Gross National Happiness' is a new found development concept that originated in Bhutan. An unknown and poor country, tainted by a century of isolation – Bhutan was at first shy of publicizing a philosophy, indigenous only to Bhutan's own social and cultural milieu. The dilemma still continues as Bhutan works slyly to keep a balance between materialism and spiritualism. But amidst a world engrossed by economic growth and beleaguered by conspicuous material consumption, Bhutan has seemingly figured out a sensible reconciliation in the GNH – a development philosophy, which has significantly helped Bhutan bounce back into the center stage of development debate in the region and in the world. The essence of the GNH concept is to 'weave development around people, not the people around development'. The GNH concept is central to the political thought and governance in Bhutan. As a holistic and multidimensional approach to development, the GNH concept denotes a huge paradigm shift in modern development thought. It seeks to maximize happiness instead of economic growth. Apparently, maximization of gross happiness of its people is the ultimate goal of Bhutan's current development practice. In Article 9 of the kingdom's first Constitution, Bhutan has clearly attempted to legislate 'happiness' thus 'the State shall strive to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross National Happiness'. Accordingly, the Bhutanese have identified its four basic pillars – economic growth and development – preservation and promotion of culture and heritage – preservation and sustainable use of environment – and good governance. A separate government department called the Gross National Happiness Commission, headed by a Secretary has been instituted to support the development of this concept. Unhappiness Across Bhutan, about 80% of its population lives below poverty line. Forests cover 72% of the land – which means – in an agricultural country, where 79% of the population depends on sustenance agriculture – not enough land is available for cultivation. Roads are few and far and development activities lean heavily towards the capital. The regional imbalance in growth and development is not without social ramifications – rural-urban migration, unemployment and drug related social crimes are on the rise every year. In southern Bhutan, where local health units and schools have remained closed for almost two decades, happiness is a rare commodity. Southern Bhutan is effectively closed for outsiders, even journalists. In a shoddy socio-political environment like this, the apprehension and psychological stress people go through routinely – is the biggest enemy of their 'happiness' To a lay person, GNH is mainly what falls into his plate every day, or if he has a roof above his head to shelter his family. To him, GNH is having clothes to keep his children warm during the freezing Himalayan winter or having money to buy medication for an ailing child, before landing in the emergency room. GNH in his interpretation is having access to local transportation, hospitals, electricity, a proper sanitation or a drinking water facility. To him, GNH is living in his house with family members and working in his farms – instead of living in road side slums – doing the unpaid work for the government – in the name of compulsory labor contribution. If he can feel secure that night after returning home from a 'villagers' meeting – if he can get himself counted in the regular census exercises – if he can live free from the ghost of expulsion – if he can feel included and participate in the national political process without fear of persecution – if he can dream that one day – he and his proud generation will see a Bhutan proudly diverse yet genuinely united and moving together towards a common destiny – then – and only then, he can say he is living and breathing GNH. Unfortunately, the majority of the Bhutanese citizens neither have a feel of that security nor the access to some of the modest amenities that are necessary to experience happiness. One needs to ask – could these ordinary citizens be happy? Is a 'Layap' who walks for more than three days to reach the nearest market place to buy his kilogram of salt, happy? Is a Khengpa, living in the remote parts of Zhemgang district – who travels days with a sick baby on his back to reach the nearest dispensary, happy? Are the Christians – who practice their faith under constant fear of persecution, happy? Are the Hindus happy? Are the Sarchhops happy? Are the Bhutanese refugees, who make up a big chunk of the Bhutanese population happy? The million dollar question then is – on what basis can the Bhutanese government claim 'happiness' for every one? Is an emerging philosophy – confined only to the book shelves of university libraries and in the research corners of some academicians – adequate enough to spawn positive changes in the life of the ordinary mass? Question of illegal immigration That has never been the reason for the mass expulsion of genuine Bhutanese citizens in the 1990s. The government's strategic goal then was to restructure the country's demographic balance by reducing the population of the 'nepali-speaking southern Bhutanese citizens' from 45% to 25%. A carefully planned, systematic depopulation strategy followed – and the refugees were created. However, Bhutan can not easily waive off ownership of its citizens just by covering them under the tag of 'illegal immigration'. The Bhutanese citizenship identity cards, paid land tax receipts, labor contribution documents, school certificates etc in the possession of these refugees amply speak of their identity as true Bhutanese citizens. A proof – the verification of the refugees in one of the refugee camps in 2001, conducted jointly by Bhutan and Nepal found that more than 95% of the people in that camp were genuine Bhutanese citizens. In strict measure, it is hard to understand how outsiders can freely enter into Bhutan in hundredths of thousands and become its citizens without being noticed by government authorities. Bhutan as always, has been very sensitive on the issue of immigration. Its authorities keep a close watch on every visitor from outside – even in remote villages. Border surveillance is strict – any strangers or suspicious visitors need to be reported first to the local police station. Permission should be taken for the number of days the visitor will stay with the host. It is like obtaining a parking ticket in big western cities. To say that these strangers all of a sudden became Bhutanese citizens is an insult to injury. Bhutanese law on obtaining citizenship is perhaps the most stringent and inflexible in the whole world. It prescribes land ownership and parenthood as the basic criteria for obtaining citizenship. Outsiders cannot buy land in Bhutan and citizenship is conferred only to those who can provide proof of valid land ownership in Bhutan. In other words, only genuine Bhutanese citizens can buy landed properties in Bhutan. One can say – that in Bhutan, land is not just a property – it is a form of citizenship. The Bhutanese people by law – cannot sell away all their land because land is what they need to retain their citizenship. The good side of such a decree is that – there are no 'landless' people in Bhutan. Every citizen must own a land and all who own a piece of land become citizens by default. Both 'parenthood' and 'land ownership' are not an option for an outsider. Hence, any claim of outsiders, receiving Bhutanese citizenship becomes a question in itself. The Bhutanese refugees living in the camps in Nepal had properties in Bhutan for many generations – and land was the primary form of property. Land transactions are dealt with directly by the all powerful Home Ministry, whose discretions almost equal the verdict of a Court of law. The whole world knows that most of the people living in the refugee camps in Nepal are genuine Bhutanese citizens but in a recent interview to Aljazeera, Prime Minister Jigme Y. Thinley, said that these refugees were "illegal immigrants". Bhutan's allegations must be assessed against the backdrop of the involvement of the United Nations and the core group of countries – USA, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand and United Kingdom in the current third country resettlement of these refugees. The process requires in the first place, that an individual, desirous of resettlement abroad prove himself or herself as a genuine 'Bhutanese refugee'. The core group of countries know better that these refugees are the true citizens of Bhutan and hence the offer to resettle them. The international community will judge how much of propaganda coming out of Bhutan is reality and how much of it is rhetoric. But as long as the Bhutanese authorities continue to use GNH – as the foreign policy arm of the government to weaken its political opponents, a solemn question will always haunt peoples' minds – is Bhutan's Gross National Happiness theory really 'gross' or is it just a 'farce'? (Subba is a political analyst and Mishra, associated with BNS, is also the author of 'Becoming a Journalist in Exile'. They can be reached at: rpsubbba@gmail.com and twmnbhutan@gmail.com respectively.) |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Bhutan News Service To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |