A Revolution In The Making

It is happening! And not in some impoverished remote village in the depths of the Bhutanese wilderness – it is happening right under your noses! They are not the shanty, rickety bullock cart ridding lot, or the barefoot variety plodding over muddy farm roads. These are the upwardly mobile, the nose-in-the-air, squeaky-clean wannabes who come riding in shinny, spanking new latest model cars and SUVs, bearing not laptops or some other modern gadgets, but farm tools such as Hoe, Spades, Crowbars, Shovel, Racks, Pickaxes etc.

These are the new breed of urban farmers that is about to set into motion a trend that this country sorely needs – a trend that has the potential to reboot the Bhutanese people’s evolutionary process that went into animated suspension over a century back.

Yesterday morning as I was driving past Motithang Higher Secondary School, I noticed a bunch of people digging away at the far end of the school compound. Quite evidently these lot were digging up the earth to do some farming. Upon enquiry, I was told that they were the staff of the school. They had divided the vacant plot of land into small parcels among themselves and were going to grow vegetables. I gave them a Thumbs Up.

A section of Motithang HS being dug up for growing food

Much later over lunch it occurred to me that perhaps this may be happening elsewhere around Thimphu. So I pulled out my camera and drove around places that generally do not do farming. When I reached Hejo – opposite the Woodcraft Centre, I saw lot of people digging away in about 20 segregated parcels of farmland. I drove in and realized that these were not the regular farmers – but educated lot of people engaged in farm work. In fact one of the diggers wished me with the utmost courtesy. It turns out that he was one of the trekking guides that I had used a number of times in the past.

A section of Hejo village being turned into farmland by the urban farmers out of jobs and livelihood

It is happening. Farming and agriculture work is no longer infra dig! There is pride, and opportunity, in farm work.

Urban farmers arrive their new workplace ridding in swanky new cars and SUVs

A close up of the urban farmers doing group work

The land has been dug up and beds made for plantation of chilies

A water pond has been created for watering the farm plots

But there seems to be something that could spell trouble - the farmers can't help but huddle in a group - for discussion, distribution of seeds and seedlings. There seems to be a need for a Lajab at each of these farm clusters - so that they are constantly reminded of the need for physical distancing. The government and the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture  & Forests should immediately work on this so that farm work does not become a potential disaster, after all that we have achieved so far.

No physical distancing practiced - this could be catastrophic

Subsequently, I drove over to meet my friend Tsewang Rinzing, owner of Sakten Tours & Treks for a tete-a-tete. We hadn’t met for quite a while because of the need for social distancing during this difficult times. Over the course of our discussions he tells me that he has been considering his options to continue to support his 18 regular staff, although business is at a stand still and is likely to continue for over a year. He tells me that he believes that one way is to suspend the construction of his hotel project in Punakha and instead use the 8 acres of land available there – to engage his staff to do farming to generate income for themselves.

Now this is pure inventiveness! Are other rich tour operators going to consider doing something similar? Such an endeavor would not only help the workless staff remain gainfully employed and earn their keep, it will go a long way in lightening up the financial burden on the government.

I dare say that with people coming forward with such initiatives and thinking out of the box, the much-awaited revolution in the agriculture sector is a real possibility.

But I hope that the Ministry of Agriculture & Forests will not be caught with their pants down. We need this Ministry to be as valiant as the Ministry of Health has been. Let Bhutan show the way – how a crisis can be converted to opportunity and optimism.