Thankyou

I have been to the west many times both during my education at Stanford and business. I know that America has made the right choice in resettling our evicted Lhotsampas and Sarchops.

The United States is a stock house of all knowledge and technology hitherto dveloped in human history. The task is still continuing.

I grew up with my friends from the south and east. I travelled to their homes, spent winter vacations with them- thressing the paddy, picking the oranges, getting the cardomon ready for export. Chuka was not in operation then nor the other companies like BCCL or BBPL. FCB was the sole collector of all the produce from the south that earned a substantial part of National Income. Lhotashampas had talents and visions other wise they would not have established such large plantations some 50 years before when the government had thought of Development Plans. Food production continued to increase since the earliest Lhotshampas came to Bhutan in the 17th century (1624 precisely) under the auspicious guidance of Zabdrung. You guys greatly contrbuted in the costruction of Dzongs, terracing one of the most challenging landscapes to highly productive fields and kept Bhutan’s environment pristine by discouraging the chemical fertilizers. You guys wanted organic.

Look at your own food- most of you are vegetarian. You don’t drink alcohol. I drank alcohol in my house in the north but never had any desire when I passed my winter holidays in the south eating vegetarian food and enjoying tea instead of (aara) alcohol.

You know of conservation. You know of bioengineering and you have that special skill to tolerate the hardships. So make best use of it in the New land you have arived.

I’ll tell you the truth.The government was rude-extremely rude. It was becasue the king himself was msiguided and I don’t need to tell you who did it so. Those who forced Sherubtse College and all other libraries in Bhutan to remove every book on Political Science and discourses on Democracy are fighting for power and positions now . This is the irony.

Bhutan desperatley needs 3000 engineers, several thousand nurses and doctors. It needs bioengineering in several places. The Government is inviting catastrophe by just getting big projects started without considering the consequences. Imported labour will cause more damage than even imagined. Bhutansese need to be in Bhutan at the moment as it happened in the Sixties and the Seventies when roads were constructed, Dzongs repaired and schools started. Bhutan actually misses you as you miss Bhutan.

Remember- it is time to evaluate your own skills now.

Let me not linger in the lyricism but come the point. You guys are used to building-not skyscrapers but beautiful settlements. You developed the Southern part of Bhutan. Just imagine how much work you did in Nepal as refugees. I have travelled that way many times and seen the growth. Now my sincere advice my (chharos), begin building yourself in America.

One of my friends from the Southern Bhutan taught me how to make ink and bandages from (khenpa sing) they call it tete pati. It is best- organic and effective. Save the soyabeans for the children . Why don’t those who have the skills take up organic farming. Let the young people go to school. You start. I like to talk more but I might look like a sympathiser.

I tell you the reality because you will eeventually be needed by a much larger community than the Bhutanese Population. Feel free to share. Good wishes from Thimpu. Tashi Delek.

Rigzin Dorji
Thunderdragonrd@yahoo.com

No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive….