Other ways of Serving

Nobody seemed to mind the rain in the face of a heated football tournament. But outside the PSA football field, near the RICBL office and Anaconda building, where the road diverges into four, a group of youth wearing yellow jerseys on top of their clothes attends to a heavy traffic. On the first sight, someone would mistake them for a group of footballers going out for a practice. But they are them – a group of students who volunteered to act ‘police’ during their leisure hours. What a commendable job!

I was really touched when I first saw on BBS TV a group of students marching with a few policemen in the streets of Thimphu. What a wonderful way to teach students the country’s rules and regulations! What a magnificent way to create awareness amongst schools, friends and peers! What a noble idea to promote an informed society!

Apparently these children seemed to enjoy what they were doing – mostly directing the traffic and going around the city in search of offenders, if any. It seemed even these children’s parents think it is for the good of the community that their children have volunteered to carry out this project. I think we all should appreciate the efforts these children are putting in and their times wasted.

But think again. Do we really need youth to help our police? If everyone is careful and be sensible enough, do we need a bunch of teenagers to tell us what is right and what isn’t? If children are taught well founded values and given good education, will they still be burden to the society? I am asking so many questions here knowing that I may not receive any answers. Because these are some of the issues we have so conveniently neglected.

Personally, I think a student can contribute to the society if he/she does well in school and not necessarily how well he/she is good at patrolling the streets. So much time is wasted like that. In Bhutan education is free, no doubt, but competition isn’t getting easier anymore. If these students, instead of being in the streets (I understand and respect their noble work), go straight home and concentrate on their studies, how much more will they achieve in life? How far would a volunteer’s certificate take him/her in life? In today’s scenario, there is no other satisfaction than pleasing one’s parents with colorful results. Qualifying for the next higher grades is crucial. And one board exam will write their entire fate.

Society is a collection of people. There are good people and there are also bad people. And as society grows more complicated, problems are bound to emerge. But missing the bus to higher studies or not making into the cut off percentage in class 10 becomes a personal issue now. There is a saying in Bhutan that says: Bu cho sa aai gygi mi phen, roughly translated as when the son undergoes difficult situations, the mother is helpless. I understand these students are working for a good cause - making our streets safer, but will we in turn be able to help those ‘youth police’ who miss the busses in the end?

“The best way to raise positive children in a negative world is to have positive parents who love them unconditionally and serve as excellent role models.”

- Zig Ziglar, an American author and a motivational speaker

When they are ready

The Ministry of Education discovered 890 'underage' children admitted in schools across the country in 2019. Thus, the ministry in May 2019 issued a notification revoking the admission for these children. Majority were in urban centres. Desperate, parents and the affected schools requested the government to intervene. They also requested the government to consider lowering the enrolment age to five years. Currently, in Bhutan a child can legally go to school only when s(he) is six years old. And that policy was strictly followed a few years ago to the extent that some schools refused to admit children even if they were short of a few weeks. So, parents, mostly in urban areas, resorted to faking their children's ages. Many parents were guilty of adding years onto their children's actual ages. However, most parents, we are told, managed to correct their 'mistakes' later. Faking a child's age was rampant...

The Vanishing Currency of a Bhutanese Village

Growing up in rural Bhutan, the richest people in the village often had very little cash. They were known as chukpo , 'the ones with cattle'. And no one asked how much money a person had in the bank. No one or only a countable few had bank accounts, anyway. Wealth was measured in fields, cattle, grains, and the ability to carry a family through the seasons. Cash existed, but it played only a small role. Most exchanges happened through barter. Rice for chillies, soya beans for Sichuan peppers, cheese for eggs. I still remember that a ball of homemade cheese was worth two fresh eggs. Nobody needed a calculator because people simply knew. The most remarkable part of the system was the exchange of labour. During sowing and planting seasons, families needed extra hands, yet labour was rarely paid in cash. If I spent three days helping on your farm, you spent three days helping on mine in return. No contract was needed to be signed. No money changed hands. Wealthier households so...

Community of Bhutanese Bloggers Conceived

And finally it happened. I must say that it was by far the most attended Bloggers Meet. In the past we had bloggers agree to attend and cancel at the very last minute. But on June 24, 2015 – almost 100% of bloggers, who confirmed came. I would like to thank everyone for keeping his/her words, especially those who had to come all the way from Wangdue or Paro. Thank you! 35 Bhutanese bloggers met in Thimphu. We were honored to have the presence of senior bloggers like Aue Yeshi Dorji and Dasho Sangay Khandu. The meeting assumed more significance because of their presence. Equally, we were happy to have many young bloggers in whom we see so much enthusiasm and potential. On top of many things that transpired during the Meet, one of the most significant outcomes was the unanimous decision reached to form a formal group of bloggers, a platform aimed at encouraging and inspiring more bloggers around the country. The members decided that we will call it Community of Bhutanese Blogger...

Ngawang Phuntsho

Search This Blog