Youths lead social engagements in Melbourne

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The Thunder Dragon Football Club, a youth initiative from Melbourne, is participating in the interstate football tournament organised by the Bhutanese resettled in Brisbane.

Bhutanese community players in Melbourne

The players have been preparing for last three months with the support from Hume City Football Club, one of the premier clubs of Victoria.

The unique arrangement is the initiative offered by the Bhutanese youths who volunteer for the club and in return get the football ground to play and practice and coaching from the senior coach for free.

The clubs also provides the Bhutanese youths with uniforms and balls. The team is supported financially by Football Federation of Victoria and Centre of Multicultural Youth, and in-kind by Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, according to one of the club members.

BOA formalized
Apart from football, the youths have also formalized the Bhutanese Organisation in Australia Inc. (BOA) formerly known as Bhutanese Community in Australia to continue the community development until Dashain 2012 as ad-hoc committee that would conduct various soccer tournaments in and out of the Bhutanese community, and a grand multicultural festival involving new and established migrant communities to showcase Dashain and Tihar.

Kubir Khanal, a potential youth leader, along with 10 other youths, is leading the committee under the guidance of Parsuram Sharma-Luital. Khagendra Acharya is assisting to lead the football tournament in Brisbane.

After Dashian, NK Kharel, who is a well-respected community veteran formerly from Khudunabari camp, will lead the BOA, being supported by senior duo Tanka Nath Acharya and Khina Pati Dhimal, it has been planned.

Kharel has been volunteering to assist the Bhutanese senior groups who are being provided weekly language and other activities by Foundation House in Melbourne.

Community events ahead
Roshni Chhetri is leading group of women from BOA in a multi-faith project funded by Victorian Government and supported by AMES with the women from Assyrian Chaldean community from Iraq where they are visiting four different religious institutes: Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim. The project provides exchange of commonality and difference between these faiths.

Roshni also led a Bhutanese dance group and fashion parade in recent refugee week celebration in Melbourne in the events organised by MRC Spectrum and local service providers.

The BOA has launched to start the Nepali dance class and Nepali language class for the Bhutanese youth from this July.

Thunder Dragon FC also participated in one day soccer tournament organised by Yeti Club where Nepali teams from across Australia were a part where Dhan Nepal received the best goalkeeper recognition.

In yet another event, Bhutanese youths also reached the semi-final in the one-day football tournament organised by Banksia Community Gardens where teams from all new and established community participated. The Thunder Dragon FC was knocked out in the semifinal.

NK Kharel is also learnt to be leading a group of senior Bhutanese to celebrate Bhanu Jayanti for the first time in Melbourne in 2012, yet to be organized.

The program includes the life history of Nepali poet Bhanu Bhakta and its significance in the Nepali language and literature around the world, informed he.

According to him, seniors will recite the poems and other literary items to highlight the importance of Aadi Kavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya.

Flood in S/Jongkhar displaces dozens

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Dozens of locals and employees of the Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA) were rescued Tuesday after the Dungsamchu River broke its bank and entered into the RSTA premises, reports from inside say.

Displaced people being rescued in Samdrup Jongkhar (Picture courtesy : BBS)

The flood has also affected a parking lot. Officials have moved vehicles from the parking lot to safer places.

The trucks, buses and other vehicles were also moved from the flooded area. Public transport buses from Samdrup Jongkhar to other eastern Dzongkhags were cancelled due to road blocks at various places along the highway, reported BBS.

Meanwhile, students of Samdrup Jongkhar Primary School who were supposed to sit for their midterm exam were asked to go back home in the morning fearing that the suspension bridge leading to the school could prove unsafe if the rain continued during the day.

DNC saddened by historic loss

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The Druk National Congress said that it was sad to witness the complete destruction of historic Wangdi Phodrang Dzong Sunday by a massive fire.

“Such an incident is a national tragedy and a huge cultural loss to the country,” said Karma Duptho, the Party’s General Secretary from Kathmandu.

All the party members are heartily sad at the historic loss, he added.

‘We’ve gained an opportunity’

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Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, who has been abroad over a week, has said that the nation hasn’t lost but gained another opportunity to renew and further enrich proud heritage.

Prime Minister Thinley

At a time when the entire nation has been mourning the disappearance of 17th century’s Wangdi Phodrang Dzong, PM Thinley communicated such a message to citizens from abroad, Tuesday.

He said, “Wangdi Phodrang Dzong did not succumb for the first time to the reality and inevitability of destruction. It was destroyed before and it will be destroyed again by forces beyond our control.”

Thinley also reminded the nation that it (dzong) was rebuilt and it always stood as the Dzong that Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal built until the day before.

“We the people of Bhutan have not lost but gained another opportunity to renew and further enrich our proud heritage,” he further said added, “The people of Shar Dhar Gye will have their dzong again. So, like the indomitable will of the Bhutanese people and the fame of Palden Drukpa, Wangdi Dzong will rise again with greater glory and magnificence.”

Texas Fort Worth kisses soccer trophy

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The Inter-State Bhutanese Soccer Tournament concluded successfully amidst a gathering of over 300 spectators in Oakland Tech High School, California field where Bhutanese-American Football Club of Fort Worth Texas gained victory beating Bhutanese Legacy Soccer Club, Dallas Texas with a score of 2/1.

In the final battle of 90 minute game both the teams failed to score any goal leading to the tie breaker shoot out.

Out of the five penalty shoot out opportunity, only Diwas Bhattarai (7) and Puspa Bhandari (12) of Fort Worth and Bikas Wagle (77) of Dallas team scored the goal.

Team Idaho was declared the second runner up as Oregon team returned home before the game.

A team of US certified officials led by Jitu Basnet judged the final.

Sukman Subba, a US trained and certified soccer official, of Tennessee was the forth official for the entire tournament.

According to Lalit Gurung, the lead of the organizing team, the total expenditure for the game was close to 15 thousand dollars.

“The local non-profit organizations like Soccer Without Boarders, Ethne Global Services of San Francisco, Hindu American Foundation, Lao Family Community Development Inc jointly sponsored the tournament,” said Gurung.

He also informed that the tournament went smoothly and that the entire Bhutanese community in CA was happy to host the tournament.

“The Bhutanese soccer lovers should work hard selflessly to develop the soccer skills amongst the Bhutanese in America and should look forward to include participation from all the states in the future,” added he.

Gurung also maintained that games like soccer would help engage youths in constructive works, inculcate discipline, help know everyone and provide a sense of belongings among each other as Bhutanese.

He thanked everyone for the support the organizing community received.

Meanwhile, Bikas Ghalley, the team manager of Dallas,Texas announced that the next tournament will be held in Dallas, Texas.

The Bhutanese Community of California hosted a DJ party in the evening where the local Bhutanese artists entertained the players and the guests with dances, songs, and free dinner.

Most of the teams are scheduled to return on Monday, June 25.

Award highlights

1st place: Bhutanese-American Football Club of Fort Worth Texas

1st runner up: Bhutanese Legacy Soccer Club, Dallas Texas

2nd runner up: Team Idaho.

Fair play award: Tennessee team

Best player of the tournament: Kamal Dhamala of Tucson Arizona team

Man of the match final game: Dawa Lama, Dallas Texas

Best goal keeper: Komal Bhandari, Fort Worth , Texas

Highest goal scorer of the tournament: Suren Thapa, Idaho, total of 5 goals

Trophy : All the participating teams.

Obama’s envoy to Nepal ends his tenure

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Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi departed Kathmandu Sunday evening after serving more than two years as President Obama’s envoy to Nepal.

The outgoing US Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H DeLisi (Picture : his Facebook)

Ambassador DeLisi’s next assignment will be as the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.

During his official tenure in Nepal, DeLisi became of part of various program related to the Bhutanese refugees and even facilitated resettlement of over 30,000 exiles from Nepal to his country, the United States of America.

He even paid a low-profiled visit to Bhutan last year in August and posted 93 photographs, including the one with Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, in his Facebook page.

In one of the resettlement related programs organized last year in Kathmandu-based IOM premises, he had said, “The US is proud to welcome you all to our country. As the grand-son of immigrant myself, I know you continue the long tradition of immigration and I know you will make our country better. Many Americans have and will continue to work to make you enter into the US as smoothly as possible.”

Before leaving Nepal, Ambassador DeLisi posted a message on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Scott.H.DeLisi), thanking his more than 15,000 Facebook friends.

“This evening (Sunday) I leave for the United States and ultimately to Uganda. Let me just offer a final farewell and wish all my Nepali friends the best for the future. To my Ugandan friends I look forward to my arrival in the Pearl of Africa.”

President Obama has named Ambassador Peter Bodde to be Ambassador DeLisi’s successor in Nepal, pending confirmation by the United States Senate, as required by the U.S. Constitution, according to the U.S. embassy in Kathmandu.

File video of December 13, 2010

Watching the history burn

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First siren of the fire engine made me run out to find where the fire was. Thick curl of smoke from Wangdue Dzong stunned me. I quickly made a tweet and ran to my car. I made myself believe that the fire is not in the Dzong.

By the time I reached the Dzong, half of it was already consumed. There were thousands of helpless people around, many crying and praying. As I watched our history burn, I constantly lost my senses; I was often thinking of it as a dream, and then I return to my sense. I could feel the heat from the fire and million voices. I felt sorry, felt helpless and felt useless.

There were people running with buckets and running without anything, everybody wanted to save their history but even the fire engines’ best efforts couldn’t help.

The fire began from the northern tower and by the time people are mobilized the entrance to the Dzong was blocked by debris and flame. Just when we thought our firefighter could penetrate the entrance then the fire spread to the central tower.

There were hundreds of people around the Dzong and in their emotional effort to make difference they exposed themselves to falling stones, and debris. From where I was watching i could see a group of people right under the roof which was about to fall, but they weren’t aware because from where hey were they couldn’t see the fire, I whistled and shout at them to move out. They couldn’t hear me. So I made the whole group of people around me to shout and signal with hand together to move them out. It worked. Some moments later the whole roof collapsed. They made it out on time.

Until this moment we were very hopeful that a divine intervention would save the Utse of the Dzong, and for quite some time the wind was pushing away the fire into opposite direction. I even spotted some monks and people on the rooftop near the Utse, seemingly not trapped but trying to evacuate important nangtengs from the passage that runs through the toilet. Divine intervention was the only hope since there was no way anybody can carry a bucket of water through the burning entrance.

Even god seemed helpless, Utse of the Dzong soon blazed and we all shouted, we cried and cursed god and we lost hope. Thats when I made the most heartbreaking tweet: We lost Wangdue Dzong. Even God couldn’t help!

Just this morning I was looking at a very old photograph of Wangdue Dzong with the ancient bridge intact, perhaps taken in 1950s, and now I am feeling very sorry. We just lost the Dzong that stood there for nearly 400 years…

Courtesy : http://www.passudiary.com/

Pedestrian day affects The Bhutanese

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The Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley’s executive order to observe every Tuesday as a ‘pedestrian day’ has affected publication of the country’s first broadsheet bi-weekly.

The Bhutanese has shifted the publication of Wednesday issue to Thursday citing serious inconveniences caused by the pedestrian day, which the country has just introduced from June 5.

“Due to serious inconveniences caused by Pedestrian day, The Bhutanese Wednesday issue has been shifted to Thursday,” a noticed displayed in its website mentioned.

However, the newspaper said its Saturday issue would be printed as usual.

374-year-old fortress finally vanishes

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A fire has completely razed 374-year-old Wangduephodrang Dzong on Sunday afternoon in what citizens and officials have described as one of the most terrible tragedies to have occurred in the country.

The Dzong on fire (Picture courtesy : Kuensel)

The unknown inferno, which was reportedly noticed at around 5 p.m, went out of control before it turned the historic fortress into ashes. The building was founded by Zhandrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1638 AD.

Officials have confirmed that the nation has saved most of the sacred relics and historical documents since renovation works were underway. However, almost all dzongkhag administrative document have been lost, reports Kuensel.

Firefighters, who were massively deployed to save the epic structure, claimed they were helpless as strong winds continue to blow in the premises.

The geographical location has also been blamed for making the fire crew inefficient to battle effectively.

The road to the Wangduephodrang Dzong became a narrow thread to ministers, VIPs, government officials and general people for their travel throughout the mishap hours. Even the King and his father reached the scene, according to reports.

The Acting Prime Minister Yeshay Zimba recalled “the incident a national tragedy and a huge loss to the country”.

Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley, who has been out of the country since a week, is likely to cut-short his visit.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs made a public circular that all government units, offices and educational institutions will remain closed on Monday to reflect on the national tragedy.

The Dzong is located some 20 km away from Punaka. It was renovated twice after a fire in 1837 and an earthquake in 1897.

Syracuse communities celebrate WRD

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Different refugee groups residing in Syracuse, NY observed this year’s World Refugee Day (WRD) amidst a grand function, Saturday.

The Bhutanese community members in the WRD parade

The celebration began at around 10.30 AM from the premises of North Side CYO with a parade to the City Hall. Representatives from different communities addressed the WRD, majority of them calling for happiness and well being of people.

Addressing the mass, the Mayor of Syracuse, Stephanie Miner proclaimed that now onwards WRD will be observed as an annual day in Syracuse. She also told the refugee groups to call them “Syracuse” instead of refugees.

Hari Bangalay, the President of the Bhutanese Community of Syracuse (BCS) called on the unity among different communities. He further stressed that BCS will be always committed to work with other Syracuse residents and different refugee communities to make Syracuse a safe and secure place to live in.

At the Hannover Square, different refugee communities presented their unique songs and dances, and typical food items.The Bhutanese Nepali population presented two dances, and two types of delicious food-Samosa and Chowmin that were highly enjoyed by the other residents.

The program that was conducted jointly by Refugee Assistance Program, Catholic Charities, Interfaith Works Center for New Americans, The White Branch Library and The Northside Urban Partnership was attended by over one thousand Syracuse residents.

The WRD 2012 has carried a global theme ‘one refugee forced to flee is too many’.

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