Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!

I want to wish everyone who has visited my blog a Very Happy New Year!! A great big THANKYOU to those who have so generously shown support by following me and for caring to comment - even if they have disagreed with me.

You don't know how appreciated it makes me feel that there is someone who takes time to engage in the issues that I write about. Of course there are some who mock my pieces by posting gibberish (interview with Tshering Shakya comments?) but lets just say that even that should be taken as a sign that there is someone who is bothering to give you his/her time? :)

Anyhow, THANKYOU once again and wishing each and every one of you a Very Happy New Year. Wishing you much happiness and success in every thing you do!!

Will it take a Tragedy like the recent air-crash in Nepal for us (Bhutanese) to learn?

In the wake of a tragic accident that killed 18 Bhutanese yesterday in Nepal on Tara Air (Nepalese airline) Bhutan should critically look at its own process when awarding contracts to private companies to operate in Bhutan.

It will be interesting to note that initially when news first broke about the crash, it was reported that all who were on board were Nepalese. This was because the Bhutanese who were on the flight had used Nepali names to avail discounts that were awarded only to Nepalese. So someone at the airline (Tara) had manipulated his authority to give that discount to these pilgrims. 

In our part of the world, these are “little” things we do with good intentions, skirting certain rules or bending them slightly. It’s no big deal. The ticket issuer “might” have decided to issue fake names to give the discount at the expense of the airline while taking a small percentage? Or he/she did it in good faith?

But forget the discounts, there are reasons why giving your "Real" name and identity when you travel/board a plane, is a must. Amongst the many other reasons, it is so that your family and loved ones also know that you were on that plane and should anything go wrong, they can be notified.

In our part of the world we think people are doing us favors when they skirt these rules so we are content and keep silent. But how does this impact the overall society then? Rules don’t get taken seriously when they keep getting broken. Implementing authorities have to set the example by adhering to them so that they help build a law-abiding society.

My piece, however, is not about faking names but about these practices; making small concessions for whatever reasons – for kickbacks, doing relatives and friends a favor etc. that eventually winds up costing society heavily.

Practices that, in looking into the interests of a few, can destroy the lives of so many.  Practices that, if not rectified now, may very well lead to similar disasters within our own boundaries – something we have, touch wood, never experienced on this scale.

Historically, this is the first time that Bhutanese have perished in a plane crash and sadly it is not just one, but 18.

So what is the Problem?

www.sonamongmo7.com

Just want to inform all that owing to my tech savviness I lost my domain name (www.sonamongmo.com) I have a new one now (www.sonamongmo7.com) 


Thanks

The Root Causes ~ written for Drukpa Magazine December issue 2010

 “Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding” ~ Mahatma Gandhi.

Root Causes

Buddhist philosophy was founded by Gautama Buddha because he was curious, brave and bold enough to investigate channels, other than the norm, to find the Root Cause of human suffering. 

For every problem, as we know it, there is a Root Cause. And although Buddha taught that much of the Root Cause of any problem is often something within our own means to rectify, often, even if we are predominantly Buddhists, we fail to see that.

Perhaps it is because that while we may consider ourselves Buddhists, we are more human than Buddhist and have generally been brought up to think that our problems are something caused by others, by outside forces and not ourselves, and thus the tendency to apply that with not only our personal problems, but with societal problems as well. 

For instance blaming the Bhutanese system for our woes (when we are all a part of that system too), different departments blaming each other for their own ineptitude; blaming the youth for society’s ills, while the youth blame decision makers. Blaming our family for our problems – when we are a part of them. Husband blaming wives and wives blaming husbands, parents blaming children and vice versa; blaming everyone else but our selves, for our shortcomings. 

Yes, there are outside factors (circumstantial and environmental) too that contribute to where we are in life and society, it usually is a combination.  But if you look to the Root Causes of many of these problems, they also have a lot to do with our actions as well as “inactions.”  This is because of our lack of understanding the causes or our refusal to acknowledge them.

Dear Anonymous, I am in [the] U.S.A just because my "ASS" takes me here - so what?

I was just going through an old piece that I wrote  On Standards and Ethics for Writers and Journalists  when I came across this comment, which I surprisingly did not see until today.  This is what that person says (note the Anonymous), a someone who clearly wasn't brave enough to give his/her real name but was brave enough to troll behind the "Anonymous".

Anonymous said...
you are in U.S.A just because your Ass takes you there doesn't give you right to bring Bhutan and Bhutanese into negative light every time you blog.
If you dislike Bhutan so much.. why don't you repay for those free education you had in Bhutan.

To which I replied:

What makes you think I don't have the "right" to say what I want - negative or positive? I am a Bhutanese citizen but just because my ASS takes me here does that make me less of a citizen?

What makes you think I "dislike" Bhutan so much? and why should I "repay for those free education?" have you?

But here is what I really want to say to you Mr/Misses Anonymous ~ Loud and Clear.

I may not be physically present in Bhutan but I am SO THERE than the likes of you who couldn't care less about the social issues and the problems Bhutanese society confronts.  I might be able to say (if I know who you are) that I might be more involved in Bhutanese society than you are, even from this distance. 

And tell me really, who are you to tell me that I need to pay back for the "Free education?" Yes, tell me!!

Avoiding the Path of Intolerance

Here is my latest piece from Kuensel on Religious Intolerance:

In an attempt to protect people, systems may fall prey to prejudice
PERSPECTIVES 5 December, 2010 - Sometime early this month the Pakistani justice system sentenced to death a Pakistani woman for blaspheming the prophet Muhammed. Aasia Bibi, who is a mother of five children, also happens to be Christian.

Aasia Bibi, however, denied having said anything to condemn the prophet.

According to the article, she claimed that she was being persecuted for her beliefs, in a country where prejudicial behaviour against Christians is not unheard of. “She was tried under duress without legal representation or the ability to represent herself. Upon sentencing, along with the cost of her alleged life, she was fined Rs 300,000.”

Global Voices – a platform for which I happen to write for – reported that, while the Pakistani justice system passed this sentence, the citizens were “ taken aback” by such a verdict. According to that article, it appears that, while it was extreme, it was also of a similar nature to the case of another Pakistani woman, who was studying in the US, but mysteriously disappeared with her children while she was visiting Pakistan. She later resurfaced as a prisoner in the hands of US forces and was sentenced by the US justice system to 86 years in prison, not for terrorism, but for snatching a US warrant officer’s rifle, while in custody; a weapon she never fired.

The thrust of this story is that, while we may be quick to pass judgment on certain governments (like Pakistan), we should understand that (as the Global Voices report points out) “inequality, injustice and unfair rule” of society, including its justice system, can be found everywhere from Pakistan to the US.

Nepali Journalists are being slain in broad daylight and their killers are not brought to justice

Mikel Dunham an author (Buddha's Warriors) who is now in Nepal researching another book reported  that the violence against journalists there is increasing. Although all are heart-wrenching stories one case really shocked me most - where a 20 year old female radio journalist was hacked to death by more than 12 men.

Given the situation in Nepal, I am not surprised that there is chaos but didn't expect it to be of this kind. It is very sad/tragic. Apart from just reporting mere happenings, Journalists are people who often put their lives on the line to voice the sentiments of the public and to keep a check and balance on the powers that be. The fact that Nepal became a Democracy way before Bhutan should mean that the values of freedom of expression/speech should have been embedded in this society way before Bhutan. But it certainly is not the case.

This problem - where journalists/writers/bloggers/media people are gunned down, hacked to death or become the target of any form of violence -  I hope will never see the light of day in Bhutan.

Public figures particularly are targets of criticisms and so are government policies. In countries like ours, perhaps because of our lack of understanding the media, officials/people don't seem to be able to accept this without taking it personally. Sometimes this not only leads to hating the journalist meting out the criticism but extends to wanting to harm him/her. Of course this is not limited to govt officials only. It can be anyone that the press has angered.

Spare the rod and raise a confident, loving child

I was very disappointed to learn from Kuensel that on discussing Chapter 14 of the Childcare and protection bill, some parliamentarians said that adults resorting to  corporal punishment/ or as they termed it using "corrective measures" (could we define that more clearly please?) is "culturally" appropriate.

Embarrassingly enough (for a nation of Buddhists who espouse Gross National Happiness) some members think that punitive measures to discipline kids through corporal punishment are "Bhutanese Values," and that "Going soft on the stick" is "too western."

Can anyone see the IRONY in this?

The IRONY, lest some of our "honorable parliamentarians" don't get it is that it seems like the degenerate westerners have a culture of being far more compassionate when it comes to raising children (at least when it comes to the issue of discipline) than we, who claim to be Buddhists.

An amendment that makes sense

This evening, as I opened Kuensel, I was greeted with some welcome news. After writing and harping about this finally something has been done about it. Parliament has unanimously taken a second look at what constitutes "rape."

Here is what it was like; prior to the amendment having sex with anyone below 18 years of age was considered "rape" and could be penalized with imprisonment from 5 to 9 years. While this is good, there were many instances where young people having consensual sex even if they were 16 - 18 also fell victim to this law. As a result many were put behind bars. While the age of consent varies from country to country and in the U.S, State to State, in Bhutan the age of consent was 18 while its marriageable age (given that we are a largely agrarian society) was as young as 15 (although this is changing fast).

This created some kind of contradiction because while some as young as 16 and 15 were getting married, others who were 18 were going to prison. There was no consistency in this law nor did it make sense, but now according to the amendment if its consensual sex then it does not result in imprisonment.

Here is what Kuensel said: Although under the law, any act of sexual intercourse committed against a child between 12 years to 18 was considered guilty, the house decided consensual sex between children above 16 years will not be considered rape. In the past, sexual intercourse between children above 16 and below 18 years, consensual or otherwise, was considered rape.


If you look at the international list of "age of consent"for sex it looks like the average is 16. While this makes sense along with this amendment, there can be unwanted repercussions like teen pregnancy etc. given that it is now legal. In that respect, government/health sector should step up their need to provide sex education in schools.