राजेश कोइराला
न्यु ह्याम्सर, ७ साउन – भूटनीज कम्युनिटी अफ न्यु ह्याम्सर (बिसिएनएच) को आयोजनामा आइतबार म्यानचेस्टरमा १ सय ९९ औँ भानुजयन्ती मनाइयो । कार्यक्रममा बुबाहरूको बालन र आमाहरूको संगिनी नाच निकै रोचक थियो ।
कार्यक्रममा कविता-प्रतियोगिता भएको थियो । देवी खनाल र राजेश कोइराला निर्णायक रहेको उक्त प्रतियोगितामा सात कविमध्ये शिवलाल अधिकारी पहिलो, रविन पाठक दोस्रो र लक्ष्मी मिश्र तेस्रो भए ।
कार्यक्रमको अर्को भागमा न्यु ह्याम्सर राज्यका विभिन्न हाइस्कूलबाट यस वर्ष ग्य्राजुएसन गर्ने करिव अढाई दर्जन विद्यार्थीहरू अभिनन्दित भएका थिए । उनीहरूले टिका आचार्यको सहयोगमा एक-अर्काको परिचय पनि गराएका थिए ।
रोहित सुवेदी, मन्जु खड्का, श्याम गौतम, दिक्षा मिश्र आदिले कार्यक्रम सञ्चालन गरेका थिए भने लाक्पा तामाङ, रोहित सुवेदीले गजल सुनाएका थिए । विष्णु खड्का, भगीरथ खतिवडा, नारद अधिकारीले मन्तव्य दिएका थिए ।
कार्यक्रममा भानुभक्तको फोटोमा माल्यार्पणका गर्नुका साथै जीवनी पढेर सुनाइयो । मन्जु खड्का, चुडामणि निरौला, कमल बस्नेतले अप्रतियोगी गीत र कविता सुनाए भने अन्तरा तामाङले ‘जुन त लाग्यो ताराले — ‘ बोलको गीतमा नृत्य गरेकी थिइन ।
It is a dilemma for Toribari residents as whether to consider themselves as residents of a municipality or not. Although Toribari was included within the boundary of Phuentsholing Thromde(municipality), the residents complaint of not getting any of the services required to be provided by the municipality.
Toribari
Residents of Toribari prefer to remain in the Gewog rather than paying land taxes of Nu12.50 and house tax amounting to Nu 100. ‘We are not getting approval to construct houses; neither the town development has any plan to extend the development activities. So what for are we paying the taxes at par with the thromde?’ questioned the villagers.
One resident, Chandra Bahadur wondered, “Why the factories are being constructed when we cannot construct our houses”.
According to Kuensel, the thromde member representing Toribari, Tirtha Maya Magar had submitted the proposal for construction of farm road, houses and water supply in the municipal council three times, but nothing has been discussed in thromde thshogdu (municipal council meeting) yet.
‘People are losing the patience to wait for the development to take in their village’, said Tirtha Maya.
A farmer, Kubir Ghallay, describes Toribari being no less than a remote village as it is surrounded by areca nut trees and forest with no modern facilities and services to call a town. ‘So it better be included in the gewog (village) than in thromde(town)’, he says.
The chief urban planner for Phuentsholing town, Tshering Phuntsho, has a different logic for ostracizing Toribari from the town development activities. He says that there is no Local Area Plan for development of infrastructures in Toribari. ‘Once the LAP is in place, it is sure that all facilities and services will be provided. But it might take two years to complete everything from preparing LAP to finalizing the budget and development to commence in Pekershing’, he defended.
Toribari is 14km away from Phuentsoling main town with 35 households segregated into three areas.
It was almost 1 am Saturday when Karma Tamang was returning from his relatives and was not even imagining that he was sure to meet an ill fate on the way back home.
Late Karma (Picture : family source in Beldangi-II)
32-year-old Karma Tamang, who is a father of three children, was shot on head by unidentified gunmen while driving on his way home to Blain street, Akron. He was pronounced dead in Akron City Hospital Saturday.
Amber Subba, the President of Bhutanese community of Akron informed BNS that the community and the family was informed about the incident only very late on Saturday. According to him, Karma was rushed to the hospital by police who came to the scene after the local people called 911.
“Even the family does not have detail information on how and where the incident took place”, Subba said.
Bhim Dhungana, the Secretary of the community told BNS, “Everything about the incident will be clear only by tomorrow after discussing with the resettlement agency. We are not yet sure as how to proceed with the case.”
The dead body is in the hospital and likely to be taken to the funeral home tomorrow.
A hut that was previously owned by late Karma in Beldangi-II refugee camp (Picture : Vidhyapati Mishra)
The police has not disclosed any information regarding the shooting as the matter is under investigation.
“The incident has shocked all of us in camp. He was a friendly and lovely guy,” said of one his relatives in Beldangi-II camp. “We have also heard that police have recovered US$ 2,000 from Karma’s wallet.”
Karma was resettled in Akron with his wife and three children some one and a half years ago. He is serviced by his three children, Bikal (14), Kushum (11) and Sagar (7), and wife Bishnu Maya.
While in Nepal, late Karma was registered in Beldangi-II Sector C1, and originally hailed from Sarpang.
Initially reported at 86 percent, a more recent tally shows that refugee employment is 5 percentage points lower, a state official said Tuesday.
During 2011, 81 percent of New Hampshire refugees were employed, said Barbara Seebart, New Hampshire state refugee coordinator. On Monday, Mayor Ted Gatsas had said Seebart’s agency had put the rate at 86 percent, a number he is skeptical of.
Seebart said the 86-percent tally was for 2010.
“These are the statistics that we collect,” she said. “I could never assess (why it fell). It would correspond to the same reason the economy fluctuates.”
Bhutanese in NH (Courtesy : Bhutanese Community of Manchester, NH)
Meanwhile, an advocate for ethnic Bhutans, the most recent refugee group to resettle in Manchester, said job prospects brightened for his community this year. Bhutan is a small country north of India; many of its residents have lived for years in refugee camps in Nepal.
Tika Acharya, executive director of the Bhutanese Community of New Hampshire, said 80 to 90 percent of the 190 Bhutanese families in Manchester have at least one member working.
“They can pay the rent, unlike last year when there was (much) unemployment. The situation has improved,” Acharya said.
He said younger Bhutanese with little education are working with health care-related employers such as independent living agencies and nursing homes.
Michael Redmond, chief operating officer at Crotched Mountain rehabilitation, said about 15 of the 800 employees are refugees.
They are some of the agency’s best full-time employees and stay on the job longer than the average worker, Redmond said.
“You think of New Hampshire and the strong work ethic, these refugees who settle here, they embody that,” he said.
Acharya said older Bhutanese have landed jobs at Blake’s All Natural Foods in Concord and local retailers. Others hold housekeeping jobs in Manchester hotels.
Sally Blake, co-owner of Blake’s, said the company employs about 20 Bhutanese full-time during its nine-month busy season. That’s about half the company’s workforce.
She said the workers with better English skills interpret for those with less English. As workers, they are extremely adaptable, and whenever a position opens up they recommend a friend or relative.
“It’s a wonderful group of people who want to work and are happy to come in every day,” Blake said. She said the company is in its slow season in the early summer, so only a few refugees work there now.
Archaya said others have found employment at a textile operation in Lowell, Mass. He said more recent arrivals would not likely be employed because they are learning English and other job skills.
“The unemployment problem is a community problem,” Archaya said. “It’s not a refugee problem or a problem created by refugees.”
The most recent unemployment rate for New Hampshire is 4.9 percent, as is the Hillsborough County rate. The Manchester rate is 5.4 percent.
State and national officials don’t track unemployment rates for refugees.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported unemployment rates of 8.7 percent for New Hampshire blacks and 8.8 percent for Granite State Hispanics in 2011. Bhutanese are Asian and would not fall into either demographic group.
Seebart said the percentage of refugee employment is reported to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement by refugee resettlement agencies. The agencies provide English and job-assistance services to the refugees.
The employment tally covers refugees who have been in New Hampshire for five years or less. She said another tally looks at long-term employment — 90 days or more — but she did not have that available when she spoke to a New Hampshire Union Leader reporter from home Tuesday.
She said refugees who go through the job program are obligated to take the first reasonable job that is offered.
“We (New Hampshire) are considered to have good employment statistics,” Seebart said.
Short-term job placements make Gatsas and Alderman Pat Long, who is involved in refugee issues, skeptical of the reporting from Seebart’s office. Long said he’s heard lots of anecdotes, but he wants the employment number quantified.
“Where are they working, how long have they been working there?” Long said. “When you peel the onion on the employed, if they’ve worked for two weeks, they’re employed.”
A continuous handshaking of 51 hours ended earlier today in Beldangi-II of Jhapa.
Neel Hari Upreti and Dik Man Gurung successfully completed the 51-hour-long handshaking at AMDA Hall at 13:00 hours on Thursday, declaring their determination to set a new record of 70 hours in the Guinness World Record in near future.
Neel Hari Upreti (left) shakes hand with Dik Man Gurung (Picture : Tilak Niraula/BNS)
The duo, who staged 24 hours and 36 hours handshaking earlier in Timai and Khudunabari respectively, said they gained a lot of experience and would set a new record following their final demonstration in Kathmandu sometime later this year.
“We have already challenged the existing record of 44 hours by two Nepalese brothers,” Upreti told mediapersons after the event. “However, we are to officially register our record.”
Over three dozens of judges from different background monitored the handshaking program on rotation basis at AMDA Hall, informed Shekar Rizal, one of the organizing team members.
According to Upreti’s claim, their attempt to register names in the Guinness Book was first of its kind in Jhapa and Morang.
“Our attempt has revealed that refugees do have hidden talents. Indeed, we aim to represent the entire refugee community in the Guinness World Record,” expressed another youth Gurung.
Thousands of fellow-countrymen expressed their support and solidarity for the event.
“However, the support is still insufficient,” Gurung further said,” We want our people to assist us financially to meet our expenses for the final demonstration yet to be staged sometime later this year in Kathmandu.”
According to the duo, several resettled friends and relatives have assured them of supporting financially.
“We are hopeful that we’ll be able to garner the sufficient funds for registering our name in the Guinness Book,” added Upreti.
The campus seen in this picture is of Goshi Junior High School (GJHS). I dedicate this article in memory of honorable teachers of this school late K.G Nair, B.B Biswa and N.P Regmi, former headmaster, English and Nepali teacher respectively. May their sacred soul rest in peace, may god grace the families of these departed souls the power of endurance to bear the loss. My profound love and respect continues to other teachers who taught me during my kindergarten through junior high schooling in this school.
Goshi school construction began in 1963. The building was completed and first batch of students enrolled in primary classes in 1965. Since then, thousands of students acquired education in this school, over 500 graduated from this school, after twenty six glorious years of remarkable success, it closed the door effecting from September 26,1990. The Royal Bhutan Army occupied this campus on November 5, 1990 and turned it into an army base, a detention center. Till today the army occupies it. During those glorious years it was a temple of knowledge, the seat of Goddess Saraswati, one and only heart and soul of people of Dagapela (a sub-division in Dagana district,Dagapela stands for confluence of Daga and Pele river), but today there is no word that is fit to describe the misery of this shrine.
Goshi is the name of a village in Dagapela sub-division, the villages in proximity to and including Goshi village is named Goshi block. So the school built in Goshi village was named after the village. This picture is taken from the east, landscape is sloping down towards north. The U- shaped building seen among cluster of three red roofed buildings facing each other is the main school building built in 1965. The two storied building in front of the main building is the additional classroom built in 1975;cottages seen on the hill west of playground are teacher quarters; red roofed one storied building seen on south east of the ground is the hostel; white roofed house seen behind the main school is the ancestral house of my beloved teachers D R Gautam and Keeran Gautam; white roofed house at northeast corner of the ground is the house of Phendua Kaila. Red roofed house seen further west of main school building is the house of late Bisweswor Lakai who attained martyrdom in 1990. To the west of main school building and north of Lakai’s house there used to stand a traditional house, where my late mother was born. Unfortunately, that house and its occupants which meant everything to me seems couldn’t withstand the brutality. Villages seen in this picture are parts of upper Goshi, Majua, Gadmala and Bhaleygaun villages and the majestic hill seen in this picture is Deorali Danda.
One can behold entire view of picturesque Dagapela from Deorali Danda; Tashidin, suntoley and Goshi block in the east and Emeray and Dorona block in the west.In fact Deorali pretty much divides Dagapela into two halves. Deorali witnessed the welcome of first Nepali speaking settlers by Daga Penlop (provincial governor of Daga) in the second half of nineteenth century. It beheld the civilization flourish over a century, it watched the mass slaughter of language, culture and society in the eighties and nineties and it is observing the slow slaying of remaining generation today. Under the cover of fake happiness and sham compassion, hatred and discrimination lingers on the land, fear and intimidation looms over the sky, plea for justice is unheard, heinous crime against Nepali speaking citizens continues.
When this school was built, Goshi was a three days walk from the nearest motorable road head which was in Kalikhola. During 1963 and 1964, every single household of Dagapela sub-division contributed 15 days free labor at the school construction site and carried one back breaking load of building materials from Kalikhola every year. Where the playground is today, it was a marshy paddy field then. One can see 25 -30 feet cut mud walls on the south and west side of the ground, and can imagine the volume of soil moved to level this play ground. The whole of the cutting and leveling of the wetland was done with bare hands using only the traditional shovel, pickaxe, spades and chafla (improvised bamboo stretcher used to move soil ). To drain out the water source at the south end of the ground, a mini tunnel was dug out underneath. On the north end of the ground they built about 30 feet high wall against the steep slope to make this play ground leveled. Every piece of rock, every crumb of soil, every slice of materials used in this compound is soaked with sweat and blood of people of Dagapela. All the sacrifice and volunteering by the community of Dagapela was to impart education to their children, but not to house the Royal army of the modern era. Housing camouflaged soldiers in a school building is not only an injustice to the living but also disgrace and dishonor to the dead.
Teachers’ residence at Goshi Junior High School
GJHS was one among the first school selected to introduce OXFAM funded agriculture farming as compulsory co- curricular activities in the country. Until 1985 this was the best school of Dagana district in both academic as well as co-curricular activities and one of the top performing school of southern Bhutan.
SHRIG SAGA, A Centenary Tribute, published by Centre for Educational Research & Development , Paro College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan (RUB),to which foreword is written by Thinley Gyamtsho, as Trustee RUB Council and preface written by Zangley Drukpa, Vice Chancellor RUB, widely circulated within the country and to the donors worldwide reads history of Goshi School as quoted;
“Out of the fifteen schools in Dagana Dzongkhag, Dagapela Primary School is located in the centre. The school is four kilometers from the main feeder road to Dagana. The school was established in the late eighties but due to the problems in 1990s and some other unfavorable circumstances the school had to close down for three years from 1990-1993.The school was initially named Goshi Junior High School since it was located in the Goshi Gewog. Initially, there were 352 students and more than 13 teachers. Most of the teachers were non-Bhutanese.”
“The school was established in the late eighties …..”?? Pause !hmm…., I am stunned to go through this. How could a research document that is likely to be referred by hundreds of future academics within the country and donors around the world could carry such blatant lies. The institutions as well as persons involved in this despicable act must be made responsible for such a grave lie to freeze out and underestimate the people’s role in development of Dagapela.
Editor’s Note: Padam Rizal is one of the contributing authors at Bhutan News Service (BNS). This piece and/or his opinion doesn’t reflect the official view of BNS
The deceased was under influence of alcohol and had disturbingly threatened to the family members with a knife in his right hand.
He also had a bruise on his left hand at the time when police came, report from Lethbridge states. The police was called by his father Dilliram, who is not very fluent in English.
When the police came to the rescue of family, Deu Raj was lying in a couch with the knife still in his hand. According to the report BNS received, the police ordered the deceased to put down the weapon, but he paid no heed to the warrant.
Two policemen fired the gun. The police defended themselves for firing citing their safety as the reason to shoot, Bhutanese living in Lethbridge say.
After he was dead, the police took the body.
Meanwhile, Hem Lal Timsina, the president of Canadian Bhutanese Society in Alberta said that the growing community is worried about such actions from police. ‘We are very sad to have this incident’, he said to the local media.
The dead body is taken to Calgary for postmortem while the Puri family is sheltered in a hotel (Econolodge) by the Family Services of Alberta as the family members do not want to return to the house where shooting took place says the report.
The Puri family which arrived in Alberta in November 2011 is still under the benefit provided by the Family Services, the caretaker of resettled refugees.
A verbal report from Alberta informed BNS that Deu Raj was caught by police for some offenses two or three times earlier too.
The family is not much educated and some members are mentally disturbed too. There is always a kind of minor scuffle in the family building up time to time, one informed BNS over the phone.
Local reports from Lethbridge in Canada have confirmed that one resettled youth from Beldangi-II refugee camp was shot dead when police opened fire at him in response to a disturbance call.
The Calgary Herald quoted Hem Lal Timsina, Chairman of the Canadian Bhutanese Society, as naming the ill-fated Bhutanese as 26-year-old Raj Puri.
The initial findings have revealed that two policemen, who reached Puri’s apartment, fired their service weapons and killed him following reports of a disturbance involving a weapon at a home on Columbia Bay W.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is reportedly investigating into the fatal shooting, added the report. Meanwhile, police have recovered a knife from the spot.
Late Puri was resettled a year ago from Beldangi-II Sector F.
This year’s Bhanu Jayanti saw two separate events in Melbourne, one on July 13 and another on the very next day.
A group of youths and some seniors, who decided to boycott celebrations on July 13, organized a separate function at the Banksia Garden Community Centre on July 14, Saturday, according to the organizers.
199th Bhanu Jayanti celebration in Melbourne (Photo courtesy: Devi Ghimire)
The only priest of Melbourne Mitra Adhikari was the chairperson of the event where Victorian Coordinator of Non-Resident Nepalese Association (NRNA) Australia Drona Panta, Child and Family Program Coordinator and Chairperson of Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition Jeanette Hourani among others were present. As guests. Panta also took part in the previous day’s celebrations.
The program started with enchanting holy mantras by the priest, informed organizer, who claimed that some 350 community members were present to observe the celebrations.
The event saw speeches from the invited guests, who expressed their deep gratitude for providing them an opportunity to be a part of the event. Other items included recitation of poems, highlights of contribution made by Bhanu Bhakta Acharya towards Nepali literature, dances, songs and prize distributions, one of the organizers Jhagen Dhimal informed.
Traditional cuisines were also served at the end of the program.
In a separate event in Adelaide, the International Nepali Literary Society (INLS) Australia joined the resettled Bhutanese to celebrate the 199th Bhanu Jayanti on Saturday.
Around 500 resettled Bhutanese and their Nepalese and Australian friends participated in the celebrations, informed organizers.
The event saw various stage performances and literary recitations besides speeches from guest speakers.
This is in response to a news report Thimphu is nearer from New York: Oli published in the esteemed media Bhutan News Service . You have expressed that all the Bhutanese refugees from the UN-administered camp should opt for the ongoing third country resettlement program, claiming that the refugees would have a secure future in western countries where children get access to better education. However, you didn’t remember to acknowledge that it is due to Nepal’s failure that these innocent Bhutanese are compelled to choose resettlement when yourself and the governments of different parties failed to convince Bhutan to accept citizens back home with dignity and honor.
Nepal has to admit that it has always landed nowhere in convincing the Bhutanese dictator in Thimphu and Indian authority to materialize the long dream of exiled Bhutanese to get back to their hometowns. The international community clearly knows this and you should always admit this fact.
Nepal, which has been undergoing through political instability since a long time, paid insufficient attention towards the suffering of over 100,000 Bhutanese, who were driven out of their villages applying various tactics including the Marshal Law. Thousands were made to undergo through unbearable turmoil inside the country that compelled them to abandon everything and move to Nepal for shelter and security.
The king and policy makers in Bhutan do not need any better jokers than Nepali politicians to look at and laugh. To be specific here, politicians like Sher Bahadur Deuba did a blunder by agreeing to opt four categories of refugees in the camp. And, this was not a free service. Several know the reality behind the scene where Deuba received a golden knife weighing over a kilogram as a precious gift from the former king Jigme Singye Wangchhuk. Lavish foreign drinks, dinner and few Nepali dances and songs by Tshering Wangda (a well known male prostitute) were other convincing assets which still stand as great evidences for then Home Minister of Nepal, thanks to his contribution for daring to classify citizens who have a history of over 400 years in Bhutan.
Nepalese newspapers quoted you and your delegation to Bhutan in several instances where you vowed to settle the longstanding refugee stalemate in the past. Indeed, that has become a history for them now. The refugees have understood your caliber. You may still regard that the Bhutanese autocrat and his loyal servants did not violate rights of ethnic southern Bhutanese. Therefore, I don’t find anything that the remaining refugees in the camps should follow you. What can the refugees expect more than this from Nepal and leaders like you?
The Indian interest, political instability and frequent changes in the government in your country are the key factors that propelled the refugee situation to the present stage. The resettlement has changed over dynamics of the Bhutanese refugee scenario. Those who have already reached countries like America and Australia may not wish to get back even if Bhutan becomes willing to accept them back. But, what is the guarantee that Bhutan will change its mentality in future by expressing desire to allow its citizens return home, both from camps in Nepal and resettlement countries? And, if that ever happens, returning to Bhutan will be a direct fight among citizens since it is likely that the regime would intricate communal fights among Lhotshampas. The past has revealed this to a greater extent where the King and his royals tried planning communal disharmony, thanks to Bhutanese common people for understanding the ploy.
Having betrayed by the ruthless rulers of their own country, the resettled friends should now look towards building own community and exercise in the best level to be true citizens of the respective countries. I know they are hardworking people. Infrastructure developments that had carried out in Bhutan prove this reality. Indeed, the regime used them for constructions of road, schools, hospitals and the alike, and threw them out when they were not needed.
As you have claimed, it is true that at least a few dozens of refugee students have been enrolled in good colleges and universities. In Nepal, they were never allowed to sit for free competition, even for pursuing educations. The system is different in western countries where everyone has equal opportunities. The fellow countrymen, who were deprived of right to property in your country, have now bought their own houses, and over 500 must have been enjoying this right. Leader like you could have advocated for entertaining those rights to refugees when Nepal expressed generosity to host them for almost two decades. Did you ever try? Instead, your people chose to warehouse refugees and even attempted to make them means of cheap bargaining for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its implementing partners.
However, the refugees shall ever remain thankful to the Nepalese government for providing them with travel documents, although it is just a single paper. If this process continues, thousands of refugees still wish to have a place called home in America or elsewhere, and drive luxurious cars like Mercedes and Ferrari. You should also know that some of your people from Damak are jealous of this and have been pressing the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to even accept them for resettlement.
Lastly, however, I must thank late Girija P Koirala who gave shelter to thousands of Bhutanese refugees. You may have known the idea was to expel the southerners in future was generated by then Bhutanese king Jigme Singye Wangchhuk’s dearest friend Rajiv Gandi in one of Bumthang camp. Some insignificant incidents that occurred in Kathmandu during his visit to Nepal along with wife Sonia Gandhi made him unhappy. There was also the issue of Gorkhaland at height. He vowed not to allow the Nepalis from Bhutan to stay in India. So, they will go to Nepal and culturally assimilate with locals as they do like thousands coming from Assam and Manipur. If Girija P Koirala had not called UNHCR and allowed refugees to build camps, the stories of Bhutanese Nepali today would have been like the one of Assamese and Manipuri Nepali origins which India throws in thousands every year.
Before I wrap up, let me ask you if you really feel that resettled people would still wish to get repatriated to see and face the same atrocities prevailing in the country?
कार्यक्रममा कविता-प्रतियोगिता भएको थियो । देवी खनाल र राजेश कोइराला निर्णायक रहेको उक्त प्रतियोगितामा सात कविमध्ये शिवलाल अधिकारी पहिलो, रविन पाठक दोस्रो र लक्ष्मी मिश्र तेस्रो भए ।
