Participants during MHFA training. Photo: Khem Rizal
Bhutanese Community of Cincinnati (BCC), Ohio and Catholic Charities at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania organized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)- training on July 22, 2017, and July 28, 2017, respectively.
Cincinnati:
45 participants from different areas of work, age groups and locations in Cincinnati attended eight hours long session with enthusiasm at 7180 Pippin Road based BCC office building. “We tried our best to include participants from different places in the city of Cincinnati-keeping in mind- we have MHFA trained volunteers available in each location when in need,” said Khem Rizal, the chief organizer of the training. Bhutanese American population resides in the areas like Forest Park, Fairfield, Finney Town, Hamilton, Green Township, Colerain Township, Springfield Township, Vine Street and West Chester in Cincinnati.
The Bhutanese community in Cincinnati is still in a transitional state with a new culture ahead for secondary socialization having very low English proficiency due to which life in the U.S. is challenging for them. Usually elderly and middle age groups from the community have mental issues in increasing rate. To recognize, provide first aid, and address this issue on time, BCC wanted to prepare sufficient first aiders by organizing this MHFA training and was successfully conducted with an overwhelming number of participants on that day, Rizal mentions.
BCC hopes to see reduced mental health stigma and suicide rate in the community after having 45 Mental Health First Aiders as they can recognize a person with any mental issue and can connect the individuals with professionals. The mental health issue is as similar as a physical health problem, but people hesitate to express the problem either in self or someone else due to the stigmatizing attitude. It can be treated the way we treat our physical illnesses. The problem is in hiding until it ripens which creates complications in treatment. This MHFA training mainly focuses in normalizing the issue making as common as other treatable physical illnesses. Around 73 trained MH-First Aiders are available, in case of need, in Cincinnati.
Harrisburg:
Participants during photo session in Harrisburg. Photo: Tika Dhungana
A total of 33 participants including some high school students completed the eight hours long training in Harrisburg.
Bhawana Baskota, a high school student, expressed her experience saying, “The training was very informative, and the contents were so relevant to the situation we are experiencing in the community. The facilitators were well trained and very knowledgeable. The presentation was full of data and researched based information that has educated me in understanding the forms or the types of mental health illnesses. The rate at which our fellow community members taking their lives nationwide in the U.S. as compared to the average Americans is 20:12, which is a matter of concern, Baskota further said.
“The training provided by fellow Bhutanese facilitators was awesome with a lot of factual information about the mental health issues that have been a major concern in our community. This type of training will definitely increase awareness about the disastrous situation that may trigger the family left behind”, said Ram Giri, another participant of the training.
Tika Dhungana, an active community volunteer, sponsored the lunch for the training in Harrisburg.
This event was the second time organized in both the cities.
Parangkush Subedi from Office of the Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and Ashok Gurung from Pittsburgh facilitated the training in both the cities. The two bilingual facilitators have so far conducted MHFA training in seventeen different cities in the Nepali language alone and coordinated with refugee stakeholders in several other cities to organize the training for refugees and refugee serving staffs involving other trainers.
Khem Rizal from Cincinnati and Tika Dhungana from Harrisburg contributed to this report- Editor
Aarati Ghising was crowned Miss Bhutan US 2017 amidst completion of a beauty contest held by Himalayan Festivals USA from July 20-23 in Harrisburg, PA.
Arati Ghising, Miss Bhutan US 2017 (Picture courtesy: Himalayan Festival)
Susana Pradhan from North Carolina and Simian Basnet from Pennsylvania became first runner up and second runner up respectively, according to the organizers. There were 13 contestants from various states.
Nepalese artists like Priyanka Karki and Sugam Pokhrel were among some trainers and judges invited by the festival organizers.
“Himalayan Festival is complete family entertainments, which includes live performances, celebrity sequences, vibrant dances, live singing, sports activities, beauty pageants and much more,” a press statement issued by the festival organizer stated.
This was the fourth event in row. Previous contests were held in Texas (2014), Tennessee (2015) and Ohio (2016).
In early June 2017, Indian defense intelligentsia found Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) active near Doka-la plateau at the four-state junction between Bhutan, Tibet (China), and Sikkim and West Bengal (India). Between November 2015 and June 2017 about 10 kilometers of roads were constructed in the region that was under dispute for a long time. The construction included 2.3 Kilometer road in the eastern notch of East Sikkim and about 8 km inside western highland of Sombaykha block, Ha district of Bhutan.
Ever since the Bhutan began to appear in maps Dok-la, a part of Doklam plateau was on the map. Doklam plateau is the Tee area of strategic location worth owning. Any country would fight to own such a strategic point and the three countries have anchored their wants.
Bhutan owns it, China wants it and India stunts its use.
For several years, around the month of May, Indian news media have been keeping the Bhutan-China border issues in their annual to-do list of news. The June 2017 episode was a sequel of the past years’ exercises. Indian defense leaders cautioned the leaders in Thimphu regarding the Chinese approach from the west. Thimphu responded hypo-seriously at par the annual China- India ritual. The ritual gained no recognition.
In the mid of June 2017, the director general of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of India, Lt Gen SK Shrivastava visited Bhutan. In Bhutan BRO that has been working in the name of project DANTAK since 1961 has been constructing and maintaining roads along the Indian border and supervising the international border. On 20th June 2017, senior army officers of India and China had a meeting over the crossing over of China-India borders by each other’s forces. The two sides had repeatedly accused each other of cross-over at Sikkim (India) – Tibet (China) border 200 meters to 2 kilometers west of Bhutan border. The conclusion of the meeting was not made public, most probably because there was no conclusion at all.
Bhutan received an appraisal of the situation. The Bhutanese side agreed to send a démarche to Chinese authorities through its diplomatic channel. The démarche carried the words of Indian government and the authority of the Bhutanese government. Although the démarche was sent through a diplomatic channel, its contents got leaked to the media. It had an impact. Both the Indian and Chinese media gave priority to the news. With Bhutan under its cordon, the Indian news media waged a war of words against China. The Chinese media, which used to be quiet and calculated, was hyperactive this time. Chinese diplomats namely, Lu Kang, the Director-General, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang fueled the debate with their responses. A volley of claims and accusations were exchanged between the two sides of the Himalayas.
The torrent of news from both the sides of the Himalayas made the people think there was a war in the otherwise desolated plateau. The Chinese authorities claimed that they had a perpetual understanding with the Bhutanese side. The Indian authorities announced that it would be solved diplomatically. The official announcements got into a ditch of news propagandas.
Doklam which in Dzongkha and Tibetan languages means a ‘rocky path’ was an out-of-bound region for both the Bhutanese and Tibetans, since the 1960s. Herders of both countries frequently used the region for pasture. The rocky path turned into a desolated region after the Bhutan –China border disagreements began to spill to the public since 1988.
Both Bhutan and China claim the region based on some maps of independent times in their histories. Several scholars believe that it was a region of Tibet instead of Bhutan to justify the Chinese claim. Tibet got independence from China in 1912 and lost its sovereignty back to China in 1951. During the independent Tibet era, there was no civilization in the plateau. However, the major trade route between Bengal (India) and Tibet passed from the vicinity of the plateau. China produces the maps of the region before the Tibetan Independence as its claim over the area.
On the Bhutanese side, it’s not a claim but an effort to prevent cede of the region. Bhutan was unified in the seventeenth century but the borders are amoebic until today.
China, with its area of about 250 Bhutans, won’t grab the plateau at the cost of blooming bilateral camaraderie. It desperately wants the strategic site in exchange for more land in the north. It wants to tryst with Bhutan outside the influence of India. Until 2010, Bhutan and China had borders issues to resolve in at least seven regions. Technical teams from both the countries have prepared maps and resolutions in unison. The remaining contention has been over Doklam region that is associated with the security concern of India. India perceives the icicle shaped Yadong County between Bhutan and Sikkim as a Chinese claw near its wasp-waist that connects its north eastern states to the mainland India. Chinese fleets have been traveling thousands of miles to reach South Asia crossing three seas and two oceans, making the trade expensive. If roads connect Yadong and South Asian cities, the travel time will decrease by a week. The distance from Dok-la Plateau to Banglabanda Zero Point or the gateway to Bangladesh is less than 150 km by land or about 100 km aerial distance. No one can rule out the Chinese planners’ mulling over strategies to connect to the Bay of Bengal via Yadong. If the connection is not possible through agreements, and the plateau is with China, it could be used in the disagreement. The ongoing Indian cacophony seems more out of the fear of its security, pretexts for protective measures than an altruistic protection to Bhutan.
About 25 kilometers north of the disputed Dok-la is another region of the dispute between Bhutan and China. This area of dispute has been bulged on both the sides for the sake of dispute. At least 2.4 km of the Xigase-Yadong providential road 204 is inside the disputed region on the Chinese side. If Yadong and Damthang (Ha) towns are connected by roads, which are about 40 kilometers apart, it would provide Bhutan with an access by roads to the second country after India. Bhutan and China had agreed in 1998 to work to solve border dispute keeping the status of pre-1959 until an agreement for complete border demarcation. The two sides met at least two dozen times for border talks.
Two districts in Bhutan, Samchi and Ha, adjacent to Doklam region have been bearing the brunt of unsolved Bhutan- China border dispute. India has been a guiding force in Bhutan’s overall as well and selective developments. More than 2500 kilometers of roads in Bhutan are constructed at the India’s initiatives and support, since 1961. Until a year back, Samchi was kept as the only district in Bhutan that was not connected to other districts with a road. Ha was connected to the capital with a road. People travelling between adjacent Samchi and Ha districts had to travel through India and three districts in Bhutan making the two districts 300 km far from each other by roads. In absence of a road and permission to construct one, the people of Ha who wanted to travel to Silliguri in the west had to travel East, south, and west. While Silliguri, the largest Indian city near to Bhutan is the trade center of Bhutan and the North east India, Ha hosts headquarter of Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) in Bhutan. The IMTRAT headquarter in Ha is within the vicinity of the Yadong County. IMTRAT imparts training to Bhutanese soldiers. The strategy of the isolation of Ha and Samchi turned out to be faulty and futile. A road construction was initiated to connect Ha to Silliguri through Samchi. Once completed, it will shorten the time of travel between Silliguri and Ha by at least seven hours. On one hand the road connecting Ha and India is near to completion; on the other hand, China seems contented at its negotiation with Bhutan. The contention of Chinese authorities and docile expression of Bhutanese government confirm that the two sides have reached an agreement. Bhutanese leaders who update Indian counterparts on all types of developments must be waiting for a ripe time to do so. Until 2007, Bhutan used to inform India everything regarding its foreign relation. The provision was done away by the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty, 2007. However, Bhutan’s defense, economy, and finance are pegged on India. It remains India’s responsibility to intervene than interfere when it perceives Bhutan wrestling against an odd. At the peoples’ level, most Indians perceive Bhutan as India’s protectorate. Most Chinese people put Bhutan and Sikkim in one story.
Bhutanese government has distanced itself from China, to feel safe and be protected by India. In 2012, the former Prime Minister of Bhutan tried to be friendly with China. India taught him and his party a lesson. On the eve of the 2013-election, India withdrew the subsidy on fuel and oriented the people to vote for a party more loyal to India. A party of it choice came to the power and India released the budget for Bhutan. India has been Bhutan’s sugar daddy since the start of the latter’s five-year plans in 1960s. Indian money and Bhutanese tact characterize the Bhutan-India relationship. In the past, Indian government instilled Sikkim fear in Bhutanese rulers against its southern population and instigated the local leaders of Southern Bhutan to rise against their rulers. It led to an eviction of one fifth or about fifty percent of Southern Bhutanese from Bhutan. The evicted Bhutanese landed up as refugees in Nepal and struggled for repatriation for decades. India acted as a valve. It used its military force to ferry the people from Bhutan to Nepal and to prevent their return to Bhutan. When the refugees were in Nepal, India used them against Bhutan as a bait of bargain. Indian rebels hiding in Bhutan were negated and India owned the construction and use of hydro-electricity power in Bhutan, among others. Today majority of the Bhutanese refugees are resettled in third countries and the remaining refuges are being locally integrated, India feels its anchor has weakened.
Back in 2007, Bhutan published a map without Mount Kulakangri, its tallest mountain. It appeared ceded to China. Moreover, there was news in the academic circle that Bhutan wanted to cede Samchi district to India with all its Southern Bhutanese population dumped there. Soon after the 2008 elections in Bhutan, the people in exile apprised the new members of the parliament regarding the loss of Bhutan’s mountains, official publication of a faulty map and reduction of the size of the country. The members were silent after a brief discussion in the assembly. School books still mention Kulakangri as the Bhutan’s tallest mountain. The Bhutanese lawmakers, rulers and Indian government silently accepted the faulty map and loss of 8500 Km sq of the land. It makes little sense of the hue and cry when the Chinese proposal is for an exchange of 269 sq Km land in the west in return for 495 sq km land in the north.
While India and China are partners in several fronts, the border between them has been the bone of contention. The two countries fought a bloody war in 1962 and they take pride in not having exchanged a slap there after. India has been finding it difficult to accept China’s intimacy with Pakistan and Nepal. It’s preventive on Bhutan. While India has been a patron to Bhutan, diplomats of two countries in Asia namely Bangladesh and China always highly regard Bhutan. Bhutan was the first country to recognize an independent Bangladesh and the first country to support China’s membership in United Nations Organization.
The present tussle between the two neighbors is not over a grave issue but it seems a pretext to a weighty agenda. The present truce has given a reason to India to post more soldiers in Bhutan. On the justification of the present discontentment India may carry out a nuclear test soon and China may follow it as its repercussion. Both the nuclear powers seem prepared for tests and are inventing convincing reasons. While the big dragon has called the small dragon for a tryst, the elephant trumpets its loss of a partner. The two countries may not waste a bullet for the Dok-la issue; however, the media of the two countries are in a war.
“Remembering and telling the truth about terrible events are prerequisites both for the restoration of the social order and for the healing of individual victims.” -Judith Herman, M.D.
Participants during the conference. Photo: Foundation For Conscious Activism
In order to increase mental health awareness and establish a strong support system for those who are in need of mental health support in the Bhutanese community in exile, Foundation for Conscious Activism, a non-profit organization co-founded by a group of Bhutanese refugee youths in Bay Area California, has initiated a program called “Community Dialogue for Mental Health Awareness.” Robin Gurung, one of the co-founders of the organization, and Chhori Maharjan, Psy.D candidate at California Institute of Integral Studies facilitated the dialogue. For more info
On June 24th, 2017, the first community dialogue through a video-conference was conducted where different Bhutanese community leaders, mental health experts, and families of suicide victims participated. Among them was Ram Acharya who lost his eldest son Krishna Acharya, 21, in a suicide incident in July 2016. In the conference, Mr. Acharya shared the story of his son’s death, the causes and some preventive measures that he took to save him although he expressed it was in vain. He also shared his vision moving forward to save lives of those children, like Krishna, who are fighting against mental illnesses. To listen Ram Acharya Click here .
Participants during community discussion at Bay Area, California. Photo: Foundation For Conscious Activism
In the second part of the conversation, Kismat Mishra shared his story of a tragic accident when a moving train hit his car. He lost three of his friends. He is the only survivor of the crash. Mishra talks about how he is struggling with his mental, emotional, and physical health and shares his goals and aspirations to become a football coach. Mishra talks here .
On July 8, 2017, Part 2 of the “Community Dialogue for Mental Health Awareness” was organized where the participants were from Australia representing Bhutanese Martyrs Memorial and Torture Survivors Society (BHUMMATTS), Dr. Chhabi Timsina, the only Licensed Psychiatrist from the Bhutanese community in the U.S., and few community leaders from different parts of the country. The theme of the discussion was “Trauma and Recovery.” We wanted to understand what trauma is, how it affects our lives, and what we can do to heal. The dialogue began with the story of torture survivor Birkha Gurung, who shared his experiences of being imprisoned and tortured in Bhutan during the ethnic cleansing campaign by Royal Government of Bhutan. Gurung talks about the mental, emotional, and physical impact of the pain in his everyday life and how a practice of yoga and meditation has helped him in the recovery process. His story is recently published at BHUMMATSS’ Click here. A website launched by family members of Martyrs and torture survivors in South Australia. In this discussion, one of the founding members and a well-known community leader, Jogen Gozmere, and the General Secretary of the organization Mohan Gautam explained the goals of establishing the BHUMMATSS.
Gazmere shared his experience of being in solitary confinement for 27 months in Bhutan and what he did to heal the wounds after he was released. Gazmere speaks here
In the other part of the discussion, Dr. Chhabi Timisina shares his journey of working as a medical doctor in different prisons in Bhutan during the political crisis in the 80s and the 90s and why he chose to be a psychiatrist later in his life. Dr. Timsina gives a closer look at the mental health situation of the Bhutanese community in exile and shares his thoughts on the healing aspect of it. What Dr. Chhabi Timsina has said, Watch here
After listening to the mental health experts like Dr. Chhabi Timsina and Chhori Maharjan, community leaders and family members of suicide victims, it is clear that the solution to the mental health crisis in the Bhutanese community in exile should come from different levels. Dr. Timsina Clarifies, “There are things that we can do at our homes, in our communities, and in treatment centers. Therefore, its solution can’t be explained in one or two words.” Watch the full video recordings of the Community Dialogue for Mental Health Awareness.
To address this community issue, Foundation for Conscious Activism invites folks from different levels, different backgrounds, with different expertise, to join this movement for mental health awareness in the Bhutanese community in exile.
To learn more about this project, please contact us at: [email protected]
Dal Bahadur Tiwari, 79, died Sunday, June 11, 2017, while taking a nap at his home in Geylegphug, Bhutan.
Born in Lopsibhotey, Chirang, Bhutan, to Amar Singh Tiwari and Tulasa Tiwari, Dal Bahadur had a difficult childhood, although he was made stronger for it. He claimed his father was an intellectual and a voracious reader, and earned the respect of his villagers because of it and was considered a learned man.
His mother left him in Bhutan and went to Assam, India, along with her two daughters when he was eight. He repeatedly narrated the story of how his hope died when he was never again reunited with her following this incident.
After his separation with his mother, Dal lived with his paternal grandmother, and for this reason he was locally known in the village as nati. At a young age of just 11, Dal was arranged for a marriage to Chandra Maya Nepal, which flourished and worked out great until her untimely death at a young age in 1979.
Then a widower, Dal, with the support of his in-laws, raised his kids to be exceptional, leaving no doubt about his abilities as a father. As a testament to love for his wife, he lived for 38 years as a single man, refuting the idea of marrying again also because of the burden he felt it would pose to his children.
Never one to shy away from challenges, he instilled in his children and grandchildren a tenacious determination to succeed in life. One of the most striking traits of his was a fierce craving for an independent life, especially towards the end of his years. He traveled to India, Nepal, and the United States, and those surrounding him were all aware of his desire for autonomy and to not be a bother to anyone.
He is survived by four sons – Dil Bahadur, Dr Purna Chettri, Lok Bahadur, Bhim Chhetri, daughter-in-laws, Pravha, Bidhya, Kirti Maya and Kobina, and eleven grandchildren.
(This is an advertorial. Contributed by Divyash Chhetri, BNS has neither edited its content nor verified facts presented).
Bhutan does not have a neurologist or medical specialist to take charge of the treatment of neurological disorders like epilepsy or seizures. Psychiatrists like Dr.Damber Kumar Nirola and Dr. Chencho Dorji champion the diagnosis and treatment of epileptic cases referred to them.
Dr. Farrah and Dr. Dambar Nirola/Photo Farrah Mateen
Bhutan Epilepsy Project was initiated in 2012 with a grant money solicited by Dr. Farrah Mateen of Massachusetts General Hospital. The aim of the project is to develop a cutting- edge technology in Bhutanese context for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. This will help the Bhutanese health care workers to develop skills and expertise in the field. The project also aims to educate people about the causes of epilepsy and dispel prevalent myths.
Use of mobile devices to diagnose epilepsy is a favorable option for EEG in Bhutan as more than 90 percent of Bhutan’s population use mobile phones.
BNS reached out to Dr. Farrah Mateen and Dr. Damber Nirola to get more details of the project. According to Dr. Nirola, mobile EEG could be as effective as conventional EEG machines, so that Bhutanese health workers in distant health units can also use the technology to diagnose epilepsy.
Excerpts of the interview–
BNS: What is the prevalence rate of epilepsy and other mental disorders in Bhutan?
Dr.Nirola: A total of 11a90 new cases of epilepsy were seen in all the hospitals of Bhutan in 2016. We have not done any prevalence survey. These are all the cases who came on their own to the hospital to seek help. Generally, worldwide prevalence of epilepsy is 1% of the total population, this means we should have around 7000 cases of epilepsy.
BNS: How is the mobile EEG an effective tool for diagnosis of epilepsy in Bhutan?
Dr. Nirola: Epilepsy diagnosis is mostly done clinically. EEG can be a useful tool to find out the type of epilepsy so that appropriate treatment can be initiated. We have not yet fully evaluated the mobile EEG but during the preliminary study we have found that mobile EEG could be as effective as the conventional EEG machine. Therefore, this could be a very important tool in remote resource constraint places in Bhutan. If our next proposal gets funded we plan to study the mobile EEG further and extend it to the remote areas.
BNS: Can you explain how the epilepsy project is gearing towards achieving its goal?
How long will it go?
Dr. Nirola: The main objective of the epilepsy project is to provide services to people living with epilepsy in Bhutan by all categories of health professionals. Ideally epilepsy is managed by either by a neurologist or an Epileptologist in advanced countries but in our settings all doctors are required to manage. We don’t have a single Neurologist leave alone an Epileptologist.
In our hospitals most adult cases are managed by the Internal Medical specialists or Psychiatrists and the children are managed by Paediatricians.
The other objective is to educate the general population about epilepsy so as to dispel the myths and stigma attached with epilepsy.
The project itself is not time bound but depends on availability of funds. We hope to conduct many more researches to see different aspects of epilepsy in Bhutan. In the mean time we will continue to provide care to the people living with epilepsy.
BNS: Given the traditional and superstition based society, what challenges are faced by health workers in rural Bhutan in diagnosis and treatment?
Dr. Nirola: Main difficulty is to convince the people to seek appropriate help from the health workers. Most people either go to the traditional healers, shamans, or the religious persons for treatment. Every category of these healers proscribe different food items and the treatment aren’t necessarily helpful. People with epilepsy sometimes spend a lot of time seeking help from non-medical professionals and often they sustain injuries and burns due to untreated seizures.
The traditional beliefs that “epilepsy is contagious” is also associated with a lot of stigma. Some of the young people are barred from mixing up with other healthy individuals. In the process many children have to leave schools because of this belief.
To change this age old belief system, in itself, is a big challenge.
BNS: As head of psychiatry department at JDWNRH, how often can you reach to far-flung districts to share knowledge and expertise to local health workers?
Dr. Nirola: I am an employee of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, which is an autonomous hospital now. I don’t get much opportunity to travel to other parts of the country. In my entire career of over 10 years as Psychiatrist, I could just make two visits to the district hospitals. However, epilepsy treatment is taught to the health workers as part of continuing medical education and in the Faculty of Nursing and Public Health under the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan. Most health workers can diagnose and treat the most common type of epilepsy, however, it is even difficult for the Medical specialists and Psychiatrists to diagnose and treat the complicated cases.
BNS: How easy or difficult (in terms of budget and human resource) is it to train EEG technicians to read and interpret the epileptic brain images?
Dr. Nirola: It is difficult. In fact we don’t have anyone trained in recording and reporting EEGs.
Dr. Farrah Mateen explains the significance of having such novel technology for countries like Bhutan, where there are no neurologists. Excerpts of interview–
BNS: Could you please tell us more of your association to Bhutan epilepsy project?
Dr. Farrah: In 2012, I wrote a grant with the input of Dr. Chencho Dorji and other collaborators to establish a cohort of people with epilepsy in Bhutan. Since Bhutan is one of several countries that does not have a neurologist, our goal was to allow new services to people with epilepsy in Bhutan including electroencephalogram (EEG), smartphone-based EEG (a novel invention), neurocysticercosis testing, and access to neurologists.
BNS: What is the global picture of prevalence of epilepsy in developed and developing countries? And what of Bhutan?
Dr. Farrah: Epilepsy is a common disorder, affecting 1 or 2 percent of the population. Epilepsy is defined as the tendency to recurrent, unprovoked seizures. The causes of epilepsy are myriad and include genetic causes, history of head trauma, history of infections like neurocysticercosis, and history of stroke. The burden placed on people with epilepsy can be very high. They can feel stigmatized. Their quality of life may be reduced. They may not have access to medications due to distance or lack of knowledge of their own diagnosis. We have found in Bhutan that many people with epilepsy leave school or work. This is unfortunate because it changes people’s lives and it is recognized that seizures can be controlled and epilepsy can be treated. Bhutan is fortunate in that it has a universal health care system. It however would still benefit from more health services for epilepsy including EEG services, access to a neurologist, access to blood level testing for medications, access to testing for neurocysticercosis (a tapeworm that causes epilepsy), and expansion of its medication supply to include newer medications. Epilepsy surgery is becoming possible in some countries, usually wealthier ones. With an epilepsy monitoring unit, people who would benefit from epilepsy could be appropriately selected and become potentially seizure free. We are working carefully on understanding what percentage of people with epilepsy in Bhutan could benefit from advanced epilepsy care.
BNS: Seizures or Epilepsy are often considered as manifestations of demonic subjugation of a person. How does the belief system of Bhutanese hinder in the diagnosis and treatment?
Dr.Farrah: Epilepsy is a treatable condition even if it is not curable. With medications that are free of charge, most people can become seizure free and have a high quality of life. Traditional belief systems are to be respected but I believe that people with epilepsy can receive antiepileptic medications and get better. This alleviates unnecessary suffering and hardship and takes the blame away from the person. People with epilepsy are just like anyone else. It is a brain disorder that relates to the way the nerve cells fire. This disorder is treatable with medications available in Bhutan. The Government has provided these medications and visits to the doctors free. I hope all Bhutanese people with epilepsy take advantage of these services to improve their health.
BNS: The mobile technology has helped a lot, says Dr. Damber Nirola. How does that work to be effective in Bhutanese context of diagnosis?
Dr. Farrah: The mobile technology is a novel “app” design by my collaborators at the Danish Technical University in Copenhagen. Our study was meant to look at the mobile app in a setting without neurologists or regular EEG services. The app is a smartphone based EEG system that connects to a shower cap like hat. The app is open source (free of charge). We have shown that is relatively specific but only modestly sensitive for epileptiform discharges. We are continuing to work on refining the app so it can benefit people with epilepsy worldwide.
Tilak Niroula/New Hampshire
June 4, 2017
Organization of Bhutanese Community of America (OBCA) has decided to hold its 7th national convention in Omaha, Nebraska, 28th to 30th July this year. This was announced in a press release emailed to BNS.
According to a press statement issued to Bhutan News Service by OBCA chairman DB Rai, OBCA had formed a convention organizing committee headed by its Treasurer, Aita Rai as chief coordinator, Vice-Chair Dilip Dahal and a member of the board, Jiden Rai as coordinators to ensure that the convention is held in an organized manner. Similarly, a host state program organizing committee has also formed a panel of 10 led by Bhim Gurung, president of Bhutanese Community in Nebraska (BCN) and Babita Gurung, Coordinator of American Bhutanese Women Sports Association. Besides, OBCA has collaborated with Bhutanese Community in Nebraska (BCN), Mid-West Bhutanese Communities, Ifacans International Fine Artists/Foundation, Global Bhutanese Literary Organization NE Chapter, Bhutanese Artists of Nebraska, and American Bhutanese Women Sports Association to successfully host this convention.
“The National Convention Organizing Committee, Inter-State Bhutanese Women Soccer Tournament Committee, and the host State Program Organizing Committee will jointly reach out to the community organizations and members through various means and media with its program detail and an invitation to the convention and women soccer tournament as early as possible”, the press release reads.
Speaking with Bhutan News Service in a telephone conversation, Rai divulged that OBCA will nominate its new state and city delegates and reshuffle its board through this convention. According to Rai, OBCA team is aggressively engaged in developing integrated strategies, organization expansion, by-laws amendment and leadership development. “Our website is in reformation process and we believe that our by-laws amendment is very necessary for addressing the current scenario. So, the OBCA strongly stand in favor of the amendment plan and implementation of the new by-laws,” said Rai.
Rai declined to comment regarding the rising calls for a single national organization of the Bhutanese diaspora by tying with the Association of Bhutanese in America (ABA).
The OBCA is a non-profit organization formed in 2010 by the resettled Bhutanese with the mission to preserve and promote the Bhutanese tradition, culture, and social values.
Krishna Bahadur Rai was born one year older to the birth of Nationality act of Bhutan 1958, in the same village of Phuentsholing where he lives today. House number DD/01 allotted to him and land Thram number 163 still holds good, according the statement of Tshogpas (elected village representatives).
Census Department’s letter
His census record was deleted from file in 1995, after the census officials found he could not prove himself to be residing in Bhutan since 1958, or that his father had lived in a joint family prior to 1958 in the Dhamdara village. His father Harka Bahadur Rai lived with his elder brother Jahar Man Rai at the time.
In 1993 a national census was carried out to scrutinize the lhotshampa population of Bhutan to ensure that they live in Bhutan on the basis of their evidenced ancestral domicile on or prior to 1958. This census exercise betrayed Krishna Bahadur Rai and his three daughters. The census also maneuvered to nullify the earlier records of their citizenship. This exercise arbitrarily snatched the older citizenship ID cards like the case of Sarki Dhan Rai.
The documents speak volumes
Krishna Bahadur Rai came in contact with BNS, so his case in the spotlight. But the list of such stateless people suffering silently with no real future to live as Bhutanese is pretty long. Sources in Phuentsholing told BNS that a deaf ear and blind eye continue to fall on their trapped life and no one dares to discuss the issue publicly.
Verification by Tshogpas
According to the documents received/secured by BNS, the Tshogpas (elected local representatives) do not hesitate to validate the Bhutanese citizenship of the Rai family since their grandfather’s domicile in Dhamdara village. However, the fat monthly salaries and perks from the government prevent them to actually represent the people’s voice and advocate on behalf of such genuine cases.
Verification of mother’s origin
In another quite convincing supporting document signed by three Tshogpa of Dhamdara village, Harka Bahadur’s mother, Chitra Maya Rai is in official record (Dhadda) of Duti as the daughter of Raj Bir Rai who is recorded in 1958 government file number 117. This is sufficient proof that Krishna Bahadur Rai came from all Bhutanese stock of ancestors who lived on or prior to 1958 in some remote hamlets and far flung villages of south that government did not take care to notice.
A document also speaks in volume of treachery of subterfuge used by the authority. In an appeal letter dated 2/11/2002 to the Dungpa (the divisional head of Phuentsholing) Krishna Rai inquired of his status change to F-5 (a category of citizenship) when he was unable to present himself the first day of census. Then the officials deceived him saying ‘F-1 and F-5 meant same thing’. That is too farce a language to be used by any person in authority of Home Ministry to make one citizen or non-citizen.
He is also alleged to have received the land compensation that the government allowed in 1990s to those who filled out the voluntary migration forms. Krishna Bahadur Rai claims he never wished to move out of Bhutan and never received any such cash remuneration. But the district authority and Home Ministry is adamant that he took the money for emigration.
One cannot rule out the suspicion of foul play on Krishna Rai. This claim is not contested in any court yet.
Royal prerogatives overridden:
Appeal to HM King
The paradox of Bhutanese law is that decisions pertaining to all matters of land and citizenship cannot be made by any official lesser than the King himself. It is a royal prerogative according Bhutanese constitution. The King offers kidu to his subjects as may be desired. Meanwhile, the census officers are not direct deputations of the Royal office (secretariat), rather and very often the part-time employees of Home Ministry. But illiterate villagers of Krishna Bahadur’s breed do not have right to question them, nor do they have the gut to contest their decision outright.
Despite appeal to His Majesty the King explaining inability to produce documents of 1958, Krishna Bahadur and his three daughters are living in Bhutan as stateless wanderer. His inability to prove their Bhutanese origin is simply understandable: the family of his elder uncle, Jahar Man Rai(father’s elder brother) retained all documents the family had, while he remained oblivious of this quagmire he might fall into after 30 years of his living as independent Thram holder.
Appeal to HM King
It is very absurd to ask why two brothers of same parents should be put into two different brackets of census when one has all the common proof of their residence in the same village. Where is the common sense of those enumerating officers?
Sarki Dhan’s census record was foiled in 1993 as he did not know about it, while Krishna Bahadur Rai was degraded to F-7 when he was still in the village, attended the census enumeration and his proofs secured by next door cousins.
Glib talk, false assurance:
While the present government, including the prime minister, has expressed its apathy to any issue of the land and census/citizenship, His Majesty’s secretariat is flooded with appeals for reinstatement of citizenship or requesting land kidu. But one source says, “Many might deserve kidu, but my family need the birth right to be citizens of the country we are living in for centuries.”
Sarki Dhan Rai with his wife and the taxi Photo:Sarkidhan
“The secretaries in His Majesty’s office can turn you away with their glib talking. They even say to keep the phone charged, that they may call anytime,” Sarki Dhan Rai muses over his experience.
Krishna Bahadur Rai also mentioned about a penalty of Nu. 10,000 that his son in-law Dil Bahadur Magar had to pay when police found him with no valid documents.
Scanning through and finger on each sentence to read carefully the documents of Krishna Bahadur Rai, one can see erroneous language, facts and dates. These errors could be typo as Krishna himself is completely illiterate to proofread and correct them, or the person who he paid for writing, did it carelessly without any obligation to read and explain what has been written. In an appeal to HM, with his wobbly signature and a revenue stamp affixed, the sentence – I paid the taxes until 1997 and discontinued by the government from 1988- is too loud to overlook.
In another letter signed by Dungpa Karma Tshering Namgyal to the Gup of Phuntsholing gewog (June 7, 2003), the sentence – As ‘desired’ by the dzongkahg HQ Chukha… shows the whims and fancies of local administrators they exercise upon their subordinates and grossly demean and distort the information supplied by any voiceless citizen.
Conclusion
Going by the circular of Royal command for conducting a nation-wide housing and population census, one can surmise that Bhutan did not have authentic data on population, while people like Sarki Dhan, Krishna Bahadur have been deliberately disregarded.
Living with a fate of being stateless for decades without any authentic reason is life lived half-dead. Weaknesses from the end of incumbent government in relation to the identity of the people demeans the essence of good governance. The proposed national census on Royal command scheduled for three days starting May 30, 2017may shine the lives of those people living in shadow of hope for decades. The lack of proper record keeping of the census in the past and fielding inexperienced temporary staff in the decision-making process at local level should have created the list of stateless people numbering over 40,000.
Bhutanese Kirat Rai Organization of America (BKROA) has released press statement declaring its upcoming Sakela program across different states in the United States. The statement was release on May 9th, 2017 by BKROA central committee. Sakela is the main festival of Kirat which is celebrated twice a year renowned by two names Ubhauli and Udhauli.
In its press release, BKROA said it has prepared to organize Sakela in Riverdale, Maryland on May 20, May 27 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 28 on Erie Pennsylvania and Springfield, Massachusetts and on June 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“It is generally known that every year of the winter season, the birds migrate downward toward the warmer environment, and thus this phase of the year is known as Udhauli, meaning downward. Likewise, during the rise of the summer season, the birds migrate upward to the cooler Hilly region, and therefore this latter phase is known as Ubhauli, meaning upward” the press release in Nepali language reads.
Speaking with the Bhutan News Service in telephone, Raj Rai a board member of BKROA revealed that his organization will held its second national convention on June 9 and 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio coinciding its Sakela event.
नेपाली नव वर्ष बिक्रम सम्बत् २०७४ साललाई लेक्सिङ्ग्टन, केन्टकीबासी नेपाली भाषी भूटानीहरुले गतआइतबार अप्रिल २३ २०१७ (बैसाख १०) का दिन एक भब्य सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रमविच स्वागत गरेका छन् | लेक्सिङ्ग्टन भूटानी समाजको योजनामा सम्पन्न भएको उक्त कार्यक्रममा बिभिध सांस्कृतिक नृत्य, गायन, मुक्तक, कविता साथै अन्य मनोरन्जनात्मक प्रस्तुतिहरु रहेको थियो|
समाजका अध्यक्ष बुद्ध अधिकारीको सभापतित्व अनि ग्लोबल लेक्सबाट पाल्नुभएकि बहुसांस्कृतिकसंयोजिका इसाबेल टेलरको प्रमुख आतिथ्य रहेको कार्यक्रम दिप प्रज्ज्वलन साथै समाजको ब्यानर प्रदर्सनगरि सुरु भएको थियो |
केन्टकी रेफुजी मिनिस्ट्रिस – लेक्सिङ्ग्टनकी संयोजिका मेरी कब् को बिषिस्ट आतिथ्य रहेको कार्यक्रममा मिनिस्ट्रिसमै रहेर धेरै वर्ष सम्म पुनर्बासित शरणार्थीहरु अनि हाम्रो समाजलाई सहयोग गर्ने दुई स्वयम्सेविकालाई कदर पत्र सहित् दोसल्ला ओडाई सम्मान गरिएको थियो| सम्मान हुनेहरुमा मिनिस्ट्रिस कैभुतपूर्व संयोजिका बार्बरा क्लेंन र समाजसेवी करिस्सा पोर्टर हुनु हुन्थ्यो |
त्यसैगरि, लेक्सिङ्ग्टनमा रहेर नेपाली कला, संगीत अनि नृत्य क्षेत्रमा योगदान पुर्याउने दुई जनाकलाकारहरु (प्रनिम राई र झरना कटवाल) लाई पनि कदर पत्र र खादा सहित सम्मान गरिएको थियो|
लुइभिलवासी गायक गोविन्द फुयेल अनि नेपाली लोक गित गायक बिष्णु डुम्रेको दमदार प्रस्तुतिले कार्यक्रमधेरै मनोरंजन्मत्क भएको थियो | त्यसको साथमा आमा समूह को संगिनी नृत्य र बाल तथा युवा कलाकारहरुको गित, कविता अनि नृत्यहरुले कार्यक्रममा रौनकता छाएको धियो| कार्यक्रमको अन्तमा सम्पूर्णसहभागीहरुलाई अतिथिहरुको हातबाट प्रमाण पत्र पनि प्रदान गरिएको थियो |
कार्यक्रममा आफ्नो दुई मन्तब्य राख्दै प्रमुख आतिथि टेलरले कार्यक्रम रोचक रहेको अनि पछिल्लो समयमाआएर लेक्सिङ्ग्टनलाई सांस्कृतिक अनि अन्य क्षेत्र मा धनि बनाउन भूटानी समाजले गरेको योगदानकोपनि प्रशंसा गर्नुभयो |
समाजका अध्यक्ष बुद्ध अधिकारीले केन्टकी राज्यमा समाज दर्ता भएकोमा खुसि प्रकट गर्दै आफ्ना भाबीयोजनाबारे प्रस्ट्याउनु भएको थियो | साथै, “हाम्रो समाज, हाम्रो गौरब” भन्ने मुल नारालाई सबैले आत्मसाथगरि समाज उन्नतिको लागि हातेमालो गर्दै अघाडि बड्नु पर्ने बताउनु भयो|
चन्द्र बास्तोलाले स्वागत मन्तब्य दिनु भएको कार्यक्रमको संचालन त्रिबिक्रम अधिकारी र मेग मिश्रलेसंयुक्त रुपमा गरेका थिए | समाजको उपाध्यक्ष रेनुका छेत्रीले कार्यक्रममा पाल्नुहुने सम्पूर्ण अतिथिहरु, सहभागीहरु, दर्सकहरु र आयोजक समितिलाई धन्यवाद दिदै कार्यक्रम सम्पन्न भएको थियो |
त्यस्तै, लुइभिलमा गत अप्रिल १६ तारिक भुटानी अमेरिकी हिन्दु समाजले सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रम गरेर नव वर्ष मनाएको थियो |
