The Strident President Donald Trump

This past month I have been regularly watching the CNN news channel. I love the Trump-bashing that goes on in there, in true democratic spirit – reinforcing beyond doubt that USA is indeed the land of the free.

Until now I believed that President Donald Trump was a lot smarter person, in spite of his outlandish campaign rhetoric that he has been dishing out. As I wrote in my earlier post on him, I truly believed that once he became President, he would surprise us all by NOT fulfilling most of his campaign pledges.

It now appears that I may be completely wrong.

This morning when I put on the TV, I did so at the precise moment when President Donald Trump declared:

“We have to start winning wars again"

He is going to declare wars and he is going to win them! --- and to enable him to do that, he is proposing a defense budget of US$603 billion. This sum is more than the sum total spent by the rest of the world’s top 7 countries with the biggest defense budgets:

China                  215.0
Saudi Arabia         87.2
Russia                   66.4
UK                        55.5
India                      51.3
France                   50.9
Japan                     40.9

TOTAL :     US$ 567.0 billion 
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

The lunacy does not stop there: since he had promised big tax cuts during the campaign, there is no way be is going to be able to wage wars and win them, through increased tax collection. So he proposes what he thinks is the next best thing – he proposes to finance his war mongering through budget cuts in such meaningful areas as foreign aid, healthcare and EPA.

Thirty-five years back (1981) President elect Ronald Reagan, another Republican, was the oldest President of America – at 69 years of age. Donald Trump at 70 now qualifies as the oldest elected US President.

President Reagan too was a great believer in military might. He spent hundreds of billions of dollars to build up American military might, so much so that at one point he told the Pentagon, “Defense is not a budget item. You spend what you need”.

President Reagan was so hell bent on military supremacy that in 1983, he announced the futuristic Strategic Defense Initiative – a hugely expensive Star Wars like missile defense system. There was one good outcome from all that posturing – it forced the USSR to embark on its own military build up, which many believe, ultimately contributed to its bankruptcy and the fall of Communism.

And yet, for all that, during his entire Presidency, Ronald Reason waged only one miserably absurd war – that of the invasion of Grenada, in October of 1983. However, the invasion of the tiny island defended by less than 1,000 militia did not bring any long term, or even short term, honor for the President or the world’s most powerful military power. In fact, in due course, the United Nations General Assembly voted 108:9 – to condemn the invasion as an unwarranted act of international aggression.

President Reagan was a staunch protagonist of  “Peace through strength”. He believed that he could maintain world peace through sheer military might. He was my hero because I believe in that. By contrast, President Trump wants to “Make America Great Again” by waging wars and winning them. I do not believe in that and thus I am not his fan.

The great economic powerhouse that is America gives out less than 1% of its budget in aiding needy foreign nations. Of that, in 2014, US$5.9 billion was spent in financing the purchase of weapons of war.

Instead of curtailing foreign aid and reduce funding for EPA’s programs, America will do well to increase them. I am told that President Trump is stridently against environmental protection because he believes that the claim that the environment is in a depleted state is whole lot of hogwash. But he would do well to listen to others and open his eyes and mind to the state of the environment. He cannot be oblivious to the weather related disasters that the great America has witnessed in recent times.

I think that for America and President Donald Trump, it would be cheaper to win hearts rather than wars. Along the way they will garner respect, esteem and goodwill.

America is a nation of immigrants – its greatness can be attributed to the contributions made by the immigrants – right from its formative years to the present. As on last count, the DHS’ Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) estimated that there were close to 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in America. One has to wonder why the US government did not act, even while the DHS was obviously keeping tract of all the unauthorized aliens. Donald Trump has to consider why the earlier administrations turned a blind eye to the issue, even while they were fully aware. To go blistering against them, as if it were a recent and sudden phenomena, is to invite problems and complications that he cannot even comprehend.

The way to making “America Great Once Again” cannot be through alienation of friends and supporters and partners and neighbors. America cannot survive in isolation - no one can.

"America First" is a gallant aspiration that deserves support, but the manner in which President Trump hopes to accomplish it for America is untenable - he cannot hope to achieve it by trampling on the aspirations of others. If President Trump believes that building the Mexican wall will advance his aspirations for achieving "America First", do it by all means but do not require Mexico to pay for its construction. You want it, you foot the bill.

President Donald Trump has to remember that even the lowly rat catcher is an integral and legitimate member of the human society.

President Donald Trump has to look to history – not a very ancient one at that – and draw lessons from it. For all its military might, for all its pile of nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles, atomic and hydrogen bombs, and with a combined military personnel of 1,385,116 – all that it took was one dedicated and determined lunatic to bring the mighty America to its knees and alter the very course of its history forever. 9/11 is proof that US$603 billion military spending is no guarantee that a foolproof defense system can be built.

If wars are to be fought and won, I think they have to be won in the minds of men, and not on battlefields. Subjugating nations and peoples through military aggression is too primeval.

How America behaves impacts us all. I urge President Donald Trump to have consideration for those of us who do not have the wherewithal to wage, or win, wars.

Langdhurbi: Take 2

The remote village of Langdhurbi in Zhemgang District is 7 hours walk from the nearest road head. Far removed from the razzal-dazzle of modernity that is fast changing the social and cultural landscape of urban Bhutan, the simple folks in this pigeonhole of a village live out their lives devoid of dreams. They are incapable of dreams for, they know not what to dream for. All their lives they have been wrapped within the bounds of their cocoon – living a way of life that is a slice right out of the medieval times. This lot has not seen electricity, television or a motor vehicle in their lives – until Rotary Club of Thimphu decided to change that for some of the children from this village.

In July of last year, the Rotary Club of Thimphu transported 20 young children from this impoverished village and brought them to Thimphu for a week. For the first time these children took a bus ride, saw motor road, vehicles, electricity, animated movies and experienced for the first time the throbbing, pulsating waywardness of modern times and way of life. This trip was designed to show these children what stuffs of dreams were made of – what to aspire for and what possibilities existed for them. And, for the really smart among them, the trip would have given them cause for rejoice – in the revelation that the life they have in their village is far more meaningful, healthy, harmonious and sustainable, than that offered by the urban centers where every new medical breakthrough has seen increased number of new and strange diseases, every new scientific invention has seen the world inching closer to annihilation, and every new smart electronic device turning human beings into less smart beings and more forgetful and disjointed.

Among those 20 young kids, there was this really talented singer and artist – named Sonam Dorji, aged 11 years. He had such a wonderful voice and more amazingly he loved singing Zhundra – classical songs. So, this year during the winter holidays we brought him back to Thimphu once again and got him to be coached in singing and drawing. He attended classes at the iBEST and M-Studio who were generous to teach him without charging him a fee. In between he took singing classes from such luminaries as Lhamo Dukpa and Namkha Lhamo, Bhutan’s most accomplished Zhungdra divas.

Sonam Dorji under the tutelage of Bhutan's foremost Zhungdra singer - Namkha Lhamo

Sonam Dorji is back to his village in Langdhurbi and continues his studies at the local community school. What the future holds for him is anybody’s guess. The talent that is latent in him is something I wish I could help him unleash but I do not have the means to do so. And I suspect I am the poorer for leading him to the stars but not being able to help him touch them.

As I prod along on the path of life that must inevitably end in nothingness, I think of this extremely talented boy languishing in abject helplessness in some remote wilderness. If he were a little bit luckier --- if I were a little bit more economically able, he could have one day serenaded the best of the best. But that is not how the story will be written – for all his talent, he is destined to be lost in the sands of oblivion – one potential shining star whose luminosity will not see the light of day.

Sonam Dorji’s trip to Thimphu this year was sponsored by Hotel Jumolhari and writer Chador Wangmo provided food and accommodation for the boy and his aunt who escorted him. Hotel Druk was generous to provide one end-of-session dinner for the boy and his tutors.

Rotary Club of Thimphu’s First Annual Conference Successfully Concluded

What was originally planned as the 9th Annual District Conference of the RI District 3292, ended up as the RC Thimphu’s maiden annual conference. From a staggering 2,400++ registrants to the Conference, the final head count for the club level conference stood at 160 (excluding 15 from Bhutan), including spouses. Fifteen (15) countries were represented spanning across 8 Rotary International Districts comprised of 37+1 Clubs.

All the participants were suitably impressed that a new and minuscule club with only 19 Members could organize the hosting of such a large gathering. Everything was timed perfectly – right from the reception at Paro International Airport to check-in at the hotels and the Conference itself. The international participants were impressed with the line up of speakers, led by our Honorable Prime Minister who was the keynote speaker at the event. Every Conference session was perfectly timed to the last nano second – the sessions started and ended exactly as scheduled – no hiccups!

The Rotary Club of Thimphu presented 12 project ideas to the participants for collaboration – in areas that included education, health, agriculture etc.

One Club in Malaysia announced support for 3 scholarships in vocational training - The Rotary Club of Melawati.

Another from the same country promised to take up the construction of hostel for Kagtong Primary School in remote Zhemgang costing US$25,000.00.

Yet another Club donated US$1,500.00 to cover the cost of purchase of farm equipment – for one of the three Youth Cooperatives engaged in agriculture farming.

In the coming months other participating clubs will start to look at our proposals and commit their sponsorship of some of the projects that were proposed.

Our Keynote Speaker – Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bhutan

Dignitaries at the Conference – Hon’ble Chief Justice of Bhutan and Hon’ble Minister for Home & Cultural Affairs posing with Rotarian KK Looi and friends from Malaysia.

Photo shoot - Hon'ble Prime Minister pose with the participants, following the inauguration of the Conference

A throng of Rotarians from around the glob: 7 RI Districts, 38 Clubs and 108 Rotarians

Some Club Members pose with Rotarians from Malaysia. On the extreme left is Rtn. KK Looi who put together his group from among Clubs under District 3300 in Malaysia.

Yours truly with the team leader Rtn. Marian Victor Popa from the Rotary Club of Bucharest “Octo”, Romania. Note the interesting traditional costume he and his spouse are wearing. On the extreme right is Rtn. Rinzi Om, RC Thimphu’s Sargent-at-Arms.

Yours truly with the contingent from Romania

Club President Rtn. Tsewang Rinzing, the Club’s Director of Community Service Rtn. Dawa Penjore and Club Secretary Rtn. Yeshey Dorji with the 7-members contingent from the Rotary Club of Melawati, Malaysia. This Club has confirmed the award of scholarships for three Bhutanese youth - for vocational training in an institute in Malaysia

One of the participants celebrating her birthday at the City Hotel, Thimphu

While we were busy with our club Conference, two of our Members were attending the RI District 3292 Annual Conference in Kathmandu. Rtn. Kesang Tshomo, Director of Memberships and Rtn. Yeshey Nidup, Club Treasurer, represented our Club in the Conference, to show solidarity. They are seen here with the incumbent District Governor Rtn. Jaya Rajya Laxmi Shah and incoming DG Sanjay Giri (2017-2018).

The last two months was a very tiring period. I had to oversee the arrangement and preparation for the Conference. Not to say that I had sleepless nights – but I certainly had very little sleep. Thankfully it is over and I can now relax a bit – until I run to Zhemgang to initiate another of RC Thimphu’s project – solar fencing of farmlands in Kheng Nimshong village - all of 7 KMs.

Throughout the Conference, every one else spoke but I remained resolutely mute. But yesterday at the dinner at the Le Meridien Hotel in Thimphu I decided to break my silence for a while - to quote the American multi-billionaire philanthropist, Mr. Warren Buffett:

“What money you have in excess of your need is useless money“.

I supplemented it by saying:

“There is one sure way of making that useless money into useful money. Give it to those who need it.”

You should have no doubt who I was hinting at☺☺

2018 ROTARY PEACE FELLOWSHIP II

The Rotary Peace Fellowship is a highly coveted scholarship for which there is enormous competition at a global level.  If you are able to win one of the hundred scholarships on offer, you go beyond merely securing a seat in one of the top world universities to pursue a Masters degree - you will be making a statement about yourself - that you are a person of substance capable enough to compete and win among the very best in the world.

In our quest towards humanitarian service, the Rotary Club of Thimphu embraces three core values - Education, Health and Agriculture. Of the three, we believe that education is KEY. It makes citizens conscientious and inculcates a sense of responsibility towards the environment, practice healthy living and responsible behavior. Education helps unravel some of life’s most intriguing mysteries.

It is our hope that atleast one Bhutanese would win one Rotary Peace Fellowship a year. In our endeavor to help you do so, we have enlisted the help of Bhutan’s own Rotary Scholar - Ms. Pem Chuki Wangdi. She is a recipient of the 2014-2015 Rotary Peace Fellowship that helped her pursue a Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland, Australia.

At the invitation of the The Rotary Club of Thimphu, Ms. Pem will be returning home for a brief while to speak at the Club’s international Conference scheduled for mid February, 2017. During her short stay in Bhutan, she has agreed to host a Questions & Answers Session - to meet and help aspiring Bhutanese applicants to the Rotary Peace Fellowship. During the session, she will answer all your questions and guide you in making your application process less tedious.

Those of you who may be interested, please register (with your email & mobile number) for the session at: 

rotarybhutan@gmail.com 

We will notify you of the time and place of the session in due course. The date for the session is fixed for:

 20TH FEBRUARY, 2017 

In the meantime please go through the websites the links of which are given in my Blog below - and read up everything so that you know where you need help.

BEST OF LUCK!

2018 ROTARY PEACE FELLOWSHIP

Once again the Rotary Club of Thimphu is happy to inform of the announcement of the Rotary Peace Fellowship for 2018. Please obtain further information from the following links:

The Application

2018 Rotary Peace Fellowship

Please use the following resources, in the application process:

Information on eligibility requirements:

Rotary Peace Centers Program Guide

The steps to completing the application:

application video

All About the Rotary Peace Fellowship

10 January, 09:00-09:30

Applying for Rotary Peace Fellowship 
Applying for the Rotary Peace Fellowship: Tips From Current Fellows
24 January, 09:00-09:30

How to strengthen your application

Rotary Peace Fellowships: How to Strengthen Your Application

7 February, 09:00-09:30

Facebook

Rotary Peace Centers Facebook page

Aspiring applicants have until 31 APRIL, 2017 to submit applications to:

          The Rotary Club of Thimphu
          RSPN Building
          Below WWF/Ministry of Health office
          Kawajangtsa
          Thimphu
          BHUTAN.

          Telephone    :    02 323242
          Mobile         :    77190182
          eMail           :    rotarybhutan@gmail.com
          Website        :    www.rotarybhutan.org
 

Please read through the materials available at the above links - to understand the process of application. Please ensure that your application is with us by the dateline so that we may forward the same to the District, for onward submission to the RI in the US.

DO YOU NEED HELP?
If you need help with navigating through the application process, please talk to Ms. Pem Chuki Wangdi at her following email address. Pem is a Rotary scholar and a recipient of the Rotary Peace Fellowship so she understands. She has volunteered to help out. She can be reached at:

          pemcwangdi@gmail.com

Yet Again, My Time For Anguish

On December 1, 2016, I had blogged on “Something Has Gone Seriously Wrong Somewhere” (http://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2016/12/most-of-my-friends-have-started-their.html). I moaned about our domestic electricity tariff being way out of the reach of most of us poor fellows in this country.

Yet again, my time for anguish is here. On the morning of 6th January, 2017 I got my electricity bill for the month of December, 2016. The two bills (don't ask me why I am getting two bills) collectively amounted to nearly Nu.9,000.00 (by the way I use only two radiating room heaters, one refrigerator, one freezer, a TV, one washing machine, a water boiler, a rice cooker and home lighting - and NOT A SINGLE GEYSER). In certain sections of the Bhutanese society, this sum is enough to feed a family of twelve, for over two moths - with ease.

This is truly appalling. Even worst, it has been announced that electricity tariff will be increased even further, as of this month.

We, more accurately, the government and the big time thinkers and planners should hang their heads in shame - that we boast of being a big time producer of hydro-electricity and yet, electricity as a energy source is being priced out of the reach of the common people.

The world of the Bhutanese has gone a little quirky.

We say we produce so much electricity and yet, we cannot afford it. Infact, in some months we have to import electricity from India.

We say we have 80% forest coverage and yet, the wildlife who has 4 times bigger land holding finds it necessary to invade the fields of the poor farmers who have only 20% share of the country’s land. In other parts of the world, humans encroach into wildlife habitat - in Bhutan the reverse is true. And yet we have rampant wildlife predation. Something is not quite right here.

We recognize that large-scale incidences of Goongtongs is a serious problem with long term consequences on the country, and yet, we do nothing to amend the antiquated laws that cause it. The planners and thinkers are clueless of the reverse multiplier effect that Goongtongs will have on the country, over the long haul.

Increasingly, large swaths of traditional farm lands are converted into cardamom fields and hazelnut plantations, severely impacting food production. We forget that it was the unchecked cardamom plantations that caused the governemnt to implement the country's first nationalization drive in the late 1970's. I am told that the hazelnut project is now in direct conflict with the country's "organics only" farming aspirations.

We say we are champions of environmental conservation, and yet, we think nothing of scarring the landscape for hundreds of miles; dig roads that we do not need, and indiscriminately fell trees that have taken centuries to grow and mature.

There is an urgent need to introspect and realize that we have become a society that is incapable of putting our minds and hearts into what we are doing. Our hearts do not seem to be where our minds are. We are glib talkers - but there seem little understanding that talk has to be followed through with action. We talk simply because there is a need for talk - some do not even understand what they are talking.

One has to wonder how long we can go on like this.

Rotary Club of Thimphu Donates 6 Kidney Hemodialysis Machines

On Bhutan’s National Day - December 17, 2016, the Rotary Club of Thimphu donated 6 brand new units of Kidney Hemodialysis Machines to the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan. This Nu.6.8 million Global Grant Project took two years to realize and the collaborative spirit of 10 Rotary Districts and Clubs - across countries such as Bhutan, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and USA.

 

 

Bhutanese hospitals across the country suffer acute shortage of these life saving machines. We are told that at the JDWNRH, Thimphu, patients are so desperate for dialysis that they regularly attempt to jump queue - resulting in occasional fistfights.

His Majesty the King has gifted a new 24-beds Dialysis Center that is currently under construction. We think that our machines would provably be installed in the new Center. However, that is a decision the Health Ministry will have to take - our donation was a gift without any strings attached - we will not dictate where the machines should be installed.

In the coming months, we will also conduct in-country training and refresher courses for 9 operators of these machines.

Our immediate next project with the Health Ministry is the setting up of 3 artificial limbs fitment centers - one each in Thimphu, Gelephu and Mongaar. The world famous “JaipurLimb” technology will come to Bhutan as soon as the MoU is signed between the Health Ministry, the Rotary Club of Thimphu and some Indian donors. With the setting up of this Global Grant Project worth US$80,000.00, Bhutan will no longer need to send patients out of the country for prosthesis.

BUT GOD ALMIGHTY! - the wheels of bureaucracy grinds oh so painfully slowly! Even after four months of dogged pursuit, our MoU is still gathering moss in some unknown labyrinth! I have this uncanny feeling that the first patient that the Thimphu Center would need to treat would be our own MoU - because by the time it limps out of whatever hole it is stuck in, it would have lost a leg and an arm - thus requiring prosthesis replacement.

Hydro-power Madness III

Mt. Jichu Drake at 6,989 Mtrs. is Bhutan’s sixth highest peak. The lake at the base of this mountain is the primary source of the Pachhu (Paro river), that partially drives the turbines of Chukkha and Tala Hydropower Projects. When I first visited the area in 2004, the peak was fully laden with snow and the base of the mountain and its lower portion had a huge cover of frozen ice – it looked so azure that it was almost eerie.

During my next visit to the area seven years later in February, 2011, the peak had totally lost the ice and most of the snow on it had melted. The photo below was taken during my second visit in February, 2011 (I cannot find the photo that I took in 2004). As you can see, the peak has lost most of its show and ice - in fact three-fourths of the mountain has now no snow at all.

Two of the photos below are that of our third highest peak, Masagang at 7,194 Mtrs. The first one was taken in 2011 and the second one was taken on 12th December, 2016. Look at the difference between the two: the latest photo shows that there is almost no snow on the peak.

The two photos below show the source of Chamkharchhu. The first one shows the huge reserve of snow and ice underground. The second shows the hole in that depository. The rate of melting of the ice and snow is way faster than the replenishment. This means this reserve is going to run dry in times to come.

Miles and miles of depost of ice and snow under the ground, that feeds the Chamkharchhu

Hole in the ground of the ice and snow deposit - the melt is faster than replenishment

At this rate of snow and ice melt, how long do you think our high peaks and glacial lakes will continue to feed our river systems that turn the hydropower turbines?

Do you still think doing Chamkharchhu Hydropower Project and other hydropower ventures are going to be sustainable?

As I said in my last post, the issue of hydropower projects in our context has more to do with economic disaster that is being caused, rather then the fear that it will cause environmental degradation. I fully recognize that the cause of the environment cannot be allowed to constrain human development and economic benefit to the people.

But our experience so far with our hydropower ventures have been that it not only damages our ecosystems but is also all set to cause us economic enslavement.

Hydro-power Madness II

India ranks as the world’s fifth largest electricity generator. Its current total installed capacity is in excess of 300GW.

There is a misconception in Bhutan that we are a significant game changer to an energy starved India, in their drive towards energy self-sufficiency. Nothing can be further from reality.

India’s Power Minister Piyush Goyal recently reported in the Rajya Sabha that India imported 5.24 billion units of electricity from Bhutan, in the last fiscal. That figure seems like colossal! But wait just a second – translated as a percentage of India’s total power generation, our export of 5.24 billion units work out to a shamefully inconsequential 0.47% of their total output!

So tell me, how significant are we in India’s hydropower dreams? On a scale of Nu.1.00 we are not even half a Chettrum, and that denomination does not even exist in our currency!

Trust me, India does not need our hydro-electricity now, nor will they need in the future.

By the year 2030 India is poised to generate enough electricity not only to meet, but exceed their energy requirement. Even today some believe that the notion that India suffers energy poverty is a fallacy. They believe that India is already self sufficient in electricity - but that their problem is mismanagement and poor distribution and delivery.

Our situation is ofcourse perilous, to say the least. We can already see it clearly. We are slowly but surely headed towards a situation, a convergence of occurrences, that spell doom for us.

Fourteen years from now, our lone egg basket – India – will achieve self sufficiency in their energy needs.

Fourteen years from now, most of our hydro-electric plants will have outlived their productive life.

Fourteen years from now, our glacial lakes, mountaintops and rivers would be severely depleted of snow, ice and water.

Fourteen years from now, Bhutan would still be straddled with loans amounting to hundreds of billions of Rupees.

Very few, if at all, have understood why I make so much noise about hydropower. I want to clarify:

I do not make noise about it because of my belief that hydropower projects damage our pristine environment - far from it.

I make noise because I firmly believe that in our situation, our hydropower projects will be the VICTIM OF ENVINOMENT. It is clear that the state of the global environment will impact our hydropower projects. And, indications are that the state of the environment is worsening by the year.