Diplomat-author Pavan K Varma has resigned as India’s ambassador to Bhutan and has taken the plunge into politics. He is planning to join the Janata Dal-United, saying he wants to contribute to “clean politics and good governance” in the country.
Outgoing Indian envoy to Bhutan Verma
Varma, a former chief of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and a former spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, is joining the JD-U, said sources close to him. He has had a meeting with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who has welcomed his decision, the sources said.
Varma, a 1976 batch IFS officer, has taken voluntary retirement and demits office on Dec 31, 2012, reports online edition of the Hindustan Times (HT).
“I believe that clean politics and good governance are the need of the hour. And if I can contribute in some measure to it, it will help,” Varma said when asked abut his decision to join politics.
Varma has also carved a niche for himself as an author of several well-acclaimed books, including Ghalib and The Great Indian Middle Class.
His new book, entitled Chanakya’s New Manifesto: To Resolve The Crisis Within India, will be published in January, 2013 and is expected to encapsulate his vision of people and development-oriented politics.
Varma’s resignation sets in process a minor shuffle which has been long overdue, with lobbying intensifying for key diplomatic posts.
External affairs minister Salman Khurshid is expected to decide on the new envoy to Bhutan amid China’s increasing foray into the idyllic Himalayan state, better known for measuring national wealth in terms of gross national happiness.
Khurshid will also have to decide on a slew of key diplomatic positions, including the envoys to Permanent Mission of India to UN in New York, France and Myanmar as the incumbents are set to retire early next year.
Taiwan’s main trade promotion body and Bhutan’s largest business group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday to work more closely together on bilateral trade promotion.
The MOU will serve as the basis for trade promotion and business exchanges between the two sides, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) said in a statement Friday.
Topgyal Dorji, president of the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), signed the MOU on behalf of his country’s business delegation, while Chao Yuen-chuan signed on behalf of TAITRA in his capacity as the council’s secretary-general.
Through visits, seminars and trade fairs, Taiwan and Bhutan can form closer bilateral trade ties, Chao was quoted as saying.
The Himalayan kingdom has allowed increasing tourism in recent years and has great development potential, Chao said, describing Taiwan-Bhutan cooperation as mutually beneficial.
Although Bhutan has a tiny population, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member now has one of the highest per capita incomes in South Asia at US$1,321, according to Bhutan’s official tourism website.
As Bhutan has no manufacturing industry and relies on imported products, there are business opportunities for Taiwanese entrepreneurs, according to TAITRA.
Kirat devotees of Beldangi marked 128th Falgunanda Lingdens anniversary amidst a cultural program in Beldangi today.
Falgunanda followers from various camps and host communities, who were gathered together to mark the anniversary, were entertained with several Kirat songs and dances.
Guests inaugurate the program. Photo: Tilak Niraula/BNS
Around five thousand devotees who were dressed on their cultural dress gathered to observe the event, claimed orginzers.
The organizers honored some elderly people from the camps and the host community for their dedication and hard work for the protection and continuous services for the religion and culture prevailing in Nepal.
Speaking in the program, Chief Guest of the program, Chandra Kumar Serma, explained the history of Lingdens and his reforms for Kirat devotees.
He Said, “The contribution of Lingden for the Kirat dharma is a historic among others religions. It is, therefore, important that we protect and preserve it.”
He also extended his gratitude to the Bhutanese Society for hosting such a grand program in the camps.
Chairperson of the program, Krishna Kumar Songden Rai, thanked the devotees from different religions for participating and making the programme successful.
Bhutanese Refugee Women Forum (BRWF) elected new secretaries in Beldangi today.
A woman drops her vote in BRWF election conducted in Beldangi. Photo: Tilak Niraula/BNS
Bishnu Maya Dhungana and Dhan Maya Gurung have been elected as Secretary and Deputy Secretary respectively by over 500 women voters.
Bishnu Maya was unanimously elected to the post while Dhan Maya contested with Damber Kumari Niroula, informed BRWF.
Speaking to the people, chief guest in the election proceedings, Khem Raj Khanal congratulated newly elected responsibility bearers. Khanal, who is also the Camp Supervisor of Beldangi Camps, wished them their successful tenure in their offices.
Camp Secretary of Beldangi Dhan Bir Subba expressed his commitement to work together for the welfare of womens in the camps.
Bhutanese Organisation of Australia hosted a grand multicultural festival on November 3, 2012 at Glenroy College, Melbourne, Victoria. This event, Celebrating Multicultural Victoria in Harmony, was first of its kind in Australia, which was celebrated in conjunction with the Dashain-Tihar celebration, popular annual festivals in Hindu calendar.
Multicultural parade with the display of flags from different countries including United Nations Photo: Parsu Ram Sharma-Luitel/Bhutanese Organisation in Australia
This program was organised in partnership with different ethnic communities including Karen-Burmese, Assyrian and Chaldean, Burundian and others from African, Italian, Greeks, Kurdish, Indian, Nepalese, Chinese and Vietnamese communities living in Victoria. The organisors aim to host the festival was to introduce Bhutanese community to the world community of Victoria, to the government agencies, other facilitating agencies and also to promote cultural harmony among various ethnic groups.
The program started with Puja and recitals by Hindu and Buddhist priests followed by offering Tika and blessings to the guests and the community participants at the festival. The young people were entertained by the Balloon Man and having their face painted. The outdoor activities featured a number of performances from different communities amongst which Burundi drumming, Chinese dragon and lion dance were captivating and drew a huge crowd. The outdoor program also saw events such as Taekwondo demonstrations, Duesi Bhailo, cock fight, Chandi Nach. Some of the other attractions includedSoccer clinic by Melbourne Heart Football Club and AFL Flying Squad.
The official indoor programs began with Bhutanese and Australian national anthem followed by Mangal Dhoon and a displayby Pancha Kanya. Parsuran Sharma Luitel, president of Bhutanese Organisation in Australia officially welcomed the guests and communities members to the program. In his speech he said,”we are proud to host and showcase cultural display and performances from different parts of the world. We extend sincere appreciation to the Government of Australia for choosing to resettle Bhutanese refugees in this great country”. This is our commitment and contribution to multicultural fabric of Australian society while maintaining the Bhutanese origin, identity and promoting unity” he added. With permission from the chief guest Mr Luitel also read out the speech by MP Maria Vamvakinou at the Federal parliament about Bhutanese community, their difficult journey as refugees and successful integration and contribution to Australian society.
The guests were honoured on the stage with Khadas. The chief guests opened the program by lighting Panas, a special lamp. Mr Tanka Nath Acharya from BOA addressed the audience and highlighted the achievements of Bhutanese community and issues facing new and emerging communities.
Vietnamese dance by Au Co-Vietnamee Dance group Photo: Parsuram Sharma Luital/Bhutanese Organisation in Australia
The chief guest of the festival was Ms Maria Vamvakinou Mp, Member for Calwell representing Federal Minister of Sports and Multicultural Affairs Ms Kate Lundy. In her speech the Mp acknowledged Bhutanese Community’s successful settlement in Australia, stating, “ I am particularly proud of your achievements in Australia, settling quickly, and demonstrating a strong will to contribute to Australian society”. Highlighting Bhutanese community’s contribution in the recovery following the aftermath of Victorian bushfires in 2009, the statement further read,” Generous of heart, following the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires in February 2009, the small Bhutanese community across southern Australia raised money to assist those in need and generously offered to assist families to re-establish their gardens”. Highlight
Also present was Mr Andrew Elsbury MP, Member for Western Metropolitian Region representing Honourable Nick Kotsaris, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, State of Victoria. Addressing the festival audience, the minister said,” Your vision to create truly multicultural festival is highly commended”. Highlighting the importance of intercultural understanding with different communities, he added,” The Victorian Government is proud to support events such as these, which aim to deepen mutual understanding and respect for the different faiths, cultures and traditions that are an integral part of multicultural Victoria”. Some of the other guest who spoke at the festival included Mr Chin Tan, Chairman, Victorian Multicultural Commission, Mr Chandra Yonzon, Consulate General of Victoria, Mr Sam Afra from Ethnic Community Council of Australia and Mr Hilary Buchumi, Burundi Community.
Bhutanese traditional dance by BOA dance group Photo: Teju Chouhan/BNS
Some of the multicultural performances included Karen Don dance, Dzongkha dance, Assyrian/Chaldean traditional dance and Tamang dance. The most popuar among the dances were Bollyhood dance, Greek dance and Veitnamese fan dance. The program also shocased traditional Bhutanese/Nepalese Bajrayogini dance, Balan and Sangeni
The sponsors were presented with memento of appreciation by the chief guests. High achievers and volunteers form the community were also acknowledged by awarding certificate of appreciations. A dozen senior Bhutanese community members were also honoured on stage by the guests for the role in keeping community culture and traditions alive.
The program also had humane touch to the celebration with participation of several charities and humanitarian agencies including blood donation to Red Cross, organ donation to DonateLife Victoria and UNHCR charity donations for African refugees. BOA president, Parsuram Sharma-Luitel said that this was an initiative of the community to contribute back to the Australian society
This event saw attendance of over 600 people from various communities from Melbourne, and community representatives from Albury, Adelaide and Wodonga. One of the guests from Wodonga termed the event very successful and professionally presented. The success of the program was also reflected by participation of diverse communities both old and young alike.
The festival was catered by Nepalese community in Melbourne that served traditional Nepalese cuisine throughout the day. This program was streamed live by MNTV which allowed people from Bhutanese communities across Australia watched the event in the comfort of their home. The event was managed by Solangture.
The Bhutanese have been cautious not to give hasty promises; but it can hardly be debated that they have been smart in using hydro resources both as strategic leverage and as a source of income, something that Nepal has been perpetually unable to do despite possessing 42,000 MW that is potentially feasible to be harnessed.
While participating in regional conferences 12 years ago, I used to tease my Bhutanese friends that their country was still under an absolute ruler while we had a functioning parliament, a full-fledged democratic constitution with a titular monarchy and elected local bodies. Today, they have got everything while we have lost all the above. They even managed to revise the Indo-Bhutan Treaty of 1949 and sign a new one in 2007 which no longer mandates India to look after their foreign and defence policies. Furthermore, their per capita GDP has tripled in the last decade, making them the second richest country in South Asia after the Maldives. The World Bank has graduated them from a low-income to a low middle-income country. Bhutan’s economy is projected to grow 7.2 percent this year which is the highest rate in South Asia.
A lot of this buoyancy and optimism stems from far-sighted planning and steadfast implementation of several hydropower projects that give the country substantial revenue. The bulk of the electricity produced at Chukha (336 MW), Kurichu (60 MW) and Tala (1,020 MW) is exported to India. Bhutan has also begun work on a set of new hydropower projects totalling over 11,000 MW to be commissioned gradually over the next 10 years. The projects include the massive 4,060 MW Sunkosh project, the largest in South Asia.
Along with India’s rapid industrialisation and modernisation, demand for electricity in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and the seven north-eastern states has jumped. Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made his first foreign visit to Bhutan after being re-elected in May 2011 and requested more electricity. Earlier, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Bhutan in 2010 and sought cooperation in the power sector.
The Bhutanese have been cautious not to give hasty promises; but it can hardly be debated that they have been smart in using hydro resources both as strategic leverage and as a source of income, something that Nepal has been perpetually unable to do despite possessing 42,000 MW that is potentially feasible to be harnessed. Today, we are power deficient to such as extent that there could be about 18 hours of rolling blackouts this winter.
There are hydro experts who debate that Nepal is a much more complex polity with a population 50 times greater and rivers that are international borders. They argue that irrigation and flood control are as important to Nepal as electricity. But it is also true that we have now become an importer of power from India. Largely due to political instability, labour unrest, corruption, myopic vision of policymakers and lack of consensus on how to forge an understanding with India, Nepal’s hydro resources are still under-developed, forcing people to live in darkness while a much smaller neighbour like Bhutan marches ahead.
Since the refugee exodus in 1991, there has been constant and accelerating change in the political, economic and social conditions in the sub-region and indeed inside Bhutanese society. Thimpu’s another success story is its laudable efforts to protect its environment. It has given a lot of emphasis to forest conservation and issues of Drugpa identity, such as the national dress, national values, rootedness and Gross National Happiness. It is here that it is confronted with numerous geo-strategic and internal challenges. Bhutan is reticent about the ethnic composition of its population, but some researchers have estimated that a whopping 40 percent comprise Nepali-speaking people. Like others in the neighbourhood, it also faces a transformational security environment that demands the future shape of Bhutan’s strategic choices.
To what extent can Bhutan continue to pursue its compulsory national dress and national language policy? Similarly, how long can it stick to its classical international relations principle of not having diplomatic relations with any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council? Today, it has diplomatic relations with only 46 countries. In fact, just three countries — India, Bangladesh and Kuwait — have residential embassies in Thimpu. The result of this self-isolation was its defeat in the UN Security Council elections earlier this month. But wealth and relative political stability could become an ideal springboard for rapid advances in interactions with the international community along with engagements with major powers. Bhutan’s relations with India are marked by total trust, hence increased cooperation with major powers is not likely to impinge Indo-Bhutan relations that is solid and time-tested.
The lingering issue of Bhutanese refugees has hindered the progress of Nepal-Bhutan relations for over two decades. There are influential voices within Nepal against forging better political, cultural and economic relations as this may dilute the core issue of refugee repatriation and make Thimpu content with the current state of affairs. They hold a firm view that Bhutan must show serious commitment to what it has agreed upon earlier and implement decisions reached in respect of the refugees and show a positive gesture towards Nepal by reactivating the stalled bilateral process, and only then will there be normalisation of relations. On the other hand, there is also increasing realisation that mutually beneficial avenues in the tourism, sports, trade and investment sectors need not be kept hostage till the remaining refugees are either repatriated or resettled. For instance, there has never been a bilateral official visit at the head of state level between the two neighbours, a brutal fact that needs to be redressed.
So far, about 70,000 refugees have been resettled, with 60,000 of them going to the US. A fresh, compelling geo-strategic bent on this issue is that the second largest cluster of Bhutanese citizens are now living in the US. They are spread across the 50 states, working in Wal-Marts, active in the social media, sending remittance back to the refugee camps and offering unstinting support to a final settlement to the problem. Unfortunately, there has seldom been an attempt at Track I or Track II diplomacy to see Nepal-Bhutan relations in their totality. But the time has come to analyse the future of our bilateral relations beyond the current murky environment to find solutions to the challenges facing us.
Pandey holds a PhD from Tribhuvan University on Multi-Ethnicity of Bhutan and Nepal-Bhutan Relations and is the director of the Centre for South Asian Studies
Registration of Bhutan Kuen-Ngyam Party at the Election Commission (EC) on October 30 challenged existence of bi-party democracy in Bhutan.
The next party to get official registration at EC is Druk Chirwang Tshogpa.
According to its President Lily Wangchuck, the party obtained registration after fulfilling all formalities on November 1.
Lily, who is currently working as Director of the Bhutan Media Foundation, is yet to tender her resignation to contest for the general elections next year.
The only two parties awaiting registration at the Election Commission are Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa and Druk Mitsher Tshogpa.
If both the parties awaiting registration qualify, altogether six parties will contest for the country’s second parliamentary elections.
The projection of EC indicates that out of 399,073 eligible votes, almost 100,000 Bhutanese will cast their votes for parliamentary elections for the first time next year.
Two notes insulting immigrants and refugees were left taped to the door of a family of Bhutanese refugees, the third incident of racist notes on refugee homes in Concord since September 2011.
Officer Bill Carroll interviews Subash Acharya, a social worker with Lutheran Social Services about threatening notes that the Gurungs (not pictured), a family of Bhutanese refugees, have received taped to the door of their apartment on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 (Courtesy : Concord Monitor)
Bhakta Gurung and his wife, Bishnu, and their two children moved to Concord four months ago from a refugee camp in Nepal, where they had been living since being exiled from Bhutan.
The notes were left taped to their door in an apartment building on Eastern Avenue – one on Sunday and one on Monday. One was shorter and written in marker; the other filled an 8-by-11-inch white paper, and was written in pen.
They said, among other things, that the Gurung family members are “inconsiderate assholes” who receive everything for free.
Written as if by the Gurungs, one of the notes said, “help us get kicked out of our apartment.”
The family cannot read English, and did not know what the notes said, but were concerned because the papers didn’t resemble official communications from the apartment property manager. A case worker from Lutheran Social Services visited yesterday and realized what they were.
“He said it is not tolerable, and it is bad words you cannot digest,” Gurung said through an interpreter. “He explained it in my language, and I feel bad.”
The case worker called the Concord Police Department, which began an investigation yesterday afternoon. Officers at the apartment complex said they could not comment on the situation for fear of compromising the early stages of the investigation.
This is the third incident of racist notes left for recent refugee immigrants to Concord. In September 2011 and August this year, notes appeared written in black marker on several homes in the South End.
The same detective is working on this case, and his initial assessment is that it is not related, said Concord police Lt. Timothy O’Malley.
O’Malley said the police aren’t sure if anyone committed a crime in this case, because the notes were on paper taped to the door, instead of written on the actual building, like the cases in the South End.
“As unacceptable as it is, we look at charging criminally for threats or violations of statutes. But just because at this point we may not see whether we have a crime doesn’t mean we won’t try to resolve it,” he said.
“If we knew who this was, we would try to have a conversation about being good neighbors. Our concern when you’re using inflammatory words or speech like this is that it could escalate to where you do have crimes being committed.”
The police at the scene told the family and representatives of Lutheran Social Services that they would likely increase their presence in the neighborhood after hearing from Gurung’s brother that some residents are bullying the new arrivals.
Other minority residents from the complex warned him groups of young white people will sometimes throw stones at them when their backs are turned, Lal Gurung said.
People also sometimes block the doors to the buildings or the landings of the stairways, and tell the immigrants they need to pay $5 or $10 to pass, he said.
The bullying can be especially prominent in the mornings and afternoons as refugee children go to and from their school bus stop, he said.
Sheri Powers, who said she has lived in the apartment complex for almost eight years, said she’s never seen anything like that, or like the notes on the Gurungs’ door.
“Most people get along with everybody here. In my building, I’ll say hi when I pass them. There’s no problems, except there’s a lot of them and a lot of them don’t speak English,” she said while standing outside her building across the parking lot from where the Gurungs were talking with the police and case workers.
“I don’t think it’s right for people to do something like that,” she said. “People have the right to live wherever they want.”
Another woman who was sitting on the steps talking with Powers had a different opinion.
“They probably did it to themselves looking to get attention,” she said as she went into the building.
Gurung, who works as a laborer at a farm, said through an interpreter that he understood settling into his new city would take time, and he still hopes to feel at home.
“In general people are very cooperative, and we feel we are at home when we arrived here. . . . It is a community wherever we go,” he said through an interpreter. “We have to adjust, both the new members and the longtime members. We have to cooperate with each other.”
Tips on the case can be shared anonymously by calling 226-3100, by visiting the Crimeline website, or by texting TIP234 and sending a message to CRIMES.
The Nepalese Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to issue refugee cards to 1,800 Bhutanese, who missed out on official recognition of refugee status provided after a census held some five years ago.
The decision to provide them the refugee cards was made as per the recommendations of a three-member taskforce formed to study the demands of those who could not get enlisted as refugees during the earlier census, reports an English daily from Kathmandu.
Those granted refugee cards now include census absentees, asylum seekers and family members of those already receiving the refugee ID cards.
Earlier in June, the ministry had formed the taskforce led by Under Secretary Shambhu Prasad Ghimire to probe whether those who claimed to be missing during the census conducted in 2006 were genuine.
Ghimire said the taskforce comprising of assistant Chief District Officers (CDOs) of Jhapa Yogendra Dulal and Morang Gopal Parajuli had invited applications from those seeking refugee status from various camps in Jhapa and Morang districts. “We received applications from 2,106 persons seeking refugee status. While 132 did not turn up for the interview, 174 others were found not genuine,” he said.
The taskforce in its report submitted to the ministry on October 16 had made the recommendation of providing refugee cards to 1,800, out of the total 2,106 applicants, following a series of cross verifications, according to the report.
Those missing from the refugee camps during the last census had long been demanding that Nepal government officially recognize them as refugees so that they could be eligible for third-country resettlement.
Officials at Home Ministry said some 72,000, of the original 108,000-plus refugees, have already started living in various eight western countries as part of the resettlement program overseen by the UNHCR.
I am not sure if the book will come out in the same name going forward – but yes, it shall be a book about our community – our stories, issues and concerns – about Bhutan and the Bhutanese – about what we lost and what we gained as humans.
Think of birthdays – and the pomp and show; gifts and party; drinks and dances; the splendor – they all come to mind; naturally. Birthdays are celebrated across numerous cultures and countries. But as children growing up in a village; I and my four siblings never celebrated any birthdays. During those days, birthday celebration was not in fashion. Today, it has become a social norm – the first thing children want on parents’ calendar. Make sure that your kids’ birthdays are celebrated each year – for celebrating their birthdays is also celebrating them. It is a rare privilege to us parents and for the children. New birthday clothes, lots of gifting and people coming to the house always mean a lot of excitement and fun to them.
I have tried to keep birthdays simple for my children. In my household, a birthday anniversary – even for my kids – is only a household occasion – attended by a few family relatives. I tend to think that internalization of the significance and value of any birthday matter more than the flamboyance that often accompanies birthdays. I think that a birthday anniversary should be more meditative than celebrative. Birthdays should symbolize a growth in progression; an acceptance of responsibility and maturity.
Birthdays are more for kids than us adults. As we grow older as I am rapidly doing – the fascination that surrounds a birthday begins to gradually disappear. Birthdays aren’t as exciting; gifts aren’t attractive – unless someone can add years to our life. A new birthday each year steals the thrill and induces fear in peoples’ minds. Each new calendar brings a frightful reflection – the extent of green time left to enjoy and experience is slipping away. Yet, some of us adults still dare to celebrate birthdays and we may do so for a different reason and in a different style.
The rationalization is in making birthdays – a valuable social tool – to do something significant and positively meaningful while we can. We have torn piles of calendars and made many trips round the sun. If anything, speaking in the Bhutanese context; our lives have been very eventful and full of hard experiences – good and bad – some useful and some useless – some to be digested – some to be discarded. We have witnessed enough changes globally and in our own domestic context; historically as well as politically – experiences that the past five generations together had not known.
The ‘generation thing’ is structurally hierarchical. There is ‘my past generation’, ‘my generation’ and the ‘next generation’. Each generation owes the next, a moral responsibility. But the premise always remains the same. The values and experiences of the preceding generation are passed on to the next generation – the next generation picks and chooses from them and moves on – without needing to hit ground zero again. Each generation wants its following generation to do better – and they mostly have. Studies show that civilizations and cultures grow steady and last long if each younger generation chooses to construct their own lives without breaking away from the collective experiences of the past. The more civilized, developed countries have long kept this practice live by encouraging people to write books and biographies and archiving them for the benefit of the upcoming generation. These values and experiences offer some gainful insights in building community organizations in the future. Such a practice is noble as it strikes a harmony between continuity and change as much as it helps the next generation save a lot of time in civilization.
The realization is here – and I am setting up to do my part. This October 19th I finally decided to celebrate my birthday – my first in life – that too in my own selfish way. No party, no balloons and no birthday cakes. I remembered my parents, for without them my own birthday couldn’t be here. Then I hugged my family – I am glad that each year – I am here to kiss them. And then; I sat quietly and made a solemn commitment to spin my much coveted interest into a birthday resolution. It was a very clean birthday – no late night party – no food or alcohol wastage. My window to the world opened the first day I was born on this earth. My birth anniversary now opens my window as I see it. My birthday resolution goes like this – “I shall write and publish a book on ‘Politics of Gross National Happiness’ on or before October 19, 2015”. That is my mission statement and my objective; emphasis added.
I am not sure if the book will come out in the same name going forward – but yes, it shall be a book about our community – our stories, issues and concerns – about Bhutan and the Bhutanese – about what we lost and what we gained as humans. A birthday is a private affair for many but I tend to shred that practice and turn it into a community fare. When the fruit of my labor finally hits your book shelf; each of you should be able to see ‘a piece of yourself’ acting through the lines. As I write this, I am remembering the next generation and my own – in whose respect and honor – I humbly dedicate my next three birthday anniversaries.
I have posted my resolution on Face book – not necessarily to raise expectations – but to open up the agenda to you – the stakeholders. Your support and critique during the course of writing the book shall be dearly valued and appreciated.
After my birthday message has gone, several well wishers commented to wish me well. I accept the good wishes that you have sent, as your birthday gifts to me. Many people have offered to buy and read the book that I have not even written. I rest assured of your readership.
What was surprising – I was astonished to discover that there is a gossip going around in the community; that my book is already published and is out in the market. Some people have contacted me to inquire about it; others have called me to congratulate. The power of gossip is astonishingly efficient, especially in our community. Some people are experts at making a ‘remix’ of everything and distributing it with their own twist to it; others feed on it without checking facts. Well, this write up should end all such misconceptions and gossip trips. The fact is that the book shall be out only on or sometimes before October 19th, 2015. Those of you who actually know the truth – please feel it as your moral responsibility to send out the right message.
Leave that as it may, and let’s be back on birthday resolution. Ordinary individuals can do extraordinary things if they commit to do something higher – above and beyond themselves. There are over 70,000 Bhutanese people in the Diaspora. Each day, week or month – there are hundreds of birthdays – some are celebrated – some are not. Even if a few people – in one of these birthdays make a social pledge like I have – it could spark as many minds to make similar commitments each day; as there are number of individuals celebrating birthdays. If resolved and acted upon, that should be enough to set the stage for dynamism – a momentum for change which may produce significant results – significantly bigger than what many organized bodies may accomplish. No membership, no rules, no manifesto, no structure, no committees, no fundraisers etc – just ordinary individuals committing to do something – and producing extraordinary results. If I decide to do one thing, it means something – if five of us decide to do something – it means more. But if ten of us, fifty, hundred or a thousand of us decide to make a simple but a constructive birthday resolution – the impact could be incredible. Mind you – a commitment to buy a house, a business, a car or even to obtain a degree or to get tied up in a nuptial loop – will not do. Your resolution should have a utilitarian purpose – a social purpose – and no commercial intent. Mr. Jogen Gazmere has committed to produce a film of his own by 2014. I am sure his debut show will unravel Mr. Gazmere’s brilliance of artistry and originality – while attempting to release and heal some of the social apprehensions that dwell in our community. Thanks for setting – what I would call a responsible birthday cub (RBC) – and I assure you – that I am already in.
Those of you, who are eager to join this auspicious club – Welcome! On your march; get, set and go.
November 3, 2012.
Charlottesville, VA
The Author is a long time writer and often writes articles for news columns. He has written over 40 articles so far – published in the mainstream media in Nepal and through BNS. He is one of the Contributing Editors of Bhutan News Service and currently lives in Charlottesville, VA with his family. He can be reached at [email protected]
