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Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

शहीदमुक्ति समारोह शुरु

Posted: 24 Dec 2010 05:13 PM PST

भूटानी शहीदहरूको बलिदानप्रति उच्च आस्थाका साथ सराहना गर्दै उनीहरूको सम्मानार्थ स्मृतिमा प्रथम चरणको तहगत कार्यक्रम शुरु भएको छ । सो योजनानुसार शहीदहरूको मुक्तिखातिर शुक्रबारदेखि अमेरिकाको जर्जियाबाट सो समारोह शुरु भएको छ ।

भूटान समाचार सेवामार्फत पूण्य फाउण्डेशन स्थापना घोषणाको लगत्तै  यसले जर्जियाको अट्लान्टास्थित हिन्दू-बुद्धिष्ट धार्मिक केन्द्रमा शहीदहरूको मुक्तिखातिर हिन्दू विधिअनुसार शुक्रबारदेखि प्रथम चरणको तीनदिने अनुष्ठान शुरु गरेको हो । फाउण्डेशनका निर्देशक लक्ष्मी ढकालका अनुसार दोस्रो चरणमा दिसम्बर २६ र जनवरी १ मा क्रमशः अमेरिकाकै वासिङ्टन डिसी र नेपालमा क्रमशः इशाई तथा बौद्धिक विधिअनुसार  कार्यक्रम समापन गरिने छ । जर्जियामा सक्रिय फाउण्डेशनका संयोजक पशुपति तिम्सिनाले भूससे-लाई जनाए अनुसार शुक्रबारदेखि सातजना पण्डितहरूले श्रीमद्भागवत पाठन गर्नेछन् र पं. काशीनाथ घिमिरेले कथा प्रवचन गर्ने कार्यक्रम छ ।  

फाउण्डेशनले अहिलेसम्म ५२ जना शहीदहरूको नामावली तयार पारेको छ भने स्वतन्त्र रूपमा यसको निश्चित संख्या अहिले नै यकिन नहुने पनि जनाइएको छ ।

फाउण्डेशनका अध्यक्ष टेकवीर क्षत्रीले सो कार्यक्रम समग्र भूटानीहरूको कल्याणका लागि आफ्नो ज्यान गुमाउने शहीदहरूको बलिदानप्रति सम्मान जनाउन आयोजना गरिएको हो । आज विश्वव्यापी सामाजिक परिवेशमा भूटानीहरूले संक्रमणकालीन अवस्था पार गर्दै गरेका जनाउँदै अध्यक्ष क्षत्रीले यस अवस्थामा शहीदहरूको सपना र समग्र भूटानीहरूको समाजिक पहिचान तथा न्यायका लागि विश्वको जुनसुकै कुनामा रहे पनि भूटानीहरूले हातमा हात र काँधमा काँध मिलाएर अघि बढ्नुपर्ने बताए ।  

Improving democracy index: EIU

Posted: 24 Dec 2010 01:55 PM PST

The 2010 Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) democracy index has ranked Bhutan in the 102nd position out of 167 countries. The country has scored 4.68 points contrary to 109th position in 2008 with 4.30 points. The scores in political culture and civil liberties have remained unchanged from 2008.

Bhutan has seen such an improvement in the ranking due to better scores in the electoral process and pluralism and functioning of the government.

Siok Sian Pek Dorji, the executive director of Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy said that it was too early for Bhutan's democracy to be pitched against other democracies around the world. She further added that Bhutan's democracy was different as it did not come out of a crisis but was a gift from the monarch.

According to EIU, an economic and research branch of The Economist, most of the answers used for the survey are expert assessents. For some answers, public opinion surveys were carried out in the respective countries. But the report does not indicate what kind of expertise was used and how many experts were involved.

Norway, Iceland and Denmark are the top three countries on the index scoring 9.80, 9.65 and 9.52 respectively. Among SAARC countries, India has been ranked 40th, Sri Lanka 55th, Pakistan 104th, Nepal 108th and Afghanistan 150th.

The report highlights that there has been a decline in democracies across the world since 2008.

This is the third edition of the EIU democracy index.

Martyr’s salvation program kicks off

Posted: 24 Dec 2010 10:57 AM PST

In a view to honor the contributions made by Bhutanese martyrs, the first in a series of three-fold Martyr's Salvation Programs in accordance with the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian methodologies kicked off today in Atlanta.

Days after the declaration of the establishment of Punya Foundation through Bhutan News Service, it has organized a three-day Salvation program based on Hindu methodologies at the Hindu-Buddhist Spiritual Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Resettled Bhutanese in Atlanta show up to participate in the program.

According to Lakshmi Dhakal, Director of the Foundation, the other two programs based on Christian and Buddhist methodologies are scheduled for December 26 and January 1 in Washington and Nepal respectively.

The coordinator of the program in Georgia, Pashupati Timsina, informed BNS over telephone that there are seven Acharyas (spiritual masters or preceptors) reciting the sacred texts of Shrimad Bhagawat (holy epic of Hinduism) and Kashi Nath Ghimire is scheduled to recite prabachan (religious sermon).

According to Timsina, the organizers also publicized the names of at least 52 martyrs  collected by the Foundation so far. The actual number of martyrs in Bhutan, however, cannot be confirmed independently. Timsina further informed BNS that a minute 'mourn silence' was also observed by the program attending resettled Bhutanese for the peace settlement of the demise souls.

Talking to the BNS on Skype conversation from the Netherlands, the Director of the Foundation has further urged  fellow Bhutanese and concerned individuals and families to supply details of martyrs they know of and yet missed to be enlisted in the Foundation’s record.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the program, Tek Bir Chhetri, Chairman of the Foundation, has said that the Salvation is an honor for our martyrs who gave their lives to the general cause.

"We are indebted by the cost of their lives and the vision they had for us. They have died for us and therefore they cannot be in that status of someone but “our own martyrs” who lived with us to cherish our goal. To honor them, we bow down in reverence. We are assembled here to pray through the different rituals we practice and in the days ahead, we shall all pray for them through different actions that Punya Foundation has envisioned," said Chhetri, whose message was delivered by Damber Timsina. Chhetri is reported to be on his way to the program venue.

Chhetri has further stated that Bhutanese are standing in a very crucial time in the history of societal life. "Our collective strength and hope shall always bring us that day that our martyrs dreamt. Let us work towards the realization of this dream and the hope to usher in Justice forever," said Chhetri.