Tshering Tobgay

Watching BBS

January 5, 2009Media

Consider this: The BBS has already televised the prime minister’s speech during the National Day celebrations in Pema Gatshel on four different days – 23rd December, 25th December, 28th December and 31st December.Now consider this: The BBS has televised His Majesty the King’s address to the nation during the National Day celebrations in Thimphu only on one day – 17th December.

A Girl with AIDS

January 4, 2009Culture, Health

My blogging efforts are paying off – yesterday I was invited to a private screening of “A Girl with a Red Sky”, a film about HIV/AIDS.The film is short. But it is powerful. Tashi Gyeltshen, the film’s writer and director, presents a series of matter-of-fact conversations between the protagonist, a nine-year old girl dying of AIDS, and Death who has come to get her.The film highlights the horrors of HIV/AIDS from a very different perspective – it shows Death shocked by the ruthlessness of the dreaded disease.“A Girl with a Red Sky” was funded by UNICEF and YDF, and…

Dragon Mania

January 3, 2009Civil society

There’s a festival going on at the Clock Tower Square. It’s an art festival. And it features the dragon, our county’s namesake. Young artists have gathered to create dragons of all types, sizes and colours. And our children are invited.Take your children there. It’s warm and sunny outside. And the organizers have put together a range of activities to keep children and parents busy and interested. Naturally, there are plenty of dragons. Plus there are exhibitions, calligraphy, music, outdoor chess, street art, juggling, on-the-spot art classes, and rock climbing.Rock climbing? Yes, rock climbing. The clock tower, it turns out,…

No to bags

January 2, 2009Miscellaneous

The first item the National Assembly debated yesterday was bags. To be precise, bags worth Nu 1800. It turns out that traditionally, members of the National Assembly are given a bag each at the start of every session. This tradition is not uncommon – countless bags and satchels have been distributed in workshops and seminars throughout the kingdom. For this session of the National Assembly, the DHI offered to present the bags.Trouble is we are not allowed to accept gifts valued above Nu 1000. So the honourable members unanimously decided not to accept the bags.This is significant and historic.…

What’s in a name?

January 1, 2009People6 Comments

My friends call me Massive. And many of them still don’t know my real name. But I don’t have a problem with that. In fact, I like my nickname. It’s short. It’s unique. And it’s easy to remember.My nickname is an adjective without a noun. So it makes people think. And wonder about that always absent noun. It causes embarrassment. And disappointment. But I’ve had other embarrassing and disappointing nicknames too.My first nickname was a question. At five, before I knew a word of English, I was sent to a boarding school in India. There my teachers and fellow-students…

Resolutions for 2009

December 31, 2008Miscellaneous

Frankly, I’m surprised at how many people have been reading my blogs. And very grateful. I want to thank all of you for your support. Whether you agree with my views or not is unimportant. That you take the time to visit and read and comment is important. And for that, I thank you all very much.This is my final post for 2008 – my resolutions for the New Year. They’re in no particular order.1. To read at least 12 books. Or, better still, at least one book each month. Anything remotely resembling a piece of legislation will not…

High time

December 31, 2008Government

Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk announced that the government has called all the dzongdags to Thimphu. And that in January, the government will meet all them. Very good. It’s almost nine months since the new government took office, and they haven’t yet briefed the dzongdags. So I was getting seriously concerned. Dzongdags, after all, are the chief executives in the dzongkhags, and are responsible for translating the government’s policies and plans into action. He also announced that a meeting with all the gups and the DYT chairmen would follow. Very, very good.

A shocking reminder

December 31, 2008Security

I offer my condolences to the families and friends of the six people who were ambushed in Phibsoo, Sarpang yesterday. Four of them were brutally murdered and two are said to be in critical condition. My prayers and support are with them during this difficult period. This outrageous act was committed by terrorists, and is a direct attack on our nation. We must, as His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo has repeatedly commanded, “act and think as one” to defend the security and sovereignty of our nation. I will support, without reservation, the government’s efforts to catch the perpetrators…

Fighting for equity and justice

December 31, 2008Government

It's been six months since I questioned the legality of the appointment of DPT party workers to the Cabinet. The government has not addressed my concerns. So I’ve decided to go to ACC. Here’s what I’ll tell them: That in mid-June, five DPT party workers were appointed to the Cabinet. One has since resigned, but four of them continue to work under the government’s payroll. That on 19th July, the RCSC approved the proposal to recruit four staff on “contract basis” for the Cabinet. By then the DPT party workers had already been working for more than a month.…

Sunday movie

December 30, 2008Culture

I saw a movie on Sunday.Drinchen (gratitude) is a love story that contrasts life in rural and urban Bhutan. And it draws attention to growing conflict between traditional and modern values. It is directed by Kezang P. Jigme, and stars Lhaki Dema (Best Actress 2003 for Chepai Bhu), Tshering Phuntsho and Kezang Tobden.Drinchen is playing in Trowa, Changjiji. You should see it for three reasons.One, you’ll enjoy the movie. The storyline is good. It has serious messages, but it is light. It’s enjoyable.Two, you’ll support the local film industry. Bhutan makes about 18 feature films on average each year.…

Rubbish!

December 29, 2008Nature

I am excited about the prime minister’s assurances that Thimphu will be one of the cleanest cities in the world by 2011. But I am not excited about how he plans to do it.It appears that the government has decided to buy a waste incinerator capable of burning 40 tonnes of waste at a time. It should reconsider its decision.Incinerators must burn continuously. So they require a constant supply of garbage. And the bigger the incinerator, the larger will be the amount of garbage needed to keep it running. As a result, we may need to produce more, not…

Thimphu’s shame

December 29, 2008Nature

I went on a field trip today. To the Memelakha landfill. That’s where our garbage ends up everyday.The landfill was built in 1992 and was designed to last for 10 years. But the actual landfill lasted only for 6 years. Since then the area has been used as a dumping ground. It continues to be used as such.The landfill should have been lined with layers of concrete, plastic and concrete to prevent leakage. It wasn’t. So potentially toxic liquid seeps out of the walls and flows into a stream, which ends up in our river.As soon as the landfill…

Paying commission

December 28, 2008Government, Political parties1 Comment

Public anxiety over the pay hike issue is on the rise. And a lot of grief and surprise is directed at the huge increase that we, politicians, are expected to get – the pay commission has recommended an increase of 130% for the prime minister, 66% for ministers and 100% for parliamentarians. The public should be surprised. After all, the previous cabinet had already approved the draft Parliamentary Entitlement Acts and made public what aspiring politicians could expect to earn. And that was essentially Nu 30,000 per month plus 20% for house rent plus a chauffeur-driven car. Everyone knew…

Happy Lomba

December 27, 2008Culture

My mother is a Khengpa and dad is a Haap. So our family has always celebrated both New Years.Haaps (and Parops) celebrate Lomba, their new year, on the 29th day of the 10th month – that was yesterday.Celebrating Lomba means eating huge quantities of hoentoe – buckwheat dumplings stuffed with dried turnip-greens, cheese and lots of butter. Good stuff.Lomba also means sharing this delicacy with friends as an expression of one’s love, affection and loyalty to them.All this means backbreaking work for Tashi, my long-suffering wife. Lomba would, indeed, be difficult without her!I wish everyone Lomba Tashi Delek!

Pay lip service?

December 27, 2008Government

Do you know why the government has published the pay commission’s proposal? I don’t. The pay commission’s proposal is already outdated – the ministry of finance’s proposal being based on it. So why not publish the MOF proposal? In fact, why not publish whichever proposal the government has approved? Article 30.3 of our Constitution, “The recommendation of the (Pay) Commission shall be implemented only on the approval of the Lhengye Zhungtshog and subject to such conditions and modifications as may be made by Parliament”, can be interpreted in at least two ways: One, that the government has the authority…