Recording History: No Casual Matter

I never expected that the enterprise of writing a book about Bhutan’s ancient coinage would be easy. But not in my wildest dreams did I foresee it would be so daunting and perplexing. Of course, I knew I had to deal with history—passed down by word-of-mouth over the centuries and recorded in the form of books and journals by a multitude of historians, both locals and visiting foreigners. Still, an undertaking born of a hobby should have been fun and enjoyable. Yet as I went along, I realized that grappling with the historical record is anything but easy; there is nothing casual about such scholarly work.

Recording history, I realized, is not for the half-hearted or irresponsible. It is a job that requires one to be determined, unrelenting and dogged, both in research methods and in pursuit of truth. Even more important, it has to be undertaken with humility and with acceptance that there are others who know far more. My efforts have also taught me that it is unwise to place total faith in those reputed to be the best in the field—because these esteemed exemplars are not without their share of biases and lazy thinking.

The case of the perplexing Neoli Maartang

It is accepted by collectors and writers around the world that one of Bhutan’s rarest coins is the following Maartang (copper coin):

Maartang Neoli – one of the three known copies of the coin. The one shown above is in the collection of late N. Rhodes, currently lodged at the SPINK auction house in London, UK. Another one is with a collector in Germany - third one? Well, I don't know.

Based on the image of a Neoli (mongoose) depicted on the obverse of the coin, Mr. Nicholas Rhodes, widely considered the most learned authority on Bhutanese coinage, dubbed this rare artifact the Neoli Coin.

But given the uncommon design of the coin, I began to develop doubts about its antecedents. In particular, I harbored the following questions:

Is the image on the obverse of the coin really a Neoli (mongoose)?
I am inclined to believe that the image is most likely that of a Neoli. The reason is that the Neoli depicted on the obverse of the Neoli Maartang is shown spewing Norbu (jewels). This is how the Neoli is portrayed on the Bhutanese/Tibetan Thangka - being held in the left arm of the Buddhist mythical God of Wealth—the Zambalha, as seen below:

Thangka painting of Zambalha, the God of Wealth.

Was the coin used as money or something else?
Given the uncommon design of the Neoli Coin, I am also doubtful that the coin is really a coin. Can it be that it is not a coin but an Exonumia?

Exonumia are numismatic items that include all kinds of coin-like items, but are not actual coins; they are not issued to serve as money nor are they used in monetary transections. They are rarely, if ever, issued by national governments. They are more popularly known as Temple Tokens. Many countries and cultures around the world produce them. In India, where our coins originate, most of these coin lookalikes are called Ramtanka. The following are some examples of exonumia:

Exonumia from India and France

Here's another telling fact: the Neoli Coin has a monolithic front with one solitary image on its obverse—unlike all Bhutanese coins, which bear multiple figures/motifs/alphabets on both their obverse and reverse, as seen here:

Traditional design of Bhutanese coins. All of them have multiple motifs/alphabets/conjuncts — both on the obverse as well as on the reverse.

Where was the Neoli Coin produced?
The coin collector and historian Mr. Nicholas Rhodes, in one of his journals titled “Coinage in Bhutan” which was submitted to the Centre for Bhutan Studies, asserts that the Neoli Coin may have been struck at Bhutan House, Kalimpong by the Dorji family. He writes: 

A cut-out from the journal submitted to the CBS by Mr. Nicholas Rhodes.

But Mr. Rhodes was completely in error. Years later, the supposed “old minting machine” was retrieved from Bhutan House by Dasho Benji Dorji. It turns out that it was not a minting machine at all, but a book binder! The following photos make this clear:

Comparison of the supposed minting machine from Bhutan House, Kalimpong and the antique cast iron book press auctioned by the Dominic Winter Auctioneers of UK. 

Mr. Rhodes’ misinformed conclusion that the coin was produced from a coin-minting machine—more precisely, a coin screw press—may have arisen from the fact that the Neoli Coin has a “rim” around the perimeter. Normally, only machine-struck coins have raised rims or reeded edges.

Machine struck coin's Edge & Rim.

Is it possible that the Neoli Coin is not Bhutanese?
I know of no other Bhutanese coin – other than the Neoli Coin that is under discussion here that bear the image of mongoose on it. But Mr. Wolfgang Bertsch of Germany, recognized as one of the most established historians and collector of Tibetan currency brought to my notice that Tibet did issue a coin that bore the image of a pair of mongooses on it:

The Tibetan 10 Srang coin issued in 1950 bearing, what is believed to be, a pair of mongooses on its reverse. The above coin is in the collection of retired Ambassador Tobgye Sonam Dorji

Mr. Bertsch accepts that the Neoli coin – if it is a coin at all – is most likely Tibetan. That said, he does not believe that it would have been struck with the intention of using it as money. In his experience, all Tibetan coins struck in the 20th century (other than the Gaden Tangkas and related "monk Tangkas") bear a date and are denominated in Skar, Sho or Srang. The Neoli Coin, on the other hand, neither has a date nor a denomination meaning that it is not a coin - not atleast a Tibetan one.

So where does all this confusion lead me? As of now, I am undecided as to what the Neoli Maartang really is: a coin or an exonumia. I will have to wait and see if more substantive findings emerge in the coming months and years. Until the matter is settled, I will be content to simply admire the Neoli Coin’s beauty, history—and mystery.

A Foot Soldier Without Compare

On the morning of 23rd of December, 2024—bound and adorned in silk and brocade, draped on all five sides by the national flag, enveloped by the soulful melody of the bugle, commemorated by the sharp reverberations of gun salutes—one of Bhutan’s most outstanding sons was reduced to ashes. Dasho Tsering Wangda was honored with a state funeral worthy of a foot soldier without compare.

A youthful Dasho Tsering Wangda

Even as the funeral pyre crackled and blazed with an uncommon ferocity, consuming his last remains, more than 700 mourners stood immobile and grief-stricken—their eyes fixed on the blazing pyre as it systematically reduced to nothingness the physical remains of someone they had come to love, respect and admire.

For me, as I confessed to some close family members, the sadness was not in the fact that his life had come to an end, but that it was snuffed out by the same beings in whose cause Dasho Wangda was set to do battle. The problem of wild elephants in the Special Administrative Region of the Gelephu Mindfulness City has been hanging fire for decades. Even as the Royal Government of Bhutan was aware of the increasingly aggressive animals who had lost their natural habitat, it has done little to resolve the issue.

When I last spoke to Dasho Wangda on Friday the 13th December, 2024 (he was on his way to Bhangtar, in eastern Bhutan), he said that he hoped to sit with me when he came up to Thimphu to participate in one of the events during the National Day celebrations. He wanted us to jointly fine-tune a proposal that he would soon be submitting to the RGoB—a bold and daring proposal that laid out a mindful solution to the dangerous situation brewing between the people domiciled within GeSAR and the burgeoning wild elephant population. It was a document that truly lived up to the values our country espouses.

To be sure, the RGoB did us all proud by honoring Dasho Wangda with a fitting send-off. In doing so, it demonstrated that it will not be found wanting in its duty to those who are deserving. But will the official response end there?

It may sound strange, but I am wont to believe that Dasho Wangda’s untimely death was an act contrived by Providence. Almighty God may have decided that the only way to get Bhutanese authorities to wake up and act was by engineering a devastating tragedy of this scale.

But what will change going forward? Will the government finally take action on this chronic and perilous problem? Or will Dasho Wangda’s ultimate sacrifice be in vain?

TechWomen 2025

As an active Member of the privileged Rotary International Presidents & Members Group comprising of 534 Rotary leaders across the globe, I receive news on a number of global issues – mainly to do with humanitarian services. This morning, I received the following notification:

Do we have any women/girls in our midst who might qualify to participate in the above event being sponsored by the Government of USA? If yes, please browse through the following, and register if you think you quality:

https://bit.ly/techwomen2025

https://www.techwomen.org/participants/award-details

This seems like an opportunity to network at a global level – ladies, please give it a shot! Given our popularity among the global community, I believe that an aspiring participant from Bhutan has a good chance of winning a slot.

The Shuijab: A Parting Gift

It was close to a quarter of a century back that it all began…..

My late Dad would insist that I visit the community Lhakhang (Temple/Monastery) in Taagma village - my ancestral home and birthplace - every time I was home to visit him in Tingtibi.

So it was that one time I drove up to the Lhakhang to offer my prayers. The Lhakhang Caretake saw me arrive …. he hastily scurried in to open the temple door. After I was done doing my 6 prostrations to Aum Pelden Lhamo, supposedly our village’s protecting deity, I stood in front of the alter lined with statues of Gods and Goddesses.

The final act that completes the process of offering prayers to the Gods is that you offer Ngendar - a cash offering. But I was truly overawed by the scene in front of me – that of the statues of a number of Gods and Goddesses shimmering in all their finery – decked in silk and brocade and adorned with jewelry of gold and precious stones such as Pearls, Cat’s-Eyes and Coral and Gemstones of various colors, shapes and sizes.

I am thinking ….. Oh my dear Gods, what can I, a poor man, offer you? You are already abundant with so much riches.

But I do have to complete the process. Thus, I pulled out a Nu.100.00 note and placed it inside the offering box in front of the statues – as my Ngendar.

The formalities duly completed, the caretaker and I headed for his dwellings for a cup of tea that he insisted I must have. Upon entering his one-bedroom home, I noticed that there were a number of tin bowls placed at various locations on the floor. I asked him why the bowls were spread all across the floor.

“The roof leaks …. So I place the bowls in order to prevent rainwater from splattering all over the floor.”

I looked at him in amazement. Only then did I notice that the man had no shoes on his feet …. and his Gho was threadbare and patched up at a number of places. I did not say anything - but as I got up to leave, I handed Nu.3,000.00 to his wife who was sitting by the hearth, serving us tea.

And, this is something I have done ever since - for the past 25 years or so - offer Nu.100.00 to the Gods and Nu.3,000.00 to their Care Taker couple - twice every year.

But I was disturbed by the experience. Upon reaching Tingtibi, I told my Dad of the pathetic condition of the Care Taker - I told him that I would like to build a small dwelling for the couple - something that did not leak - with one bedroom, one Choesham, one common room with kitchen …. and a porch. I asked if he knew anyone who could undertake the task. He said he did …. So next day we closed the deal with a carpenter from our village - to build the dwelling for the poor Care Taker couple.

This year, yet again, I was in Tingtibi to attend the Bhutan Bird Festival that was being held there during mid-November, 2024. True to tradition, although my Dad is no longer alive, I visited the community Lhakhang in Taagma, nonetheless. After the offering of prayers and the prostrations and the customary Nu.100.00 Ngendar, the Care Taker and his wife and I sat down on the periphery wall of the temple - to talk of this and that, over a cup of tea. Suddenly, the wife said;

“Repa ngat lo warey - I will come back in a minute”.

Upon return, she said:

“Yishi Dooji …. I am now 85 years old and I can sense that my health is failing me - I may not be here next year when you come visiting. Thus - I want to leave this for you - this is the only thing that I have of any value to my name”.

“Osokai ngat na Pon gey Nungpamen wen - this was gifted to me by the King”.

“When I die, I don’t know who will take it or what will become of it - so now that you are here - I want to give it to you as my Shuijab (parting gift) for your kindness to me and my husband over the years”.

What she gently placed in my palm was the following:

Nu.100.00 Coronation Coin of His Majesty the Vth King of Bhutan, 2008

I accepted it without a murmur because I realized that this was a tender moment of great poignancy - a moment of realization, and acceptance, that her time in this world may be coming to an end.

As I drove back to Tingtibi, I was overcome with a sense of Déjà vu - I mean I have lived this moment before.

Hours before my Mom passed away sometime in the 70’s – that is exactly what she did – held my hand in hers and inserted her gold ring into my finger and whispered:

“Know that I go a happy person - happy in the knowledge that I had a son like you. I leave this ring as my Shuijab to you - wi amai drin jorpa warey.”

Within hours – she breathed her last.

Coming Full Circle

My late Dad made his first Rs.100.00 – working as an interpreter to the 1st Chief Engineer of Project DANTAK – Colonel T. V. Jaganathan - at a humongous monthly salary of Rs. 10.00 per month, less Re.1.00 for meals he was served in the common Langar.

Exactly 62 years later, his son - yours truly - accompanied the 27th DANTAK Chief Brigadier Rohit Gupta - not as his interpreter - but as his Man Friday - to Bhutan Bird Festival in Tingtibi, Zhemgang.

Frankly, I did not see the Karmic connection, although, now that I think of it - there is no denying that there really is one. I went because the Chief is a passionate birder and bird photographer and he wanted to attend the Bhutan Bird Festival. He asked me if I was going. I said I wasn’t sure since I had a friend in town from USA. But I told him that I would see to his comfortable stay - given that I am a Bhumiputra from the areas.

Little did I know that there was no accommodation to be had. Berti Ecolodge was fully booked and I did not fancy the idea of the Chief staying in any old shanty. So, I made a decision to accompany him - to ensure that the man who heads one of Bhutan’s longest and most meaningful development partners has a comfortable stay while in my ilakha. DANTAK has been building road communications in Bhutan since 1961. The least I could do – by way of a citizen’s service - is try and show appreciation by being of some small service to the Head of the organization that keeps our road communications flowing like a well-oiled engine!

Happily, I managed to get him a special accommodation to stay in and made sure that he had safe meals while there.

I am not sure if he had fun at the festival - but one thing is for sure - he sighted one of his "lifebirds" during the trip - the rare Rufous-necked Hornbill. That should have given him joy enough to compensate for any failings that he may have experienced during the trip!

Bhutan’s Hotel Industry in Crisis

Going by the following article appearing in the Kuensel of November 15, 2024, it appears that the crisis we had feared was being created is now a reality:

Even as the rumblings of the call for dismantling of the Minimum Daily Package Rate (MDPR) was gaining momentum, sometime during early 2022 a joint meeting was held between some select members of the Bhutan Sustainable Tourism Society (BSTS), Hotel & Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB) and Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO).

Voicing the collective concerns of the BSTS members, I was explicit in making the following point:

“Should the MDPR be dismantled, the hotel owners will stand to suffer the most”.

During a restricted gathering of select media personnel called for by the then Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering, held at ThePema by Realm, on 18th June, 2022, I once again reiterated that the hotel industry would be the most impacted, should the Parliament go ahead and pass the tabled/proposed Tourism Levy Bill of Bhutan 2022.

The government took the stand that going into hotel business was purely a business decision that was outside the purview of the RGoB. I countered that while that would be true, the decision by the hoteliers would have been influenced solely by relevant policies in place, and that when those policies were altered, the government that did it has to bear onus for the ensuing crisis.

In our tireless effort to dissuade the government and the Parliament from enacting a grossly misconceived and poorly directed tourism policy that was foretold to be ruinous for the country, on 23rd June, 2022, some select members of the BSTS met the Members of the National Assembly’s Economic & Finance Committee. During the meeting, I minced no words in declaring:

“I am willing to give you in writing that the Government, the Tourism Council of Bhutan and the Department of Immigration were, not one of them, ready to implement the Tourism Levy Bill of Bhutan 2022.”

Even as the catastrophic Tourism Levy Bill of Bhutan 2022 was at the verge of being passed into law by the Parliament, Bhutan’s one and only Sustainable Tourism Specialist - Dr. Karma Tshering (PhD) - went on record, and wrote the following in the Kuensel issue of June 22, 2022:

“First and foremost, before any change or systemic overhaul is contemplated, it is critical to understand if a change is really necessary; the pertinent question to ask is: is something going wrong? Particularly when one is dealing with an industry that accounts for the highest foreign exchange inflow, and accrual of multifarious benefits that encompass the entire strata of the Bhutanese society, the government needs to exercise extreme caution – before it embarks on an exercise that could very well imperil a system that is perceived to be working. We need some serious thinking on the matter – what exactly is it that we are trying to fix?"

"Are we in a tourism crisis or are we creating one?”

So, are we finally in agreement that a crisis has indeed been created where none had existed? If yes, are we now finally going to Reset, Reboot and Restore?

Bhutan Bird Festival 2024

I just returned from attending the Bhutan Bird Festival 2024 held at Tingtibi, Zhemgang: 13th and 14th November, 2024. It was expected - and the Zhemgang Dzongkhag Administration did not disappoint - that after the less-than-flattering review of the poor show they put up last year, they would do a much better job this year - they did! The ebb and flow of activities was pulsating and the sparkle of the festival ground was palpable, to say the least.

And yet, there is where it all ended - the festival was akin to a bride - all dressed up in her Sunday best - but no takers and nowhere to go! The festival failed to draw in a single international bird watcher or a bird photographer. Meaning that the festival was a waste of time and waste of precious resources - for the purpose for which it was planned and hosted.

Who is to blame? The RGoB and the DoT!

Birdwatching is a long duration tourism activity. For a truly rewarding experience, the activity will require a birder to spend a minimum of 2-3 weeks to be able to cover the country’s various known birding hot spots. To be able to access bird-rich locations, they need to spend anywhere between 4 to 6 days - traveling back and forth.

It is for this reason that certain segments of the country’s tourism industry have been pleading with the government to consider long duration discounts for birdwatching and trekking and any other activities that require visitors to spend long durations in the country.

Zhemgang as a birding destination holds great promise - it is teaming with over 500 bird species - a substantial of them rare and critically endangered. One international resident bird photographer who attend the bird festival went hunting for his lifebird - the Rufous-necked Hornbill. Within less than two hours he sighted his “lifer” at Tama-La - barely 25 KMs away from the festival grounds in Tingtibi. Elsewhere he would have taken a lifetime to sight this rare bird.

Another unique bird photographer who is currently resident in Bhutan who was also at the festival chanced upon a flock of 10 flying Rufous-necked Hornbills - a truly rare, if not impossible, sighting elsewhere in the world.

For events such as Bhutan Bird Festival to be able to bring benefit to local communities and the tourism industry as a whole, we need to take ownership of our own initiatives.

It is sad - how long does the government intend to remain subservient to the rank outsiders and the clueless? It is not fair - please wake up and take control!

Wisdom For The Future

Sitting in the dimmed hall of the RUB in lower Motithang, Thimphu, I looked at the beautifully crafted presentation banner with quizzical eyes…. thinking ….. really???

Inaugural JSW School of Law Lecture Series: "Wisdom for the Future"

What of the WISDOM of, and for, the PRESENT? Whichever way one looks at it, it becomes clear that the wisdom one learns, or do not learn, in the present will most likely mold an individual’s outlook and character or, influence events of the future.

When I was told by one of the country’s Prime Ministers that this generation of Bhutanese should empathize with the government for usurping their present because the government is planning for their future, I responded by saying that what is the use of the future when the citizens are all dead in the present?

But by lunch time I was convinced that the attempt being made by the JSW School of Law was something that is needed and perhaps, even - timely.

There was clarity and conviction when the speaker – Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi – said at one point:

“The first steps to securing the future begins with wisdom of the present”.

I loved it!

Over dinner in the evening of the same day – I continued to listen to him and of his indomitable courage that he exhibited throughout his momentous life. One other important lesson I learnt from him was, something to the effect that:

There may be people who, in an effort to hide their own failings, will attempt to subjugate you and your spirit through subversion and sabotage – but it is important to remain firm and unwavering to your cause – which, in most part, he convinced me - is the freedom empowered by wisdom.

My Tohfa of my Coffee Table book on the wild birds of Bhutan - to an immensely gifted person of global fame

And yet, in spite of being richer, wealthier, more informed, and more knowledgeable, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi nonetheless acknowledged that the world has never been so broken and divided, and shorn of value and ethics and morality, as it is today.

Meaning that humanity has never been at a greater risk of doom than it is now - caused by our trust in human beings!

Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and Cultural Centre

For all the serenading we do in praise of our monarchy, our tradition and culture and architectural aesthetics, the shallowness of it became all too evident when not a single Bhutanese had the sense of national pride to stand up and object to the construction of the grotesque Amankora Bumthang Lodge in the vicinity of Wangduechhoeling Palace – a national edifice without compare. I was pained enough to blog about it in 2011.

A reader from abroad reacted as follows:

Hello Yeshey,

“……  The problem of the Jakar Amankora hotel forces me to speak up, however.

For all the talk about protecting Bhutan's culture from foreign influence and controlling the negative impacts of tourism, this is a major, tangible contravention.

There are ways to ensure that if a structure as special as Wangdicholing Palace were to have a development project proposed in its vicinity, it would not be adversely affected. The Amankora hotel, which leaves Wangdicholing Palace literally in its shadow, is clearly out of harmony with its historic context…….”

The blemish of insult notwithstanding, the historic Wangduechhoeling Palace is now a museum dedicated to the Wangchuck Dynasty – its Tashi Rabney was conducted on the 30th of October, 2024.

Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and Cultural Centre

Photo: Kuensel 31st Oct., 2024

Through this blog I would like to offer Thanks to Bhutan Foundation who thought of it, and spent many years and millions of dollars working on the Palace. Their act of preservation – I chose not to call it restoration – has been remarkable – the result is there for all to see. We must also Thank the selfless donors who assumed the responsibility in which we Bhutanese had failed miserably. I had the good fortune to meet many of them during the Tashi Rabney ceremony. Ofcourse, few of them I had met many decades earlier.

Tashi Rabney of the Museum

Wangduechoeling Palace was built by Choetse Poenlop Jigme Namgyel – sometime during 1858/1859 – after the amicable settlement of the Battle of Shamkharthang with Jakar Dzongpoen (later Jakar Poenlop) Tsundru Gyaltshen. Most know that Choetse Poenlop Jigme Namgyal is the progenitor of the Wangchuck Dynasty – but few know that he is equally important as the man who successfully reunified Sharchog Khorlo Tsipgye in 1850 – when he served as the Trongsa Droenger under the then Trongsa Poenlop Wangchen Dorji (Tshoki Dorji).

Our first Monarch – Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck was born in this Palace.

For some inexplicable reason, I refrained from taking even a single frame of photograph during the entire day of the Tashi Rabney – not of the people, nor of the Palace or the rare artifacts that were on display inside. I do not know - perhaps it was a subconscious way of showing reverence to the sanctity of the occasion, or it may have been a sense of joy and happiness that the bastion of the Wangchuck Dynasty has been reinstated to its rightful place in history.

Time To Hit The RESET & RESTORE Button!

Like everybody else, I would have loved to attend the recently concluded Bhutan Innovation Forum (BIF) held at the plush Doongkar Dzong, in Pangbesa, Paro. Regardless, thanks to a number of friends around the world who were also tuned-in into the upcoming event that had the promise of being singularly unique, upon being directed to meet me, I had the opportunity to interact with three of the movers and shakers who came to participate in the Forum.

It was amazing! The list of speakers and participants to the event read like the world’s Who’s Who. It was truly a star-spangled event. I cannot imagine what, and how long, it would have taken to put together a congregation at this level and scale.

In genuine wonderment, I sought the view of one of the participants: what do you think is the reason behind why a galaxy of luminaries came thronging to miniscule Bhutan? He responded by saying that given his limited exposure to Bhutan, he can think of only two reasons:

• Relentless hard work, personal charm and charisma of the King; and
• Brand Bhutan

HIS MAJESTY THE KING

No one is in any doubt that His Majesty has done, and continues to do, what is His penultimate responsibility – to secure and safeguard the Kingdom of Bhutan. As the country’s sovereign, He knows that He is the absolute last stop and that giving up is not in His job description – even if He has to walk the journey alone and without help from those around Him.

We have all seen that in the recent past, His Majesty has been running from pillar to post – drumming up support for the country as a whole and GMC in particular. It is my belief that the recent congregation of world luminaries at the BIF in Paro is, to a very large extent, the result of His Majesty’s relentless hard work and personal interactions with the very best around the world.

BRAND BHUTAN

The mysteriously alluring concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) came to be identified as THE Brand Bhutan since the late 1970s. The intrigue and appeal of the concept of GNH – a catchphrase that mystified and enamored world leaders for the past many decades was supposedly propagated for the first time by His Majesty the IVth Druk Gyalpo in Bombay, India - on his way back from the 6th Non-Aligned Meeting held in Havana, Cuba during September of 1979. Since then, Bhutan began to draw attention, and sympathy, and support - as a nation that gifted the human society a mindful developmental paradigm to aspire for. The Brand Bhutan was so powerful that when I halted in New York on my return journey from attending a conference in Mexico in 1983, I was introduced to a high ranking official of the US government. I asked him if he knew Bhutan - he said YES! When asked where it was located, his answer: in the Bahamas. He was clueless about Bhutan and yet, he had heard of us!

The second boost to Brand Bhutan came when Prime Minister H E Tshering Tobgay, during a TED Talk in Vancouver, Canada in April of 2016,  declared:

“…. Actually, that is not quite accurate ---- Bhutan is not carbon neutral – Bhutan is carbon negative”.

That declaration caught the fancy of the global community and we came to be known as the world’s only carbon negative country - further pushing Brand Bhutan one notch up the popularity ladder!

https://www.google.com/search?q=bhutan+prime+minister+in+ted+talk+in+vancouver&oq=Bhutan+Prime+Minister+in+TED+Talk+in+Vancuu&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBECEYChigATIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAhGAoYoAEyCQgCECEYChigATIJCAMQIRgKGKAB0gEKMTczNjFqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:8452ea23,vid:7Lc_dlVrg5M,st:0

Thinkers and leaders around the world believe that we have a powerful BRAND BHUTAN. They think, as I do, that we do not need to reinvent Brand Bhutan.

All that we need to do is ensure that we do nothing to jeopardize it – we need to make sure that it remains resounding for all times to come – we must do all we can to protect it from being vandalized through mindless policies and destructive undertakings. We need to ensure that we are mindful about the environment … and that human happiness is at the core of whatever we do. 

Pray, tell me, how difficult can it be – to stoke the fire that is already ablaze?

Sadly, we may be losing it already.

It is an indication of waning morality, if any were needed, when we are told that it has been possible for guides and drivers and policemen and DeSuups - to steal hundreds of millions from abodes of Gods …. when we are told that tourists have been robbed and cheated … when tour operators did not receive their just dues … when tour guides are underpaid and ill-treated and denied human dignity …. when the government is deprived of taxes .... when our foreign exchange reserve is not improving because, as mandated by the new rules, only the SDF is required to be deposited with the government.

No one may deny that these immoral behaviors are new to our long-established BRAND BHUTAN. We have hardly ever heard of incidences of such immorality before.

Perhaps it is still not too late to RESET and RESTORE - please consider it.

The Home Fires Are Still Burning

It is so heartwarming to see our Monarch in Australia – among his subjects who have gone to great lengths to demonstrate to Him that despite the distance - they were never really detached from Him.

Their Royal Majesties among the Bhutanese diaspora in Canberra, Australia

Photo credit: Kuensel 13/10/2024

I would like to think that I am perhaps the happiest among other few hundred thousand Bhutanese – that His Majesty made the journey to Australia. For, on Sunday the 7th of August, 2022, I wrote as follows:

“Does the Bhutanese Ambassador Sonam Tobgay in Australia have the wherewithal to provide quality leadership to inspire and instill a sense of continued nationalism in the minds of the Bhutanese lot in Australia? Are there other Bhutanese capable of keeping the brood herded and on track - and the home fires burning in the minds and hearts of their fellow Bhutanese?

Recently I chatted a senior and respected person who too seems to have landed herself in Australia – I encouraged her to provide leadership and guidance - every opportunity she got, for the sake of the nation.

It is about time that the Royal Government of Bhutan sends someone to Australia – a person who is respected, a person with charisma and proven capability – to remind the Bhutanese there that WE NEED THEM BACK IN THE COUNTRY, when their stint there is done.

The late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew declared that should there be a demographic imbalance in Singapore, he would import Chinese from China to make up the numbers. Unfortunately such an option is NOT open to us. Thus we have to hang on to what little we have”.

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2022/08/continue-to-keep-in-straight-and-narrow.html

The reception that the Bhutanese diaspora gave to their Majesties upon arrival in Australia is proof that the home fire that I spoke of is still burning in the hearts and minds of the Bhutanese in Australia. Kadrinche to all of you Bhutanese down under!

I believe that in a long while His Majesty would have felt truly at home.

Looking At Nu.1 Billion With Unabashed Skepticism

Tell me, how often does it happen that our government finds itself in an inviable situation of plentiful? From all accounts, our PDP government seems to have whole lot of dough that they hope to pass around – except that dispensing them does not seem to be as smooth sailing as they would like.

Take for instance the Nu.1 Billion that they supposedly earmarked for sending “deserving” students to study abroad. To their disappointment, it would appear that the announcement has been received with anything but unabashed skepticism.

Not impressed for all the right reasons!

I agree with Kuenga Gyeltshen – the general perception is that the program will end up supporting the influential and the well-connected – few, if any, believe that it will serve the intended purpose.

I have a suggestion, if I may: keep it simple and straightforward - allocate the fund to improve our School Feeding Program. It will benefit in three meaningful ways:

• School authorities will finally be able to afford to provide safe, wholesome and nutritious meals to their students;
• It will be a windfall for the struggling rural farmers who run from pillar to post in an effort to sell their farm produce. Injection of Nu.1.00 billion into the school feeding program will go to create a captive market so vast that the farmers will begin to look at farm work with renewed hope – it will be a game changer; and
• In the agriculture sector, the PDP would have done something that no other government has done in our living memory!

In my capacity as the Club Secretary of the Rotary Club of Thimphu – in 2018, I began implementing PHASE-I of the 3-years, $1.00 million Safe Drinking Water to Schools project, funded by the Disaster Aid Australia. That is when I came face to face with the reality of the School Feeding Program implemented by the then SHND of the Ministry of Education.

It became apparent to me that school feeding program could be one huge market for our rural farmers. But everywhere I went I was faced with one perennial grievance: that Bhutanese farm produces were way too expensive for the school authorities to afford.

I started thinking about this weird situation: How can it be that farm produces grown within the country can be said to be more expensive than those that are imported from growers located few thousand KMs away?

It was not long before I realized what the real problem was: It was not that the Bhutanese farm produces where too expensive – the real problem was in the flawed thinking. It was not that our farm produce was unaffordable - but that the government's allocated stipend was pitifully inadequate!

The answer: increase the stipend to a respectable amount and see what happens.

• Our school children will begin to get safe, nutritious and wholesome food;
• A huge in-country market will open up for our rural farmers.

Recently, Sangay Thinley, Deputy Chief Economic Development & Marketing Officer, of the DAMC initiated the formation of an agriculture marketing network that he calls “Network of Farm Produce Aggregators”. As of now, they are active in few select Dzongkhags. It could be expanded to other Dzongkhags across the country.

The Ministry of Education and the school authorities could work with this Network to arrange uninterrupted supply of items of food to schools – home grown farm produces that are freshly harvested, less infested with chemicals, safe, and at prices that are within the bounds of their enhanced stipend. The network of cold storage facilities that was created by the past government can be used to store food - to be supplied during off seasons.

According to a Kuensel report published in January of 2024, numbers are quoted as follows:

• As of end 2023, the number of students receiving free meals stood at 88,784.
• Stipend to each of these students is reported at a miserly Nu.1,500.00 per month per student.

Do your mathematics - redirecting Nu.1.00 billion to supplement school feeding program will more than quadruple the stipend amount to benefit school children. In the process – school authorities will find that Bhutanese farmers’ produces are, after all, AFFORDABLE!

Even better, the PDP will be the first government who would have done something no other past governments have ever done in the agriculture sector – transcend the talk and chose to do something tangible on the ground!

Finally, The Truth Is Out!

The Bhutanese people must offer thanks to Mr. Yoginder Sharma, former Technical Director at the Punatsangchu-I and Punatsangchu-II projects from 2010-2017, for finally having the guts to come out with the truth - that the project consultants to the two projects – Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS) and Central Water Commission (CWC) - are solely responsible for the disaster that remains an ongoing reality with our two largest failed hydro projects: P-I and P-II.

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 – that is one full decade back - in my article titled “My New Year Wish”, I wrote the following:

“Even if the two governments do not agree to scrap the Punatsangchu projects, they should accept that WAPCOS (consultants to all the hydropower projects in Bhutan) has proven to be anything but competent to undertake any further investigations in the case of these or future hydropower projects in Bhutan. Thus, while we must ensure that WAPCOS is barred from future involvement in our hydro power projects based on their terrible record so far, we should now look at engaging consultants from third countries to investigate if the geological make of the Punatsangchu areas is suitable for large hydro power projects. Through the engagement of better-qualified consultants, we should ascertain whether it is wise to continue with the projects - or scrap it, to prevent further losses”.

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-new-year-wish.html

Two years later, on Thursday, June 22, 2017, I wrote another article on the matter related to WAPCOS resulting from a Seminar co-hosted by the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation & Environment (UWICE), Bumthang, in collaboration with the New Delhi based International Rivers, USA.

Having been invited to participate in the said Seminar, I reported the following to the nation, through my blog titled: “Environmental Governance and Science of Hydropower Development in Bhutan and India":

“One of the speakers at the Seminar pointed out that he had seen a number of works done by the principal Consultants to the PHPA I & II – WAPCOS. They were so bad and shoddy that he had recommended that the WAPCOS be banned from undertaking any work in the hydro-power sector”.

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2017/06/environmental-governance-and-science-of.html

Now that the truth is out in the open, is anybody listening?

Good News! Wangchu Hydro Power Project Stalled

I am encouraged by the news that the 570MW Wangchu HPP is stalled because of the unreasonable demand put forward by India’s Adani Group. I am encouraged for two reasons:

1. This clearly shows that our present breed of negotiating team is maturing and knows a lopsided deal

        when they see one; and

2. With this, I am hopeful that instead of the planned hydro power project, we can now consider doing

         the Bunakha Reservoir Project in its place.

No doubt there is an urgent need to upscale our energy production given the quantum jump in our domestic consumption. But why is it necessary that we have to take the hydroelectric route? The government is already on to the job – through the solar energy route. While we are aware that solar energy is not the solution to our long-term goals, this will do just fine as a stop-gap arrangement. While it will meet our immediate and urgent needs, even if at a higher per unit cost of production, it will give us time to choose and settle on a partner that is more reasonable and level headed than our current choice. For all the hoopla surrounding India’s Adani Group, clearly their astuteness falls far short of their overblown reputation.

For years I have been going hoarse crying out loud that we do the Bunakha Reservoir Project. Doing the Bunakha Reservoir Project has whole lot of advantages over doing the Wangchu Hydropower Project.

• It will feed the Tala and Chhukha projects downstream during the lean months. Water flow during the winter months is supposed to be so bad that it is rumored that last year we imported a whopping US$23.00 million worth of electricity from India. Imagine the shame!! – for a country who boasts of abundant/surplus energy.
• It will be an effective flood control and water management measure for the Bengali Babus downstream;
• It will create a water storage facility in the face of increasing water scarcity brought on by global warming. At some point soon, we will have to start to think of water storage – our traditional sources are drying up which is evident from water shortages reported across the country – both for drinking, as well as for irrigation; and
• It will be lot cheaper than doing the hydro project. May be even our own Bhutanese business houses can finance the project!

Let us not allow anyone to negotiate with us from a position of strength. We are looking for a partner – not a greedy marauder!

The Man Who Overrode His Boss

I knew Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba from the time I was in the civil service. The news that he is no more comes to me as a matter of great loss - not of sadness.

Following on the footsteps of another incomparable Bhutanese - Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering - the nation has a reason for deep mourning - because God no longer creates men like them and their contemporaries - Lyoenchen JYT, Lyonpo Khandu and few others - they are/were a breed apart.

My personal knowledge of the man was as a person who possessed that rare and uncommon talent of being able to keep up people’s hope. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, Lyonpo somehow never allowed anyone to go away feeling hopeless. He may never be able to do what is asked of him - but he gave assurance that he would give his best which had a comforting effect on people in need of help. For me personally though - he was a man who had the guts to do what needed to be done.

It was during the mid 1990s when he was the Finance Secretary that there was an incident that left a lasting impression in my heart.

One particular Bhutanese importer had indulged in deflection of dutiable goods to India - meaning that import cargo intended to enter Bhutan never did - it was deflected to Indian market - duty free. Obviously, India objected with customary vehemence - with the result that Bhutan was forced to act firmly - to demonstrate to India that action was being taken.

The action that was taken was that the Ministry of Finance took over the responsibility and the authority - of issuing and signing the Import Licenses - it was earlier in the domain of Royal Bhutan Customs. True to character, the government officials were obviously clueless about the import documentation procedures that was pre-agreed between the GoI and the RGoB.

One of the specified conditions was that the signatory(s) of the Bhutanese authority(s) who signed the Import License should be registered with the Indian Customs in Calcutta. So, it happened that the Finance Ministry took over the authority to issue and sign the Import License - but they forgot about that minor detail about registering the signatures of the new signatories with the Indian Customs - with the result that Import Licenses issued and signed by the Finance Ministry officials got rejected. You can imagine the ensuing problems for the Bhutanese importers!

In the middle of all this mess, I had a problem of my own. I had ordered a sizeable number of container loads of photocopy papers from Malaysia. The goods were fully paid for and the consignment duly loaded on board the ship bound for Calcutta port - Bhutan's designated port of discharge.

I went to the Finance Minister to request for the issue of an Import License for my photocopy papers. He refused pointblank - on the grounds that the Bhutanese businessmen were irresponsible and that we were causing the country great harm!

“But Lyonpo, my cargo is already on the high seas and they have been fully paid for.”

“Nga Meshey - now leave me alone.”

I got out of his office and headed for the Finance Secretary’s office. The PA informed me that the Secretary was having his lunch …. I told her - no problem - please report to him that Q Yeshey is here to see him. As luck would have it …. the Secretary just then happened to stick out his head out of his office - and noticed that I was there ….

 “Wai Yeshey iimbey tey … are you here to see me?”

“Yes Sir … I need to see you.

“Please come in … I am in the middle of my lunch …. Do you want some?”

“Mizhu la … I had mine”

“OK then … what can I do for you”

“I am in need of an Import License for the import of some container loads of photocopy paper but the Finance Minister is adamant that I cannot have it”

“Why”

“He says the Bhutanese business people are tramaship. I would not have bothered – except that the cargo is already on the high seas and I have paid for them 100%”

“Wai, if the Lyonpo has refused you …. Are you asking me to override my boss?”

“Yes Dasho I am asking that --- because your boss has hot stone in his head - he is being irrational. The import documentation requirement may have changed - only to the extent that the Import License will hence forth be issued and signed by the Ministry of Finance. The rules and import procedures have not changed - they remain the same. So, it is unreasonable and unjustified that the Minister finds it necessary to refuse me Import License - just because he is irritated”.

The Secretary thought for a while and said;

“Iimbey mo - you have a point. There is no justification in refusing you. But what if the Lyonpo comes to know and questions me?”

“Please tell him that you were not aware that he had already refused.”

“Haha … this must be a first - that someone overrides his boss. But I believe that I will not be wrong to do it. Beygey tey mosh - I will see what happens!”

Those days, life was truly haphazard …. But the existence of people the likes of late Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba made it tolerable.