World No Tobacco Day...

Well, no tobacco

Eighty seven people participated in the poll on unemployment. And 75 of them, a whopping 86%, said that unemployment is already a big problem. We need to do a lot more to generate gainful employment. And to make our youth feel more hopeful about their futures.

 I’ve been talking to many youth about their hopes and aspirations, their ambitions and careers, and their fears and insecurities. And about unemployment. I’ll start featuring some of their stories in future entries.

But today, 31 May 2009, is World No Tobacco Day. So I’m reminded of our earlier attempts to discourage tobacco consumption in our country. And of our government’s continuing commitment to ban the cultivation, manufacture and sale of tobacco and tobacco products as proposed in the Tobacco Control Act, which will be tabled for discussion in the third session of parliament.

This week’s poll asks you if a prohibition on the sale of tobacco products is a good idea.

Gasa tshachu...

what we like

We’re in Punakha, back from Gasa. And other than the heart wrenching sight of the damaged tshachu, our hot springs, the quick trip to Gasa was most wonderful.

Gasa’s famous tshachu, a truly national heritage that, over many centuries, has provided hope to countless ailing patients and rest for weary travelers, is no more. On 26^th May, the Mochu changed its course, towards the hot springs, and washed away all the ponds, three shops and a lot of the embankment. Local people and Dzongkhag officials have already tried to locate the springs. But so far, they have not been able to find them.

The good news, however, is that about a year after the last big flood, about fifty years ago, when the tshachu then had also been totally damaged, our people were able to locate the source of the hot springs and redevelop the site. The same must still be possible.

The good news is that, just above the guest houses, there’s a small pond, created by gurgling water. The water is only lukewarm. But dig a few metres and we already may have the possibility to develop a tshachu pond immediately.

And the good news is that tour operators and our government have already indicated their commitment to redevelop the Gasa tshachu. So the recent floods may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to develop the tshachu as a “model” destination for our other hot springs. This, in fact, is just what our tourism sector has been trying to do for a long time.

This was my first trip to Gasa. So I still haven’t enjoyed the hot springs there. But we got to do the next best thing: benefit from a hot stone bath in moenchu, medicinal mineral water.

To Gasa...

Dasho Damcho, MP from Gasa and my only colleague in opposition, and I go to Gasa today. We’ll travel up the Mochu to assess the damage along the river, especially at the hot springs. What we’ve heard is that the historic springs have been completely washed away.

Yangthang’s new bridge...

Together we can!

The recent flash floods hit Haa quite hard. A house was washed away, several houses were submerged, bridges were swept away, and many farmers have lost their entire crop. And we know very little about the extent of damage in Sombaykha and Gakiling simply because no one from these gewogs has made it to the dzongkhag headquarters.

But among all this disaster, I witnessed a comforting story. The village of Yangthang (52 households) had been cut off from the rest of Haa as, during the flash floods, the river had breached its banks and created a new course between the village and the highway. So today, the villagers got together and decided to something about it: they decided to build a temporary bridge. But almost all of them were on their side of the river, so no matter how hard they worked, they would need help from the other side to complete their bridge.

And who showed up to help? Civil servants. When the dzongkhag staff heard about the efforts of the farmers, they, led by the new Dasho Dzongdag, quickly made their way to Yangthang, and took up their position on the bank opposite the stranded villagers.

With farmers working on one side of the river and civil servants on the other, it didn’t take long for the river to be bridged. And, the village of Yangthang to be effectively connected to the rest of Haa.

Tomorrow, to Haa...

Not a pretty sight

Today was surprisingly sunny. We were told to expect more rain. But the weather, at least in Thimphu, couldn’t have been better. It was perfect. I’ve heard that the Dratshang has conducted kurim, prayers, though out our country. Perhaps it was their intervention that turned the weather suddenly around and prevented further damage.

But our country has already suffered serious damage from the yesterday’s storm and flash floods. BBS has reported nine deaths so far. These include two students in Thimphu, one of whom was only seven; six farmers who were harvesting cordyceps in Bumthang; and one DANTAK road worker in Chukha.

Reports of damages to our nation’s infrastructure – roads, bridges, schools and private houses – continues to come in from almost every dzongkhag. One report I received was from Passang Tshering, a teacher in Bajothang: he’d blogged about the flood in Wangduephodrang.

And I’ve received disturbing reports from Haa that some houses have been completely swept away, and that many others are still partially submerged in water. That several bridges have been washed away. That roads are blocked. And that schools, sawmills and a workshop have sustained damages.

So I’m going to Haa tomorrow, to personally assess the scope of damages caused by yesterday’s calamity. And to help.

Yesterday, at Parizampa...

Danger zone

I’ve been thinking about posting videos on this site for quite sometime now. And I’ve already had a few practice runs. Today, we start with the real deal: our first video shows the Wangchu flash flood at Parizampa. That’s where I spent most of the day yesterday, trying to remove the big log that was lodged in the old Bailey bridge there.

Flash floods!...

This photo, of today’s flash flood in Thimphu, was sent to me by Nedup. It shows a swollen Wangchu tumbling down from the Lungtenzampa Bridge. Nedup: thank you.

Continuous rain caused flash floods along the Thimphu valley throughout the day. Punakha, Paro, Haa and Bumthang are among the other valleys also hit by flash floods.

After quickly checking on the dzong area, Sunday Market and Changjiji, I spent the rest of the day monitoring the situation in Parizampa, located slightly upstream from Dechencholing. A log from the old bridge there had fallen into the river, but wouldn’t be swept away as its end was anchored securely to the Bailey structure. The log had to be removed. If it wasn’t, debris could build around it and create a temporary dam, causing even more danger downstream.

With the help of an excavator, RBG and RBA personnel were able to dislodge the log from the bridge and prevent a dangerous situation. I wish to thank the brave soldiers and officers of our armed forces. And thank Ap Gem Tshering, the proprietor of Druk Chachap Construction, who quickly organized and allowed us to use his excavator.

It’s not raining now. But the weather forecast is not good. We are told to expect rain for another two days. And that could mean even more flash floods. So we must work together, every one of us, to contain, as far as possible, the damage to life and property.

Unemployment: a big problem?...

Somehow, during the last few weeks I’ve bumped into several young unemployed people. All of them complained that they tried hard, but couldn’t get jobs. Some of them were continuing to aggressively seek work. But some had given up.

I’ve also bumped into two groups of youth who are themselves employed, but are thinking about starting something that would help other young people get jobs. These two groups are unrelated. They don’t know each other. But both groups are so convinced that unemployment is already a major problem that they have decided that they may have to take matters into their own hands.

So is unemployment already a big problem? You tell me. I launched this week’s poll, on unemployment, yesterday.

Tashichodzong: summer residence...

Coming to Thimphu

In keeping with tradition that goes back many centuries, His Holiness the Je Khenpo took up his summer residence at the Tashichodzong today, the first day of the fourth month of our calendar.

And, in keeping with tradition, residents of Thimphu rushed to receive blessings from His Holiness the Je Khenpo and the Nangtens (sacred relics) of the Zhung Dratshang, the central monastic order.  Despite the rain, people of all walks lined the streets to welcome His Holiness back to Thimphu. It took the entourage almost seven hours to travel the short distance from Semtokha to Tashichodzong.

This week’s photo features Thimphu residents, some with their entire families, receiving blessing from His Holiness.

Supremacy of law...

Every now and then a reader will leave a comment that is completely unrelated to and has nothing to do with a topic being discussed. This is okay. After all, one should be allowed to raise important issues even though they are not being discussed here. So I try to acknowledge these out-of-the-blue comments.

Deo recently made one such comment. This is what deo wrote in CDG unconstitutional: “OL, since you seem to have an opinion on everything, and has become a self-appointed legal expert, what is your take on the Jemina case? In your opinion, who is correct – ACC or high court? Both cannot be right.”

I can’t say that I have an opinion on everything. But I do admit to having opinions on some things, including issues concerning the law though I’m no legal expert. And I hope that my opinions matter, even if you disagree with them. As far as your opinions are concerned – I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – I take them seriously. They matter.

Now about the Bjemina case: who’s correct, ACC or High Court? The High Court, without a doubt. After all, our courts are the supreme authority to interpret and apply the laws of our land. We may not agree with their interpretation, but we are bound to accept them. That is what the rule of law is about.

Article 21.1 of the Constitution: The Judiciary shall safeguard, uphold, and administer Justice fairly and independently without fear, favour, or undue delay in accordance with the Rule of Law to inspire trust and confidence and to enhance access to Justice.

So as long as the High Court is faithful to the Constitution – and as far as I know, we have no reason to doubt that – we must accept that they are correct. And that their interpretation of the law prevails over everybody else’s.

But what if our courts, guardians of the law, themselves choose to deliberately ignore the law? Or break the law? Article 32 of the Constitution outlines the procedure to impeach the Chief Justices and Drangpons of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Back to the Bjemina case: I don’t know the details of the case, and I haven’t studied the relevant laws. So my trust and confidence in the Judiciary instinctively makes me believe that they are correct. But I suspect that Deo feels otherwise. It would be good to know why.