Stating that their initiative was based on the public opinions and suggestions individually and publicly, a meeting of the Organization of Bhutanese Communities in America (OBCA) on Wednesday has called the Association of Bhutanese in America (ABA) for a dialogue to move ahead together.
In a formal letter sent to the President of ABA, Bhakti Sharma, chief coordinator for the first national convention organization committee, has urged the ABA to come forward for creating a congenial atmosphere so that all Bhutanese can sit together, chart out our road map for future and work for the prosperity and glory of our community in America in particular, and the entire Bhutanese community across the globe, in general.
“As we understand, there is no difference between us. We have struggled together for the sake of our people in Bhutan and have been struggling even today; we also sweated together during both the influx of Bhutanese (refugees) and their management in the camps in Nepal in early 90s,” reads the statement, adding- “We had to undergo untold hardship and suffering during the last two decades as refugees. The establishment of OBCA is an attempt expressing the desire and commitment of the selfless young community volunteers emerging from various cities and states towards their community during the transitional phase in the new set up.”
OBCA further said that they wanted to ensure that the joint initiative will be able to facilitate the process of transformation of our community into the mainstream American society with grace and dignity.
Urging the ABA to rise up above the organizational interest for the sake of the innocent and downtrodden people, OBCA has stated that their call for unity is for the greater cause of the Bhutanese Community and, it should not, at any cost, be misconstrued in other ways.
Announced formally on May 7, OBCA, calling their initiative as a “dialogue”, however, has not mentioned anything about its nature. OBCA has already slated the date for the first national convention on June 18-19 in Georgia.
