Farewell Paro Airport.

Paro International airport

Dear Friends,

It was on one cold January morning in 2006, that I first walked to my office; It was my maiden walk to my office; Regional Revenue and Customs Office, Paro. There were two of us, who in the words our ex-boss, 'came with our heads looking for ropes'. After a year long training in financial management, we joined the force of Customs in Paro International airport . 

Initially, with zero knowledge about the job, I honestly had lot of difficulties living up to the expectations of my superiors, clients and colleagues. There were times when my sincere service intentions were equated to  nothing but a harassment. But in five years time I feel I have  progressed a lot. The atmosphere in airport  have truly given me the the opportunity to not only  learn better about my job, but have also enabled me to  learn about other agencies that worked in the same place. These insights have truly made me more humble and  humane for which I wanted to convey my gratitude to all (my friends in airport)

Today, as I leave this place for a cause nobler to me, my family and my country, I would like to take a brief moment to thank all my dear friends with whom I had a very close association, both personally and officially. 

I thank my boss.  Sir Yonten Namgyel, Regional Director, RRCO, Paro for being source of inspiration. He has inspired me to become a humble person in serving our country. Not only that, he was also a motivating factor who inspired me from behind to pursue my writing habits. In him, I saw the traits of not only a leader, but an attributes of a sublime human being.  With this, I would also like to thank my colleagues of RRCO. Paro for being very affectionate and friendly all through my days in Paro.

I thank my supervisor Mrs Yeshey Seldon, for all her feminine wisdoms and intellects. I also thank her for accepting me in my own wholesomeness (blunt and rough). I think she is one person who understands me in and out.

I thank my dear friend Tashi Namgay for standing tall and firm beside me in discharge of our duty as Customs officers. His sense of unity, trust and friendship has always inspired me to work more diligently. I also thank him for being very amusing with his witty jokes.

I thank all my colleagues in airport for being such a wonderful people. They are indeed the reasons of my success. I thank each and every individual for being very open and obedient. Some of them are my very teacher who educated me in my job. Besides, I also thank our office drivers, Aue Dawa and Phuntsho for bearing with me and my way of assigning un planned works for you. You are all commendable comrades.

 I thank Sir Karma Wangchuk, The Joint Director, Civil Aviation  for his dynamic leadership in the airport. He has always been a man who accommodated my suggestions and  pleas. Till date, I may have made over thousands suggestions and recommendations, (both officially and personally) but amazingly he never said no to me on any occasions. 

 I thank Dasho Tshering Penjor, The Chief Security Officer and his team for rendering all the necessary co-operations to my office. I thank all the security officials for being pro customs in the field of enforcement and hope the good relationship will continue to grow and deepen.

I thank the Lieut. Dradul, Officer In-charge of airport Police and Captain Thuji, the former OC, for all the good and friendly relation we had. It was through them, the relationship between Customs and Police actually grew. I hope this relation will further mature and yield a positive result in enforcement field. 

 I thank Mrs. Tshering Doma, Immigration Officer, for being a very good friend all along. I thank her for being very candid and open with me. Personally, I thank her for accommodating with all my nonsense chit chats during our leisure hours too.

I thank the BAFRA team of airport for always being with Customs. We have always shared a common interest and common work place (near same x-ray machine). This apparently said that Customs and BAFRA are inseparable in the field of enforcement. I hope this will remain forever. On the lighter note, I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to BAFRA team for sticking with customs team in the football ground too. We may not have won a single trophy in history, but it was our unity that counted. So do not loose hope. Keep playing.

I thank Mr. Ugyen Namgyel, Catering supervisor and his catering team for all the regard and respect you all had towards me. I thank Mr. Thinley Dorji (captain) for his daily news papers and occasional coffee and snacks. Even though I wasn’t entitled for those facilities, it was all his good heart that counted. So thank you Aue Captain.  On a personal note, I would also like to thank Mr. Ugyen Namgyel for all his support and care during my sickness in 2006. I immensely thank his wife (my distant cousin) and family for accommodating me in their house during my crucial and lonely days.

I thank all the station managers, (Paro station), Drukair, Past and Present for all the good times and co-operation we had together. I thank Mr. Nidup and Mr. Damcho for educating me on the aspects of drukair operation. This knowledge has greatly enabled me to discharge my duty in a more professional manner. I also thank Mr. Ugyen Tashi, the Current station Manager and all his dynamic team of staff for all their co-operation.

I thank Aum Karma Choden, Bank of Bhutan, for all her humanely advices and concerns she had towards me. She was one person who wholeheartedly talked to me about my weakness and flaws. I took her words just like I take my mother’s words. Her words honestly had positive impact in my life I thank her with all my heart. I also thank her for treating me with coffee all the time with imported milk powder.

I thank senior officers like Mr. Tashi Dukpa and Mr.Tashi Penjor of Civil Aviation, for leading us in sports activities in airport. Even though there were some fellas who fancied fighting than footballing, the fact remains as the fact. Every individual enjoyed the game (including me)

I would also like to Thank my friend Mr. Surinder Singh and Mr. Ranga of Indian Air Force Elements (AFE) located in Paro International airport.  These 2 gentlemen have been like a bridge between my office and our Indian counterparts both within  and incoming. I thank the AFE for showering with many gifts on their national important days. It was not only gifting but was also equally educating abut their culture and customs. Thank  you all for your help. I also thank them for providing me a Ray ban sun glass ( which I unfortunately lost to a mechanic who stole away from my car) 

Thank you all for being such a wonderful people to work with. My six years in airport has been anything but truly the most enriching and rewarding era of my life. It is here, I became not only responsible family man, but a responsible citizen of our beautiful country too. With divine experience I gained on daily basis, I have always tried to live up to the expectations of not only my superiors, but have equally strived to also live up to the expectations of you; my dear friends too.

As a Buddhist and more as someone who practices it on daily basis, even in discharge of my duty to Tsa-wa-sum, I have always chosen to follow middle path. As I contemplate in retrospect, it brings to me, a deep sense of delight, knowing that it befitted not only me but to all whom I had an acquaintance, both officially and personally.

 But, a popular adage has it; ‘with good times comes bad times’, obviously there were some bad times in between as well.  As much as I take the pride in acknowledging my good times, I would also like to take this time to acknowledge my bad times without any hesitation too.

As human and more in the vein of unenlightened being, there must have been times where I have acted pernicious. There must have also been times, where I have spoken like serpent. As a young and juvenile officer, I must have also acted unruly, irritating and gossipy. Allow me to take them back. Because I know every human being (including the Lamas) err. Least, I am no exception to this universal law. I know I err and err more to be fittingly called and ‘kachara’ (problematic), ‘za ma tup’ (uneatable) and aggressive ‘zan dre’ (begger who has devils face).

As a man who works for Customs, (In-charge) I couldn’t have asked for a better term. At times, those labels brought me immense satisfaction too. It reminded me of my sincere service to my Country, my King and to my fellow Bhutanese people.

But on the other hand, it saddened me as well. As an enforcement officer, only discretion I had was  my obligation to Government; -to enforce law. With this, I often found myself caught up in the thought of those things that are ethically right, but morally wrong?  I have often spent sleepless nights trying to balance morality and ethicality of law enforcement. Isn’t this a strange thing that I only to arrive at a self consolatory line which says ‘Law enforcement is right on both the counts’?

So,In the light of aforementioned line, I would like to reiterate, that all I did was more  in the interest our law; -to do something right in general- and not to harass or hinder anyone in the process. Even though it’s neither great nor rare, I bear all the responsibility for my deeds. Please forgive me, for forgiveness is to divine. 

Wishing you all a success and Happiness in life. 

With warm regards and respect.

Kuenzang Thinley

Masters in Economics,

Gujrat University,

Ahmedabad, India