New TV centre

June 2, 2009Posted inMedia
In 1973 the National Youth Association of Bhutan, consisting of fifty to sixty young women and men, decided that Thimphu needed a radio station. So they asked if they could use the government's radio transmitter on Sundays when the wireless station in Taba normally closed and freed up a 400-watt transmitter. The Royal Government obliged. And Radio NYAB, which later became BBS, was born. Today, 35 years later, HRH Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck inaugurated BBS's new TV Centre. The Centre, financed by GOI, cost Nu 200 million and is fitted with state-of-the-art broadcast equipment. This will allow BBS to…

Social forestry day

June 2, 2009Posted inNature
Today, 2nd June, is social forestry day. It is also the day when, 35 years ago, we celebrated the coronation of His Majesty the King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. What's the connection? It's quite straightforward: Our Fourth Druk Gyalpo, despite heavy odds, made our country one of the world's most famous hotspots for biodiversity. So I asked my daughter to help me select a picture to celebrate social forestry day. She chose this photograph, of the mountains opposite the Gasa Dzong. My photo does not do the forests justice but, believe me, the mountains are heavily forested.

World No Tobacco Day

May 31, 2009Posted 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

May 31, 2009Posted 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

May 29, 2009Posted 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

May 29, 2009Posted 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

May 27, 2009Posted 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

May 27, 2009Posted 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!

May 26, 2009Posted 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?

May 26, 2009Posted 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

May 25, 2009Posted 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

May 23, 2009Posted 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

May 22, 2009Posted 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

May 22, 2009Posted 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

May 22, 2009Posted 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…