Better party

Posted inDemocracy, Political parties
That a group of people in Thimphu are forming a political party comes as very good news. Our two existing parties – one ruling, the other in opposition – cannot offer sufficient choice for democracy to take hold in our country. So we should be excited about the prospects of a third party. And we should encourage them. But we may need even more people to step forward and form political parties. After all, both the existing parties – DPT and the PDP – have huge loans, and may not be around to participate in the 2013 elections. The…

Chhimi visits PM’s visits

Posted inGovernment
Chhimi Dorji gets upset every time our prime minister travels abroad. It’s not that he’s against the head of the government visiting other countries. What bothers him is the number of people who see off and receive our PM. This photograph in Kuensel prompted Chhimi to send me this article.

Parliament endorses LG bill

Posted inLegislature, Local Government
All 67 MPs present at the extraordinary sitting of the Parliament voted “yes” to unanimously pass the Local Government Bill.  The Bill had been narrowly rejected by the Parliament during its third session about six weeks ago. The extraordinary sitting of the Parliament was commanded by His Majesty the King as a special case to reconsider the Local Government Bill, the enactment of which was necessary to hold local government elections and to properly implement the Tenth Five Year Plan. In my statement, after the Parliament cleared the Local Government Bill , I requested the government to render full…

Questioning change

Posted inGovernment, Local Government
So the Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to take over the Centenary Farmers’ Market. Apparently the Cabinet had decided that the Thimphu City Corporation was not managing the farmers’ market properly. The government’s intention is good. They want to ensure that the farmers’ market is well managed; that it is hygienic; and that it benefits our farmers. But the implications are not good. The government risks undermining local government. Accepted, the Thimphu City Corporation may not have done a good enough job managing the farmers’ market. But that is precisely why they need to be supported. And…

Traditional fertility treatment

Posted inHealth, Religion
I read, with interest, Kuensel’s story about Tibetan traditional infertility treatment that is said to be effective in treating 70% of women who are unable to conceive. The same article quotes the National Institute for Traditional Medicine as confirming that serkhaps (golden needle acupuncture) and traditional medicine can successfully treat infertility. But, in addition to traditional medicine, we, in Bhutan, also seek fertility from a wide range of local deities, monasteries, and festivals. Chimi Lhakhang, for example, has granted offspring to countless struggling couples, including international tourists. There are many interesting stories about Chime Lhakhang. If you know any,…

To lyonpo or not

Posted inCulture
Almost six months ago, in March, Ngawang left an unrelated comment on “PDP general convention” asking me if the opposition leader should be called a lyonpo. More recently, another reader – I can’t seem to locate the comment – also asked me the same question. Here’s my answer: it depends. If the title lyonpo refers to the rank of the orange kabney awarded by His Majesty the King, it’s all right to call the opposition leader lyonpo. But if the title lyonpo refers to the position of a cabinet minister, the head of a ministry, then it’s not correct…

Semtokha Dzong

Posted inCulture
The last “Big picture” was of the Semtokha Dzong. Yeshey Dorji, who constributed the picture, has asked me to announce that Kintoen was the first to answer correctly. Kintoen: please contact me by email to collect your prize, lunch at the Musk. The photograph and prize are sponsored by Yeshey Dorji. My favourite feature of the Semtokha Dzong is the roof. The main structure has a gradually sloping roof that is unique in its simplicity. But in 2003, the old roof was replaced in favour of a jamtho and serto, the elaborate golden pinnacle that adorns all the other…

Returning graduates

Posted inEconomy, Employment, Youth8 Comments
Since the start of planned modern development in our country, one of our biggest constraints to progress has been the consistent shortage of human resources. We simply did not have enough skilled and qualified people required to initiate and sustain development. So when our students studying in India and beyond returned home after they graduated, we welcomed them back eagerly. And we were proud of the fact that they – almost every single one of them – chose to return home instead of working abroad. Not any more. Recently, 100 graduates completed a month-long training at Infosys. 37 of…

Working women

Posted inWomen28 Comments
A good 52% of the participants in our last poll said that we do not discriminate against our women. But 44% said that our women do face discrimination. And the rest, that’s hardly 4%, said that they couldn’t tell. A majority of us feel that our women do not suffer discrimination. That’s good. And that must be so. After all, our society is, more or less, matriarchal; inheritance favours daughters; men move in with their wives; wives don’t take their husbands’ names; widows and divorcees can remarry; and our laws protect women. For these reasons, and many more, we…

Ridiculous fun!

Posted inCulture
Our Yangphel Archery season came to a sudden end this afternoon. Team ZIMDRA played TANDIN’S POP n ALL and GADEN PHUNSUM in the last of eight quarterfinal matches. All three teams had decided that they must win to proceed to the semifinals – it would be too difficult to outdo NAMSEYCHOILNG R’s 43 kareys for the only wild card spot. With each of the three teams winning a set each by the 12th round, the three-way contest had become interesting. And, most of the spectators predicted that the winner would be decided by a penalty shootout at the end…

Letter trail

Posted inPolitical parties
Several of you (Pro Media, Zamtap, Sonam, Kudrung and Kids) have asked me to post the letter that Lyonpo Khandu and Dasho Chencho wrote soliciting financial assistance from people who are not registered members of their party. One reader, Kids, almost begged: “I sincerely request your excellency to share the letters with us.” There’s no law prohibiting me from posting the letters (one in Dzongkha, the same in English). Yet, I feel uncomfortable. So please bear with me. But, be assured that my reluctance to post the letters here is not because I don’t want to share the evidence,…

Painful solutions

Posted inHealth
I couldn’t sleep well last night. I shivered and shook, and tossed and turned as powerful antibiotics tried to fight off an infection and a growing fever. I’m a lot better now. But my whole body aches. I feel drowsy. And I spent most of the day in bed. The cause of my misery is my tooth. Yes, it’s the same one that I treated about three months ago. This time the dentist, Dr Pratap Tamang, a veteran, examined my tooth, ordered an x-ray and decided that, if I wanted to save the painful tooth, he would have to…

Running comments

Posted inMiscellaneous6 Comments
I like receiving your comments. They show that you are concerned about the issues raised here. And that you are prepared to discuss them. Naturally, I enjoy comments that agree with and support my views. Please keep them coming! But I find critical comments – even those that are not obviously constructive – useful too. I read them carefully. And reread them. I don’t like editing your comments. And, except for the one time I erased an obscenity, I have not edited any. I don’t reject comments. But I’m closing one on-going discussion. I’m forced do so. “Bhutanese runner”…

Dear Kudrung

Posted inPolitical parties
Kudrung recently sent me a letter. The letter was posted on this blog as a comment to an article. The comment had nothing to do with the article, “Illegal, immoral and dangerous”. Here’s what Kudrung wrote: My Dearest OL, I hate to say this but I just can't hold myself to say aloud how much I envy you. An Opposition Leader with the rank of the cabinet has all the the time in the world to create a blog, moderate them daily, write articles and finally post it. How can he do it ? I only wish I have…