The Land of Thunder Dragon

v Introduction

Bhutan is a landlocked mountainous kingdom between two giants China and India, the land of thunder dragon, with area of 38,117 sq. Km and population of approx. 8 lakhs. Thimphu is the Capital city of Bhutan; major religion is Buddhism & national game Archery. 72% of land is covered by forest, constitution has law of keeping at least 60% of land as forest in future. It is the only carbon neutral country (In fact carbon negative) in the world. Basic education and health facilities are all free in Bhutan. The country which measures its development by happiness index, worlds happiest nation. The first road was only paved in 1961. There is no traffic light in whole country. Tshering Tobgay is the prime minister and Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (The King since 2006: Former king was Jigme Sigme wankchuk). In 1994, one of the glacier lake bursts causing devastating flood (Biggest calamities). Agriculture is major occupation. Hydroelectricity is important source of economy, exporting electricity to neighboring country like India. Bhutan’s white gold “Water”. Big hydropower projects are ongoing. Tobacco and plastic is completely banned here. Television and internet were banned till 2001 in Bhutan. Polygamy is not illegal, but same sex marriage is illegal. Bhutan ranks 25^th on corruption perception index. They call it the last Shangri-La, tourism is not very much encouraged limiting <3000 tourist per year and charge high $300 per day. Its compulsory to wear their cultural clothes and speak national language (Cultural preservation).

v Bhutan Conflict

o   Initially, in 1620, few Newari craftsmen from Kathmandu were called by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (Bearded Lama/ unifier of Bhutan) to make a silver stupa to contain the ashes of his father. Since then, people of Nepalese origin started to settle in uninhabited areas of southern Bhutan. The south soon became the country's main supplier of food. Bhutanese of Nepalese origin “Lhotshampas” were flourishing along with the economy of Bhutan. Settlement in Bhutan of many people from Nepal happened in the early 20th century.

o   The numbers of new immigrants were swelling. Amnesty was given through the Citizenship Act of 1958 for all those who could prove their presence in Bhutan for at least 10 years prior to 1958. On the other hand, the government also banned further immigration in 1958 but due to poor governance and large scale immigration continued as construction workers for making road (Thimphu-Phuntsholing highway) or in other way.

o   Perceiving this growing dichotomy as a threat to national unity as well as greater Nepal movement fear, the government promulgated directives in the 1980s that sought to preserve Bhutan's cultural identity "One Nation, One People" policy by making compulsory to wear Driglam Namzha and speak Dzongkha as the national language. Nepali was discontinued as a subject in the schools. The government, for its part, perceived that free Nepali-language education had encouraged illegal immigration into southern Bhutan.

o   The Citizenship Act of 1985 clarified and attempted to enforce the Citizenship Act of 1958 in order to control the flood of illegal immigration. In 1980, the government conducted its first real census exercise. The basis for census citizenship classifications was the 1958 "cut off" year, the year that the Nepali population had first received Bhutanese citizenship. Those individuals who could not provide proof of residency prior to 1958 were adjudged to be illegal immigrants.

o   Its major concern was to avoid a repeat of events that had occurred in 1975 when the monarchy in Sikkim was ousted by a Nepalese majority in a plebiscite and Sikkim was absorbed into India. Government also was afraid that the large influx of Nepalese might lead to their demand for a separate state in the next ten to twenty years, in much the same way as happened in the once-independent monarchy of Sikkim in the 1970s.

o   Early 1990s: People (Bhutan Peoples Party) began protest/armed, government declared them as terrorist and imprisoned them, tortured and forced to fill voluntary migration form. Bhutan government targeted this community, & it came under military rule. Besides government, non-Lhotshampa ethnic group also started fighting against them. There are report of arrest, rape and torture. Schools, hospitals, business and post offices in the south were forced to close and many lost their jobs. After this, much of the community began to leaving en-masses in 1990 and 1991. They ran away from Bhutan to India where they were not welcomed, and they finally came to Nepal. Nepalese government and UNHCR jointly helped to establish 7 refugee camps in Jhapa.

o   The debate about the future of the community during this time was heated and occasionally violent, with some favoring repatriation in Bhutan, and others favoring integration in Nepal, and still others favoring third-country resettlement. Third-country resettlement only emerged as a serious option in 2007. This is a choice available to members of the refugee community who are registered at the camps. Resettlement is not forced. In the beginning, this choice was very controversial, in part because those who supported a return to Bhutan believed third-country resettlement undermines the political movement to return to Bhutan. Those who are among the first to choose resettlement in 2007 often did not speak publicly about their choice before they left out of fear of retribution. As more have left, the choice is becoming more accepted. Still, it’s important to recognize that families continue to agonize over whether it is the right choice for them. 
The United States has agreed to resettle the most refugees, and Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands are also accepting significant numbers of refugees.

Prevent Your Eyes

Many people at present are found to be suffering from computer vision syndrome.

पहिरो

पहिरो: विपतलाई रोक्न नसकेपनी त्यसबाट हुने क्षतीलाई कम गर्न सकिन्छ । बाटो बनाउन ट्र्याक, ढल , दायाँबायाँ पर्खाल चाहिन्छ । हाम्रोमा ट्र्याक लाई नै बाटो मानिन्छ । डोजर को दुरुपायोग, जहाँ पायो तेहीँको पहाडी भागमा बाटो बनायो, डोजरवालाले आफ्नो स्वार्थअनुसार र सरोकारवालाले आफ्नो स्वार्थ अनुसार बाटोको Direction तोड्मोड गर्नाले पनि पहिरो निम्त्याउछ । 

नेपाली क्रिकेट यात्रा

मलाई आज फेरी जितको भोक लागेको छ,
धोएर नजाने देशभक्तिको रोग लागेको छ। 
उता देशलाई चिनाउँदैछन खेलाडी विश्वसामु,
यता कायर नेताहरु देख्दा बिजोग लागेको छ ।

#NepalVsNetherland

नारी

अचानोझैं रेष्टुराका खाटखाटमा तिमी छौ

अंग अंग छुने पापी हातहातमा तिमी छौ

साँझ पख भट्टी नेर एक हुल भमराको

तिनले पिउने सोमरसको मातमातमा तिमीछौ

अँधेरोमै आँचल फेर्ने कस्तो रिती यो शहरको

झिलमिलिमै पाप छोप्ने रातरातमा  तिमी छौ

छुवाछुतको नारालाउने पट्टीबाँधी चुम्छन तिमीलाई

ठुला देखी साना सम्म जातजातमा तिमी छौ

बत्ती निभ्दा शुरु भई बलेपछी छुट्ने माया

नारीमाथि चलिरहने घातघातमा तिमी छौ

फुलजती मनकी रानी घरअकी रानी बनाउँदा

भमराले कुल्चि हिंड्ने पातपातमा तिमी छौ

पाँचमिनेटलाई लाख दिने धनी साधु रम्दैगर्दा

खुशी बेची आँसु साट्ने बातबातमा तिमी छौ

अचानोझैं रेष्टुराका  खाटखाटमा तिमी छौ

अंग अंग छुने पापी  हातहातमा तिमी छौ      

Just Try

This is probably the first sketch that I tried... Though you might find it funny, it's better than my expectation.
#Thank You...

White Coat

Photo: Patan Academy of Health Sciences 3rd Batch students taking oath at white coat ceremony

For a moment, can you just close your eyes & try to visualize an image of doctor: majority of chances is that your virtual doctor will be standing in front of you in a neat WHITE COAT with smiley face. The point that I am trying to mention here is, a long white coat with loose fitting style, big buttons, big pockets and flat neck collar & an ID card tagged at chest has become an unique identity of physicians, though it’s not just their trademark. White coat has it’s own stories and values. So many peoples in the universe somewhere sometimes in some phase of life wants to own it but very few succeeds. I was lucky enough to make my dream come true when I was selected for medical education. I still remember the day, for the first time in life, I was wearing a white coat during white coat ceremony at PAHS. Since that very first moment of intimacy, I have gathered so many experiences of life wearing that coat: both memorable & unpleasant ones. During those initial days of my medical school we were allowed to go to hospital on white coat just a day on a week for an hour : to have history taking practice. While being at ward on coat, I always wished that someone to whom I know to come & notice me. It was matter of pride for me. But none of such incidence happened. That was the time we used to take photo on white coat and post it on social sites like facebook and feel wonderful to get so many likes there. Now, I feel like we didn’t do justice with it at that time. Probably I was not mature enough to understand White Coat. It was not that type of coat people wear to show their personality, their status. The coat without tie, the coat which is not said unfitting even if long up to knee & very big like sac, the one that you won't be keeping inside your drawer for the occasion of your friend's marriage. White coat itself has great value much more than just a cloth. It is a sign of professionalism. It symbolizes the one who bears responsibility to listen people’s problems, responsibility to address them in professional way.  It may be surprising that prior to 19^th century, doctors didn't use to wear white coat rather they used to have black one. Then why colour inversion at that time? It has own story found in different websites but in my thinking, Probably because Whiteness of the coat is symbol of holiness/pureness, symbol of care, symbol of credibility. But there is no greatness of wearing white coat only. Even a child can have it if asked in tailor to have so. But what is the difference? The difference lies in not letting to have dark spots on it. Do I mean dark spots that our commercial wheel or surf excels claim to clean? That might be the one reason. I have seen few white coats in my hospital hanged without any hesitation which were so dirty that its sleeve & neck collar was almost dark (moving inhabitant of micororganisms). Those are very easy to wash. But actually what I am trying highlight here is that spot which may hurt people's feelings, which may not fulfill patient's expectations, which will ruin doctor's credibility and respect. The day you wear white coat is the day you should start carrying huge huge responsibility for the patients and for the society. Mind it, it's not only that much lucrative as it seems. You are the one to whom people don't want to meet as far as possible. You won't have fans like heroes, you won't have lots of money if you are sincere server, even one in your locality might not know you. But feel proud that you are that blessed one to whom even stranger do trust and share their secretes, share sorrows and share feelings. Feel proud that you are that magic train in which people climb up with sufferings and climb down with luggage of happiness. So try to understand the value of profession, value of that coat. But not always a doctor prefer to wear it & sometimes may be logical (though not always). For example: pediatric populations may start to cry at a moment you meet them if you are in white coat , psychiatric patients may have reluctance to talk with the one in white coat, in case of white coat hypertension etc. But in my hospital, I have noticed most of the senior doctors don’t wear it & all of them are not pediatricians or psychiatrists. Then why? Reasons are yet to be explored. So, the one in my hospital without white coat is either a patient or a senior consultant.

Thus, by now, as a future physician white coat has become part of my life. Everyday along with some books, copy & pen I do carry white coat in my bag to hospital. I just celebrated 3^rd anniversary of my relationship with it. Since then, it has been torn & repaired, has become dirty & washed, in the same way as my hopes, thoughts & identity. These sleepless nights, these bulky books are all dedicated to the “White Coat” who is going to be a silent bridge between me and my responsibility to those in suffering. Still it's a long way to go when I will be feeling myself matched enough with that coat which is still far above my standard...
#Thank You...