Just my Thoughts

Finally, after more than a decade, Project DANTAK cryingly completed the construction of much hyped Chukha-Damche bypass road. Like many other Bhutanese commuters, I am excited too about shortened distance and prospect of cost saving on ever expensive fuel.  In an opening ceremony, our Prime Minister said, the road would remain as a symbol of Indo-Bhutan friendship. But I have other feelings. That patch of road would remain as a symbol of Project DANTAK’s unceasing love for constructing (so called the best) roads for us. They have been building roads for us far too long and I think it’s about time they allow us to do it for ourselves. We thank them for all their love and support and they should now rest. Today we have our own national builders who are technically more equipped. We have work force who possess skills and experience in building our own roads and bridges, if not hydro powers. But it’s the irony of the century that we still depend so much on some of the substandard foreign builders. Long time ago, I once met an official from DANTAK. I asked him whether the bypass would actually see the lights of completion days. I made a reference to India-China competition and told him that elsewhere in China, they are building 78 km of roads per night. But here you are taking ages to build just 29 KM road. Unable to tolerate my mild criticism, the official got mad and left the place.

Yesterday evening, I was watching some news on CNN and NDTV channels. Most of the contents are as disappointing as it can get. Americans are scratching their heads while their President continue to wreak havoc in political spectrum. Historically, it’s astonishing to see American President honeymooning with Russian President in a closed door room and later admitting that he fumbled with a simple word ‘Would’.  

In India, mob lynching and raping it seems have become the order of the day. On the other hand, BJP is obsessively fearful about the dynastic Congress and Muslim vote bank. But let’s be honest, what is not so dynastic in Indian Politics? Besides Gandhis, Look at the Lalus and Sinhas of Bihar, the Yadavs  and Yogis of UP, The Abdullahs and Muktis of J&K, Solankis and Patels of Gujarat,  Jogis and Shuklas of Chhattisgarh. The list will go on. Now with Modi in the center, there is an emergence of strong man politics and the world is Namo there. In brief, there is nothing great to learn from oldest and biggest democracies of the world at the moment.

There is this jolly guy called Richard Quest who says, the racial harmony is a cord yet to be struck in America. And in the similar line, I thought religious harmony in a secular India is another cord yet to be struck.

In my office, world cup fever is yet to subside. Some won and many lost their bets.  In between, wave of momo party and pizza party are happening haphazardly from the winners. For the last two days, I was busy moving between the groups, eating momo, drinking tea and munching slices of pizza. The slim advantage of being a senior in the office is that you get multiple invitation and in the end you risk getting stomach disorder.

Pay Revision and My Indifference

In one of my earlier post, I remember writing that I am Customs officer by profession. I also wrote myself being a blogger and reader by passion. Didn't I ? I think I did so. But of late, with smuggling rate shooting up, I am getting bogged down with writing various reports, preparing exhibits, gathering evidence and handing over the people to the Police.

Thanks to such events, I have now discovered a new writing skill. Its called writing the "Chronology of Event". Mind you, it is totally different form of writing from what I normally do. My superiors, friend and colleagues,  big and small keep telling me that its a serious business. So I need to be cent percent conscious.

And here is another thing that is keeping me on my knees and toes. -writing meeting minutes. Sometime I get the feeling that I am becoming a professional minute keeper.

Yesterday, to the happiness of all the Bhutanese civil servants, the National Assembly of Bhutan has finally announced the much awaited (upward) pay revision. Its long over due, but the delay is understandable. Our exchequer, according to talk of the town has gone high and dry on resources. Seriously, when our current Government promised pay hike along with the housing allowance, I really did not believe. For once, I thought that our much talked about pay revision is any thing but a grim possibility even with the presence of Buddha and his blessing. With all sorts of austerity measures in place, our present government, who otherwise promised power and change to the people are rumored to have played the "pay revision politics".

Whatever may be, civil servants will earn more starting this July. So Big Thank you to our Government. Temporary and volatile it may be, it is a cause for celebration. Vehicle quota seems gone, but who cares, there is handy Nu. 160,000 coming. DSA has gone up Nu.1000 per day. Mileage is up too. Nu 6 for low ranks and Nu 16 for high ranks looks ridiculous though. But again, who cares. Let me not go further. But as a Revenue and Customs official I am bit nervous and worried. Because this calls for us to collect more from our tax payers. To make affairs such as these sustainable, it calls for Revenue and Customs people to sweat more, shed more tears, take in more criticisms, and face more allegations.  Interestingly, not many seem to know this.

There are few things that I am not able to understand about the recent pay revision. First. For civil servants, revision percentage is descending as we move up. Second. What  is the rationale behind revision for MPs by more than 50%. I am sorry but this reminds me of a Book called "Animal farm" by George Orwell (where it says only Pigs deserves to drink milk, but I am not saying our MPs are pigs)  Third. Why our PM is begging not to take the proposed hike. Fourth. There is no mention of my department and many other uniformed departments when it comes to uniform allowance. I can go on. But we all know, how pleasing everyone is perpetual impossibility in democratic society.

Now here is the reason why I am saying its a temporary and volatile affair. With pay hike, civil servants will even pay more too. As such house owners have already revised their rental charges. With this revision, it gives them the motivation to do it one more time. Shopkeepers and vegetable vendors are seen celebrating. Prices of meat have gone up and so would the prices of other commodities in coming days.

On many occasions, I bought goods on credit because my bank balance ran low.  I did not respond to those miss calls because my voucher ran low too. Some other time, my family just enough to see the month end and not more. Today am happily managing with just one pair of shoes. And happily I tell people that I am somehow managing to keep my pot boiling. I have sailed across a high and rough inflationary tides and I survived. I don't know whether the proposed hike of 21% would actually cover the inflation. But I have now come to agree that living is no easy business but can be made even without the hike in pay. So I think Pay revision is not the solution at this age but our frugality is. Therefore I am bit indifferent to this revision.

Of Political Debates

Of late I have seen a lot of political debates going on everywhere. The debate hosted by BBS have become  a very popular show of the hour. Good or not its eating up most of my precious evening hours.  Sometimes I am forgoing my evening walk, which is a dangerous thing for a man who is putting on weight. Sometime I am even forgetting to water my vegetable garden, which is again not a good thing when there is a galloping inflation in the vegetable market. In this account, I think I am making a big compromise. The only consolation I have is that I am sacrificing my precious time hearing from people who are soon going to become our  representatives.

Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering

Lyonpo Ugyen in his former days.

If at all I knew anything about Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, then I knew his simplicity and humbleness. As many Bhutanese put it, I knew him as "simple Lyonpo". To me, Lyonpo resembles one person in Bhutan. Rare and scare just like himself. Late Lhalung Thuskey Rimpoche of Bumthang and Lyonpo Ugyen are to me, the Kings of simplicity. They are the rarest. A one in a million species. 

Thanks to BBS and Mrs Namgay Zam, I am today able get more insight into the lives of an extraordinary being who, I think has put all his heart and soul for the cause of our nation. Physically challenged and weakened to bottom by a deadly parkinsion, it is inspiring all the more to hear him share his dreams for future Bhutan. It is unfortunate that such a deadly disease crippled a man who have lot in his mind for his fellow country man. I am humbled to the core.

Listening to him, I felt reconnected with our past. I realized how Lyonpo and his group pulled our nation to its current glory. Step by step. Those were the people responsible for our peaceful existence today. I would highly recommend every Bhutanese, both young and old to watch this clip. Lyonpo has spoken his heart. I  am sure this will be of immense help for all of us in understanding our history, our culture, our foreign policy, our democracy, our freedom and our responsibility towards our Tsa wa sum. 

To me Lyonpo's dream Bhutan with rope ways looks very promising. If properly thought about and then implemented, I think it has the true potential or rescuing our economy, which at the moment is heeding towards a dangerous direction with billions in debt. This is because rope ways means less fuel import, less car import and altogether a less money going to road which are difficult to maintain. Besides this, Lyonpo's dream of revolutionizing the use of Information Technology are far far captivating. 

I fully agree with Lyonpo, on not rushing up things with impatient China. We indeed are like a child in the field of fostering foreign policies with mighty China. I also agree with Lyonpo that we have lot to learn from China in other fields through the goods and services that are already available in our country. As Lyonpo said, Bhutanese people are indeed "valley people" and not "mountain people" as proclaimed. No doubt about that. We have lot to learn what is behind the mountains! Perhaps, miles to go before we rest.  

I thank Aum Patricia Tshering for giving our Lyonpo the most deserving care and affection in his most needy time. Perhaps that's why women are called the better half of men. I personally feel sorry for this. Our Lyonpo's family sincerely do not deserve such a tragedy. I pray to Buddha of medicine for his quick recovery... .

I am Being Warned for Questioning My MP!

5th July 2011. This morning, I called up my father. He said he is recovering from his illness. In convincing me about his recovery, he even told me about his progress in making over 100 rounds around our village Lhakhang. Like wise, I talked with my mother and she said she is doing equally fine. As a son, I took this good news over all possible good news.

At home. Before I came to my office, I woke up my daughters from their bed and made them wash their face and clean themselves. And during our breakfast time, I told them to be good girls. I also told them not to mess our  house and their cloths and overburden their grandma (my mother-in-law).  Finally I came to  my office after kissing all my three daughters and promising them a plenty of choms in the evening. In very customary manner, my loving and affectionate wife saw me off at the door and reminded me of my "sensitive" job. She told me to take care.

Few hours into my duty, my immediate boss rang me and said this devastating piece of news. "you are being warned by Director, in writing for writing a letter to your MP". This is truly heartbreaking thing. I believed in the words our Prime Minister to consult my MP on issues of national interest. As a civil servant, I love my department for which I have moral obligation to serve with utmost dedication, loyalty, trust, faith, integrity and respect. As a civil servant, I am also mindful "not to criticize policies, programs and actions of the Government in public or in media". But however as enshrined in our constitution, I have my freedom of  expression (at least in my blog/journal, if not in public) As a responsible citizen who was brought up and nurtured by the policies and guidelines made by our fore fathers, I  know what is good and what is not for  our country. I am equally a matured man who have friends in the law making body.  Even as a Civil servant, the Civil Service Act of Bhutan (Chapter 4, section 55 (h) confers me the right to "express opinions on the lawfulness and purposefulness of orders including constructive criticism and suggestions" (at least in my journal /blog)

It was on a joyous occasion of our beloved King's birth day (21.02.2011) that our first democratically elected Prime Minister, gave every citizen (which i think also includes civil servants) to interact and question our MPs on issues that are of national interest (example: Tobacco Control Act 2010)

It was in line with that permission, I, as a concern citizen wrote a letter to my MPs and NOT to any media house for publication. There was neither a profit motif nor a criminal intent in it. (Read it for yourself) More importantly, I wrote that letter NOT in my capacity as civil servant, but as an electorate who voted for them. 

Anyways, I thank my Director for reminding me about my dos and donts. I also thank my immediate boss for being very candid and honest. However I still firmly believe that my blog doesn't contain anyhing that is "sensitive" other than few stories related to myself and a letter to my MP.

Thank you all for reading my story once again. 

   

A letter to Member of Parliament Representing Bumthang.

Picture Courtesy: Google

Dasho(s)

 By profession,  I am a Customs officer working in Paro International airport. And today I write this epistle to you NOT as a civil servant, but as a concern citizen form your constituency; - Bumthang, Ura, Shingkhar.

Of the many agencies involved in successful implementation of the recent Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010, my department has always been in the forefront.  Successful implementation of the act to some extent depended on the initiatives and resoluteness of our team as well. Today we are in the 6^th month of its implementation and strangely the act has come under a sharp criticism not only from our own citizens but also from the foreigners too.

However, I am not here to give justification on their behalf. Rather I am here to share my own opinion with you as suggested by our Excellency Prime Minister. With this I am also hopeful that interaction like this will have positive impact and will go a long way in the history of consultative law making in our peaceful country.

Personally speaking, I am a non smoker. Therefore I have a devilish allergy to the smokes especially of the tobacco. It is no doubt that so many people are falling victim to this evil addiction and that there was a genuine need for the state to curb it. It was indeed a very noble initiative for our Parliament to have come with such a timely act. I am a pro Tobacco control act and as a citizen, sincerely salute our Parliament for the concern.

I am a firm believer in Buddhism too.  But my endeavor to regard tobacco as against it has yielded no results yet. Considering the pains and sufferings it brought to those innocent addicts, I still consider it as an ill product that deserves to be kept at bay forever.  It’s a genuine fight and that we need to fight it collectively and responsibly.

 A thing of fight against tobacco has become a worldwide phenomenon and that we are not alone fighting this war. Many countries in the world are today fighting the same war. This is nothing unprecedented and that it requires dedication, time and patience. Worldwide experience shows that Countries who came out victorious are the ones who fought the war with extra care and diligence. 

But, here we are, stuck somewhere in the middle of the war. With the coming of noble intended act, rampant criminalization of its citizens has thus ensued. We seem to have gotten our war strategy wrong, because the otherwise godly intended act has been marred by atrocious penalties it contained.

If I am not wrong, our Dzongkhag was the first Dzongkhag to have banned the sale and distribution of any tobacco products. Befitting to numerous sacred relics, places and monasteries in the locality, the decision was supported by the majority of people. But sadly the failure to uphold the decision was not only poor but was lamentingly disastrous. The black market thrived.

 Taking these facts into consideration, you should have been the first person to have voiced about the consequences besides wider varieties of alternatives like education, counseling, awareness and other tobacco cessation programmes. Little more consultation (if done) with people would have also helped you contribute substance to the act when it was being debated in the house.

The recent ‘Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010’ failed to live up to the expectations of common citizens. Most think its "draconian" and illogical. No act/law in the History has ever imprisoned its citizens like it did and today citizens are calling for the immediate amendment.  Amendment, I think is being called for because we realize something is not really right. This is not only a failure by the law makers but failure of all the citizens too. As a Nation we are equally responsible!

In saying, let the bygone be bygone, let us not forget that if a Nation building is a journey then let us take each single step together with extra care and diligence. With this let us also learn to fall back when we know the way ahead is rough and slippery.

So, I am urging you as my representative to revisit the act once again and do the necessary amendments (if possible) within the earliest possible date. I am saying this because other then the detention centers and prisons; more schools, more hospitals, clean water, continuous power and good roads are something we pressingly need at the moment. I believe our Government is working on it, day and night and more still needs to be done.

With respect,

Sincerely

Kuenzang Thinley

Bumthang, Ura, Shingkhar