World No Tobacco Day

Posted inLegislature
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…

Gasa tshachu

Posted inNature, Villages
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 26th 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…

To Gasa

Posted inNature
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

Posted inVillages5 Comments
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…

Tomorrow, to Haa

Posted inNature
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…

Yesterday, at Parizampa

Posted inNature
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!

Posted inNature
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…

Unemployment: a big problem?

Posted inEmployment, Youth
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…

Tashichodzong: summer residence

Posted inReligion
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…

Supremacy of law

Posted inJustice
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…

Calling for issues

Posted inLegislature
The third session of the Parliament will begin on 26 June 2009. But the agenda is not yet final. In fact, we don't even have a draft agenda. But expect your MPs to discuss the Local Government Bill, Tobacco Bill, Royal Monetary Authority Bill, Civil Service Bill and the 2009-2010 Budget Bill during their summer session. There probably will be other bills too. But, for now, I invite our readers to go through these bills and give me your comments.  The bills should be on the relevant websites (That's MOHCA, MOH, RMA, RCSC and MOF). The Parliament will also…

CDG and future elections

Posted inDemocracy, Government
I called on our Chief Election Commissioner yesterday. I called on him to report that the CDG, if implemented as proposed, will compromise the ECB's ability to conduct future elections to the National Assembly in a free and fair manner. The Constitution (Article 24.1) and the Election Act (Chapter 3.34) specifically require the Election Commission of Bhutan to conduct elections "in a free and fair manner." Why would CDG hinder free and fair elections? Through CDG, our government places Nu 10 million at the disposal of the members of the National Assembly. How that money is used in their…

Artist Rajesh

Posted inPeople
The talk of cartoons yesterday has got me thinking of my favorite caricature. It’s done by Rajesh. And, guess what? Rajesh is Wangchuk’s younger brother. Yes, that Wangchuck…the one we were talking about yesterday. So what do you think of this rendition of your OL? I’d used it as my avatar some time ago. And posted it on an earlier entry (What’s in a name?) Anyway, Rajesh, who sports Bhutan’s best ponytail, sketched this drawing while he was relaxing at Benez, reading a book and enjoying a cold Carlsberg. Pretty good, mo? By the way Rajesh is a freelance…

Drawing from cartoons

Posted inMedia
I quite enjoyed Kuensel's cartoon yesterday. Wangchuk, the artist, drew our eleven cabinet ministers huddled together, all of them smug and happy, and each clutching his Nu 2 million Constituency Development Grant. The caricatures are so accurate that all eleven ministers are immediately recognizable, even at a first quick glance. And readers are already talking about which minister is most faithfully represented in the cartoon. In my opinion, almost all the ministers are drawn well. But five are simply outstanding. They are Lyonpo Nandalal, Lyonpo Minjur, Lyonpo Thakur Singh, and Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering. Yes, even Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering though…

Good local government

Posted inLocal Government
Yesterday, I was in Haa. I'd gone there to observe part of the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu that was in session since the 19th of May. And to receive instructions from the members of local government's highest body in my dzongkhag. During the past year, there's been a lot of talk about local governments, especially about their capabilities. My position has been very consistent: that local governments, in all 20 dzongkhags, are competent, and that they are more than able to discharge their duties as enshrined in our constitution. Yesterday, I saw that I was right. I saw that the…