आगलागीबाट त्रसित शरणार्थीको पीडा

‘अब त चाँडै अमेरिका लगे पनि हुन्थ्यो, महिनैपिच्छे आगलागी हुने यस्तो ठाउँमा बसेर के पो गर्न सकिन्छ र ?’ मोरङस्थित भूटानी शरणार्थी शिविर शनिश्चरेको सेक्टर जी कि मुना वाग्ले शरणार्थी शिविरमा अब बसेर केही गर्न नसकिने भन्ने कुरा दिक्क मान्दै सुनाउँदै थिइन् । तेस्रो मुलुक पुनर्वास अन्तर्गत अमेरिका जाने सुरसारमा रहेकी वाग्लेले मात्र होइन, अहिले शरणार्थी शिविरहरुका अधिकांश शरणार्थी शिविरमा बसी साध्ये नहुने गुनासो गर्छन् ।

झापा र मोरङको शरणार्थी शिविरमा महिनैपिच्छे आगलागीको घटनाबाट शरणार्थीहरुमा एक किसिमको त्रास फैलिएको छ भने शरणार्थीहरुको करोडौंको क्षति हुँदै आएको छ । दातृ सङ्घ संस्थाहरुले दिएको सामाग्रीहरुद्वारा निर्माण गरी बसेका शरणार्थीहरुलाई लगातार हुने आगलागीले पीडामाथि पीडा थपिएको छ । पछिल्लो चार महिना भित्रमा भूटानी शरणार्थी शिविरहरुमा आगलागीका घटनाहरू चारैपटक भएका छन् । सो अवधिमा झापाको दमकस्थित भूटानी शरणार्थी शिविर बेल्डाँगीमा एकचोटी आगलागीका घटना भयो भने मोरङको शनिश्चरेमा तीन चोटीसम्म भएको छ ।

बाक्लो बस्ती खरको छानो, बाँसको बार भएको छाप्रोको कारणले समेत आगो लागेको थोरै समयमा ठुलो क्षति हुनेगरेको छ । भूटानी शरणार्थी महिला मञ्चकी सह कार्यक्रम व्यवस्थापक टिका विश्वा आगलागीको घटना शिविरमा महिनैपिच्छे हुनुमा शरणार्थी र दातृ निकायको कमजोरी रहेको बताउँछिन् । ‘कहिले विद्यालय, कहिले शिविरको छाप्राहरुमा त कहिले सङ्घ संस्थाहरूको कार्यालयहरुमा आलगागि हुँदै आएता पनि कुनै पनि अपराधी अहिलेसम्म फेला पार्न नसक्नु शरणार्थीको सुरक्षाको मामिलामा काम गर्दै आएका सङ्घ संस्थाहरूको कमजोरी हो । अनि, आफ्नै छाप्रामा किन र कसरी आगलागी हुन्छ भन्ने कुरा थाहा नहुनु शरणार्थीको कमजोरी हो’, उनी भन्छिन्, ‘शिविरमा बढिरहेका आगलागीका घटनाहरुलाई निर्मूल पार्ने काम सङ्घ संस्थाहरुबाट भएता पनि किन र कसले शिविरमा आगो लगाउँछन् भन्ने ठोस कुरा भूटानी शरणार्थी सम्बन्धी दातृ निकाय एलडब्लुएफ, यूएनएचसीआर लगायतका सङ्घ संस्थाहरुले फेला पारेका छैनन् ।

करिब दुई वर्षअघिको आगलागीको घटनाको क्षण सम्झँदै टिका भन्छिन्, ‘दुई वर्षअघि झापाको गोलधाप शरणार्थी शिविर र मोरङको शनिश्चरे शिविरमा एकैदिन आगलागी हुँदा शरणार्थीहरुले अमेरिका छिट्टै जान पाइन्छ भनेर आफ्नो छाप्रोमा आगो लगाएका हुन् भन्ने एक किसिमको भ्रम स्थानीय वासिन्दाहरुमा फैलिएको थियो । तर, खास कारण त्यो होइन, हाम्रो पनि छाप्रा खरानी भएको थियो त्यस बेला । हामीले पनि पीडामाथि पीडा पाएका थियौँ । साँच्चै भन्नुपर्दा कुन मूर्खले आफ्नो छाप्रामा आफैँ आगो लगाउँछ ?’

भूटानी शरणार्थी शिविरहरुमा रहेको महिला मञ्च, युवा मैत्री केन्द्र, बाल मञ्च, शिविर व्यवस्थापन समिति लगायतका सामाजिक संस्थाहरुले आगलागी सम्बन्धित जनचेतनामूलक कार्यक्रम शिविरमा ल्याए पनि शिविरमा हुने आगलागीका घटनाहरू न्यूनिकरणको बाटोतर्फ अघि बढेको देखिँदैन । आगलागीको घटनासँगै शिविरमा विभिन्न प्रकारको आपराधिक घटनाहरू समेत बढिरहेको छ । भूटानी शरणार्थी महिला मञ्चका कार्यक्रम व्यवस्थापन नरबहादुर सुवेदी शिविरमा बस्न आफूलाई डर लागेको बताउँछन् । ‘२२ वर्षसम्म यही शरणार्थी शिविरमा बसियो, तर पछिल्लो समयमा आपराधिक घटनाहरुका साथै आगलागीका घटना बढेका कारण आफूमा एक प्रकारको त्रास फैलिएको छ’, सुवेदीले भने, ‘आफू सामाजिक कार्यमा सक्रिय भएका कारण भोलिका दिनमा आफूलाई आपराधिक समूहले केही गर्लान् कि भन्ने डर लागिसकेको छ ।’

बेलडागी–१ शिविरमा भएको आगलागीको एउटा दृष्य (तश्विरः तिलक निरौला, भूटान समाचार सेवा)

भूटानी शरणार्थीहरुलाई सुरक्षा दिनका निमित्त युएनएचसीआरले शिविरहरुमा प्रहरी पोस्ट राखिदिएका छन् । शरणार्थी शिविरमा प्रहरी पोस्ट रहेता पनि शरणार्थीहरुले सुरक्षा पाएको अनुभूति गरेका छैनन् । भूटानी शरणार्थी युवा प्रकाश अधिकारी भन्छन्, ‘प्रहरीले नै लुटपाट गर्न थालिसकेपछि अब हामीले हाम्रो सुरक्षाको विषयमा कोसँग गएर समस्या उठाउने त ?’ अधिकारीले अझ थपे, ‘यदि प्रहरीले शिविरका शरणार्थीहरुसँग समन्वय गरेर सुरक्षालाई मजबुत पार्न सक्छ भने मात्र शिविरमा बढिरहेको आपराधिक घटनालाई निर्मूल पार्न सक्छ । नत्र भने यस्तो घटनालाई निर्मूल पार्न धेरै कठिन छ ।’

भर्खरै मात्र भूटानी शरणार्थी सशस्त्र प्रहरी बेस क्याम्प नजिकमा रहेको भूटानी शरणार्थी महिला मञ्चको कार्यालयमा आपराधिक समूहले सुनियोजित तरिकाले आगलागी गराएका छन् । चैत ४ गते मध्य राति १२ बजे सुनियोजित तरिकाले लागेको आगोले महिला मञ्चले सञ्चालन गर्दै आएको सिलाइ बुनाइ कपडा उद्योगका साथै उद्योग नजिकै रहेको ६ वटा कोठा जलेर नष्ट भएका थिए । उद्योग नजिकै पसल सञ्चालन गर्दै आएका शरणार्थी शिविर शनिश्चरेको सेक्टर सी- ४ छाप्रा नं. ५२ का ३५ वर्षीय कमल खनाललाई मार्ने नियतले गरिएको आगजनीबाट ८० लाख बराबरीको धनमाल क्षति भएको छ भने पसल सञ्चालन गर्दै आएका खनालको मृत्यु भएको छ ।

राति खनाल पसलमा सुतिरहेको अवस्थामा बाहिरबाट उनलाई मार्ने नियतले ढोकाको चुक्कुल लगाएर आपराधिक समूहले सुनियोजित ढङ्गले आगो लगाएको भूटानी शरणार्थी शिविर शनिश्चरेकी शिविर उपसचिव सावित्रा वाग्लेले बताएकी छिन् । खनालको उपचारको क्रममा चैत ७ गते काठमाडौँको शिक्षण अस्पतालमा मृत्यु भएको थियो । यता शरणार्थी शिविर शनिश्चरेका शरणार्थीहरुले आगलागीको घटना सुनियोजित ढङ्गले भएको भन्दै घटनाको सत्य तथ्य छानविन गर्नका लागि स्वतन्त्रता र निष्पक्ष टोली गठन गर्नुपर्ने, अपराधीको खोजी गरी कडा कारबाही गर्नुपर्ने, शिविरमा बढ्दै गएको आपराधिक घटनालाई पूर्णरूपमा बन्द गर्नुपर्ने लगायतका नाराहरुका साथ शिविरमा र्‍यालीको आयोजना गरेका थिए । कोणसभा गरी टुंगिएको र्‍यालीमा पूर्व शिविर सचिव चम्पासिंह राई, पथरी जेसीजका अध्यक्ष अशोक शङ्कर, भूटानी महिला मञ्चकी केन्द्रीय महासचिव, रणमाया चम्लागाई, शिविर उपसचिव सावित्रा वाग्ले, शरणार्थी प्रकाश अधिकारी लगायतले आगलागी घटना शंकास्पद भएका कारण यस घटनाको सत्यतथ्य कुरा बाहिर ल्याउन सम्बन्धित पक्षलाई आग्रह गरेका थिए । खनालको मृत्यु हुनेमा षड्यन्त्र रहेको भन्दै अधिकारवादी सङ्गठनका प्रतिनिधि र भूटानी नेताहरूले घटनाको न्यायिक छानविन गर्न आफूहरु अन्तराष्ट्रिय स्तरसम्म जाने बताएका थिए ।

चैत ७ गते खनालको शोकसभामा अधिकारवादी नेताहरूले सो कुरा बताएका थिए । सभामा भूटान पिपुल्स पार्टीका अध्यक्ष बलराम पौडेल, मानवअधिकार सङ्गठनका पूर्वाञ्चल संयोजक केपी सुवेदी, भूटानी नेता भम्पा राईलगायतले आगलागी घटनाको निष्पक्ष छानविनका लागि आफूहरु अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय अदालतसम्म जाने बताएका हुन् ।

७ गतेको घटनाअघि वितेका चार महिनामा शनिश्चरे शिविरमा दुईचोटी आगलागी भएको थियो । दीपावलीको समयमा सेक्टर डीमा आगलागी हुँदा ४८ छाप्रा जलेर नष्ट भएका थिए भने सो घटनामा ६० बर्षीया रेणुकादेवी दहाल जलेर घाइते भएकी थिइन् । त्यस्तै डेढ महिनाअघि सेक्टर एलमा भएको आगलागीबाट १० छाप्रा जल्नुको साथै सुवास राई घाइते भएका थिए ।

(भूटान समाचार सेवाका संचारकर्मी गिरीको यो लेख नागरिक दैनिकमा २८ मार्च २०१३ मा प्रकाशित भएको थियो)

Canada to welcome 1,000 additional Bhutanese refugees

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Canada will welcome up to 1,000 additional Bhutanese refugees from Nepal, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced on March 27.

““Canada has a longstanding tradition of assisting refugees and welcomes one in 10 refugees resettled globally, more than almost any other country in the world,”” said Minister Kenney. ““We recognize the importance of family reunification in this process, and resettling refugees who already have family in Canada will help them adjust much faster and more easily.””

Minister Jason Kenney (Picture courtesy: Citizenship and Immigration Canada)

Bhutanese refugees have been living in seven camps in eastern Nepal since the early 1990s. Canada, along with Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway the United States and the United Kingdom, are resettling many of these refugees.

In May 2007, the Government of Canada announced that it would resettle up to 5,000 Bhutanese refugees over five years. In June 2012, the Government committed to resettling 500 more Bhutanese refugees who have family connections in Canada. Today’s announcement of an additional 1,000 Bhutanese refugees will bring the total number to 6,500. To date, 5,000 have already resettled in Canada.

““We welcome the Government’s decision to resettle more Bhutanese refugees,”” said Furio De Angelis, the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada. ““By working in partnership with other countries, Canada has helped refugees who have been living in camps for more than two decades find a new home and start their lives anew.””

The additional 1,000 Bhutanese refugees will be selected over two years. The next scheduled visit to the camps is April 2013 and some of the selected refugees are expected to arrive in Canada before the end of this year.

““Canada is committed to working with the international community to find long-term solutions for refugees, and we are pleased to be able to resettle these Bhutanese refugees, many of whom have been living in camps for decades,”” added Minister Kenney.

Canada already has one of the world’s most generous resettlement programs in the world, welcoming one in 10 refugees resettled worldwide. Based on 2010 figures, the government has committed to increase the total number of refugees it plans to resettle up to 20 per cent by 2013. Canada has also increased resettlement funding to refugees by 20 per cent to help them settle and integrate quickly.

Canada’s commitment to helping those in need of protection extends to refugees from many nations. Canada recently announced that it would resettle up to 5,000 Iraqi and Iranian refugees in Turkey. In addition, the Government remains committed to the resettling 20,000 Iraqi refugees who had fled to Syria.

Claire Thomsen for Bhutanese library

In an undaunted commitment to reach the target of $50,000 raised for establishing public libraries in rural Bhutan, Claire Thomsen a 15 year old girl from Malibu High school, California, attained her goal to be donated to READ Bhutan.

Claire in Bhutan (Picture courtesy: Kuensel)

Claire is now in Bhutan to meet her beneficiaries of her hard work and determination, at a place called Chuzeygang, Sarpang where a public library is constructed by the community effort.

In her mission, Claire partnered with READ Global which is working in rural parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan helping to establish community reading centers and libraries.

Claire first visited Bhutan in 2009 with her parents and was deeply moved by the ignorance of Bhutanese children living in rural areas. The first community library was established in Ura, Bumthang.

Community library in Sarpang (Picture courtesy: Kuensel)

Taking opportunity of the spring break, off from the school, Claire flew to Bhutan to share her heart.

On December 11,  2011, Claire organized a fund raising event at Linda Hamilton’s House in Malibu, CA during which she was able to raise $10,000 in a day. The event was attended by Thinley Choden, the country director of READ Bhutan whom Claire donated the raised money.

Claire Thomsen maintains her blog www.mybhutaneselibrary.com to post all events and her dedications for building library in Bhutan.

Refugee sustaining serious burns in S’chare passes away

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Kamal Khanal, who sustained serious burns during a night fire at the Bhutanese Refugee Women Forum (BRWF) compound in Sanischare camp of Morang passed away last week.

Late Khanal being treated at BP Koirala Memorial Institute of Medical Science, Dharan (Picture courtesy: His family)

35-years-old Khanal was airlifted to Kathmandu for his treatment following referral from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan. He died in the Tribhuwan University (TU) Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu.

Dozens of refugees, BRWF representatives, political and human rights activists took part in a memorial ceremony organized in the camp last week.

Organizing a protest rally, they also demanded thorough investigation of the case suspecting “intentional act to burn and kill late Khanal”.

The deceased was reportedly sleeping inside his shop in the BRWF compound during the mishap.

Some eyewitness even told BNS that door of his shop was locked from outside with thick wires, and he couldn’t immediately escape from the fire.

Both BRWF and Camp Management Committee(CMC) have demanded probe into the case, and bring all suspects into a book at the earliest.

“He was under a trap. A gang of local youths and even some law enforcement agents were threatening him on various allegations,” a refugee told BNS, requesting his anonymity.

According to this respondent, late Khanal had even paid some money to both the youth-gang and law enforcement agent to secure his living. However, he didn’t report the case to any authority as it was a deal achieved between those gangs and himself.

“Their bargain didn’t stop even after he paid a huge amount of money.”

Meanwhile, the Morang Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) visited the camp, and assured the camp authority of stern actions against those who might be found guilty after the police investigation into the case is completed.

However, the authority is yet to launch a probe into the case.

‘Desh Khojdai Janda’ movie targets premier show in Fall 2013

A feature movie based on the Bhutanese refugee issue, Desh Khojdai Janda meaning ‘in search of nation’, is expected to be ready for premier show in Fall 2013, informed its Director Prakash Angdembe.

Prakash Angdembe speaks to mediapersons at Damak

Angdeme made such an announcement during a press meet organized on Saturday at Fine Hotel, Damak, Jhapa .

“We have completed all shootings of the movie. If everything goes as per our plan, we’ll come up with its premier show within this Fall 2013,” said Director Angdembe, who has established himself as one of the best theatre artists in eastern Nepal.

The movie, which is a joint production of Ifacains International Foundation, Ifaca Bhutan, Gantabya Theatre, and presented by Line Cross Movies Pvt. Ltd, is expected to cost around 4 million Nepalese rupees, it is learnt.

“I am proud to announce that every character involved in the movie has played his role on a complete voluntary basis. This is how we are able to downsize the total investment for the movie,” added Angdembe.

The film is said to have featured most of Bhutanese refugee characters besides some known artists like Babu Bogati, LP Joshi, Sarita Oli, and Hemanta Budathoki, among others.

The Story Plot
In the much anticipated bilateral treaty of 1624 AD furnished between the then Nepal (Gorkha) and Bhutan, Nepalese immigrants were formally accepted as citizens in Bhutan. These innocent Nepali-speaking Bhutanese were betrayed by the Bhutanese regime in late 1980s and early 1990s as they were forced to take refuge in Nepal to lead sub-human life. The ongoing resettlement program has scattered these refugees to various western countries, but their search for a nation would continue forever.

Synopsis

Production Ifacains International Foundation, Ifaca Bhutan, Gantabya Theatre and Line Cross Movies
Genre(s) History, Drama, Family & Suspense
Run Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Premier Show July 2013
Director Prakash Angdembe
Associate Director Samten Bhutia
Executive Producer Birendra Chhetri
Screenplay Upendra Subba
Cinematographer Sanjay Lama
Art Director Pralhad Gurung
Lead Characters Hemanta Budathoki, Babu Bogati, Sarita Oli, Aruna Karki, Mina Koirala, Ram Chamling, LP Joshi, Dhankute Kancha, among others
Country of Origin Nepal
Places Featured Bhutanese Refugee Camps, and Nepal
Language Nepali
Theme Nostalgia, History, Identity Crisis & Hardship
Film Budget Rs 4 million (approx.)


(With inputs from Vidhyapati Mishra in Kathmandu and Shekar Rizal in Beldangi)

Bhutan traders come calling once again

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For people like Tshering, a trader from Bhutan, a decline in insurgency and gradual improvement in law and order in the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) has been a boon.

Small-scale trade between India and Bhutan, especially in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts, had been hit sharply during the height of the Bodo movement in the 1990s and subsequent armed agitations by various rebel groups.

Though the formation of Bodoland Territorial Council in 2003 paved the way for peace, people from Bhutan were still apprehensive to travel through the BTAD until recent years.

Bhutanese traders used to come to Bodo villages in Kokrajhar and Chirang to procure eri silk and silk cocoons, at the same time selling oranges, winter garments and various agricultural produces.

Last winter, the Bhutanese traders did brisk business at picnic spots like Khanamakra-Kalamati, Kwila-Mwila, Datgiri-Hatisar, Saralpara, Jomduar Darangajuli, Bogamati and Lakhibazar along the international border in Chirang, Kokrajhar and Baksa districts. They sold large quantities of oranges, wine, beer and milk products there.

Though road conditions were deplorable, Bhutanese traders, like in the days of yore, used mules and horses to ferry their products.

Tshering said he was happy to do business during the picnic season here. Like Tshering, 10 other Bhutanese traders have been coming to the Kalamati area during picnic season for the last few years.

Though vehicles from Bhutan are provided security cover by the Indian security forces once they enter Indian territory, small traders like Tshering are confident that law and order in the BTAD will improve and such security cover won’t be needed in future.

In an apparent demonstration of confidence on the improving situation in BTAD, the traders even spent nights on roadside makeshift camps during their stay in popular picnic spots.

A woman trader from Gelephu in Bhutan was at Kalamati recently. She said they are no longer afraid of spending nights on the roadside while on their way to Gelephu. “Gelephu is 50 km from Kalamati. As the road to our village is in bad shape, we walk up to our home, spending nights on the way,” she said.

Courtesy: Times of India

Bhutan to make condoms available to monks

Health officials in Bhutan are making condoms available at all monastic schools as a means to minimize the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among young monks.

“We are making condoms freely available everywhere, even in monastic schools and colleges,” health minister, Zangley Drukpa, said. According to him the ministry has formed a special action group to deal with STDs in monasteries.

Warning signs of risky behavior among monks first appeared in 2009, when a report on risks and vulnerabilities of adolescents revealed that monks were engaging in “thigh sex” (in which a man uses another man’s clenched thighs for intercourse), according to the state-owned Kuensel daily.

The health ministry got concerned when a dozen monks — including a 12-year-old — were diagnosed with sexual transmitted diseases a year later, Kuensel reports. At least five monks are known to be HIV-positive, the youngest being 19.

Bhutan’s Commission for the Monastic Affairs says stricter discipline is a solution. While corporal punishment is banned, monks told Kuensel it is still practiced.

The 2012 report of the U.N. agency focused on AIDS response and progress also noted cases of HIV among Bhutan’s monks.

Bhutan is the best: Tourists

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Bhutan topped the list as travel guide publisher Lonely Planet asked its followers on various social media to assess how well they liked the countries they had visited.

Bhutan is a country which many tourists want to visit again.

“This is a country where buying cigarettes is illegal, where the rice is red and where chillies aren’t just a seasoning but the entire dish”, Lonely Planet writes introducing Bhutan.

In all, Asia came very well in the survey as this part of the world takes up half the space on the top 20 list.

In more specific categories, Asia is even more dominant, for example in terms of best countries for food (six of ten), where you get the most for the money (seven out of ten) and cultural attractions (eight out of ten).

Four countries in South Asia have scored so well that they are ranked among the top 20 countries. India, which ranks 6th and Nepal, which ranks 16th, have something in common: the Himalayas and cultural diversity while the Maldives, which ranks 20th, is very famous for its rare underwater beauty, with some of the best dive sites in the world.

Bhutan, which was closed for tourists until 1961, charges visitors famously a minimum of US$200 per day, making it one of the world’s most expensive countries to visit.

Monks of poor health

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The monastic schools in Bhutan and other Buddhist realms are purely maintained for educating the Buddhist way of living to monks and nuns.  The dratshangs in Bhutan are housing and educating monks of various age group, all living in common space. But these Buddhist learning centers are plagued with unreported cases of ill-health, both physical and mental.

The monks

According to the Kuensel, the monks as young as 12 years were found to have contracted sexually transmitted disease some years ago. The only response to contain the spread of STI was the change of head of the monastic school.

The monks are suffering from various levels of skin diseases, hypertension, piles and even obesity in some cases.

“Although such cases of STI were reported in the past, it is the not the case now after creating awareness in monastic schools in 2010-2011”, claims Tashi Geley, the health and religion coordinator of monastic body.

 Six years ago, when Pema Sherpa volunteered to conduct health checkup in Dechenphodrang monastery, she found white patches on the scalps of young monks.   She saw these patches became sore and puss ooze out of them. “But now they have gotten well”, she said.

The principal of Dechenphodrang monastery said that ninety percent of the young monks came from poor families and that they were not aware of the diseases they might have carried with them.

Now, Pema Sherpa visits the Dechenphodrang monastery thrice a week to look after the health concerns of about 280 monks housed in the monastery. According to Pema, the monks used to sleep in a common room like matchsticks lined closed tight.

There are five monks living with  HIV positive of which the youngest is 19 years old.

Probably, the reason for these communicable diseases among the monks is attributable to their poor living condition and higher level of stress, a study suggests.

Some years ago, UNICEF reported degraded health conditions of these religious learning centers. Lack of regular supply of water for drinking and washing, bad quality food served, less hours of rest and absence of any entertainment to young monks is contributing factors for the rising health concern among the monks.

An assessment of health condition of school children in 388 monastic schools in the country found that the sleeping conditions are still bad with six to fifteen children cramped to one room.  Toilet facilities remain poor aggravated by water scarcity and only occasional supply of toilet papers in some.

According to Karma Ura’s report on findings of GNH survey 2010, these prevailing factors have amounted to poor response of monastic schools on health in the GNH survey 2010. “Young monks are severely stressed, may be because they are forced to memorize and not able to cope up after short hours of sleep”, Ura empathizes.

The level of stress can be felt obviously, if one look at the arduous hours of monk’s life in a monastery. Inside the monastery, the day begins as early as 4am in summer and 5:30am in winter, where juvenile monks get a concession of starting the day at 6:30am.

Corporal punishments are said to be banned in schools, but monks are still disciplined with the traditional whip and cane by the teachers. Even young children who tend to be little defiant of the monastic rules are thrashed and whipped. But the school principals are not happy about the safeguarding and implementation of child rights, and for them that is making the child to be spoiled writes Kuensel dated March 25, 2013.

Two psychiatrists in the country, Dr Chencho Dorji and Dr D K Nirola say that they attend a number of nuns, lay monks and monks living in monastic schools, mostly of the age group 15-25 who suffer from mental illness.

Among the older nuns and monks, the common problem is hypertension, anemia and diabetes. Nuns are more anemic.

Health insurance is offered by the royal insurance corporation limited to 7424 monks and nuns until now, but that does not cover the preventable diseases like STI or HIV/AIDS.  Other diseases covered by the insurance policy are heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, gallstones, gastritis etc.

‘Bhutanese have rights to get their crimes identified’

Businessman-turned-writer YN Chamlagai said resettled Bhutanese have their rights to get their crimes identified by the Bhutanese regime. He is a businessman based in Damak of Jhapa district.

According to Chamlagai, these people are innocent citizens of Bhutan, who were forcefully expelled from their homeland and they must get their crimes identified from the Government of Bhutan.

“They may be in Nepal or elsewhere. Their family might have been separated. But, Bhutan must identify their crimes they have committed due to which they were expelled from their country,” said Chamlagai, who has recently published a novel titled Sachhi documenting early arrivals of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.

On behalf of the Bhutan News Service, journalist Binod Dhungel has talked to Chamlagai regarding various aspects of the Bhutanese refugee issue and about the novel.