Clueless

Recorded history lists around 232 erstwhile Bhutanese administrators (Druk Desis, Penlops, Dzongpens and Je Khenpos), most of whom would have struck coins starting from 1790 to 1907. Two among them – Paro Penlop Tshering Penjor and Gongzim Sonam Tobgay Dorji may have continued to issue coins beyond 1907 because they were the only two persons authorized to issue their own coins, post 1907. All others would have halted coin production, upon establishment of the hereditary Wangchuck Dynasty.

A careful study of the designs of Bhutan’s early coins suggests that none of the above issuing authorities paid heed to what they were doing. What they were doing was striking their coins with Bengali scripts/alphabets on them. The following were the Bengali alphabets that continued to feature on our coins:

These are the most numerous Bengali alphabets found on Bhutan's early coins

This coin is actually the reverse of Wangdue Dzongpen's (also called Wangzob) coin struck between 1835 - 1910

One reason could be that they were unaware that they were Bengali alphabets/scripts. I believe that they assumed them to be some cute designs or motifs. So they continued to strike their coins, without realizing that they were actually striking coins with half the names of some the Maharajas of Cooch Behar. This would have happened because one of the designs they borrowed from belonged to the following coin of Maharaja Devendranarayan (1764-1766)  of Cooch Behar.

Maharaja Devendranarayan's coin which inspired most of Bhutan's early coins' designs

Thus some of our coins ended up with the following design – among the most numerous:

The obverse of one of Bhutan's Maartams

They merely inserted a Bhutanese “Sa” in the design, in front of the Bengali word “ndra”. What they did not know is that “ndra” is later half of the names of some of the Cooch Behar Maharajas of the time:

Mahi ndra Narayan

Upe  ndra Narayan

Deve  ndra Narayan

Dhairje  ndra Narayan

The following is a comparison of one of our Maartrums with that of the original Narayani coin from which was derived our coins’ designs:

The obverse of Bhutanese Maartrum on the left, as opposed to that of Maharajan Devendranarayan's 1/2 Rupee coin.

Except for the Bengali “Sa” at the bottom center on the Narayani coin, everything is a perfect match!

NOTE: During the late 1760's Bhutan had so much influence over Cooch Behar that Maharaja Dharendranarayan was actually installed on the Cooch throne by Bhutan.

PS: Addendum at 12:07PM : 15:03:2020
I realize that I failed to explain our connection with Cooch Behar. Bhutan’s most active trading partner those days was Tibet and Cooch Behar. Thus although we used coins from Tibet, British Indian, Chinese, French Indian coins from Arcot and Assamese coins, the most abundant was the Narayani coins from Cooch Behar. We not only extensively used their coins, but during later years we even stole their dies and carried away metal workers from Cooch Behar and took them to places like Thimphu, Wangdue, Dagana and Trongsa – where they were put to work to hammer coins.

Two villages – one each in Wangdue and Enduchoeling in Trongsa, have descendants from these captives, now integrated into mainstream Bhutanese society.

Wrong About COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in 3-4 Months

A reader from USA sent me the following mail this morning, arising out of my mistaken assumption that a vaccine for COVID-19 could become available in 3-4 months time:

I like your post very much. But you got one important fact wrong: A vaccine will definitely not be available in 3-4 months. It’s possible that several new vaccine candidates could go into clinical trials within that time, but a proven and safe vaccine will not be available to the public for another 12-18 months. It takes a long time to establish both efficacy and safety. This is the word from the top infectious disease expert in the US, and from countless other scientists here.

In 1976, after a vaccine was rushed into production when a human version of the swine flu swept around the world, many people who were vaccinated developed a rare neuromuscular disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome, and some died. This has been a warning for emergency vaccine development ever since. 

I would humbly suggest that you post a correction for your devoted readers on the anticipated vaccine schedule. People need to know that, in the short term, a vaccine will not protect them. Only commonsensical public health measures — like social distancing and hand hygiene — will do that.

But your point about protecting health workers is excellent. I hope that Bhutan can keep this pandemic at bay. You are lucky to have a smart and compassionate physician leading the government. 

I stand corrected 🙏

Over The Moon, Once Again

Former Ambassador Tobgye S. Dorji and Aum Genzing generously gifted me 2 copies of the 1928 Bronze Zangtrum. It is incredibly generous of them – as a collector and researcher only I can understand how uncommon a gesture this is. But in Dasho Tobgye's words:

“The coins serve better purpose with some one like you than with  someone like me – I know that the nation will benefit if you own them. With me they would just lie around tied up inside a leather pouch”.

1928 Bronze Zangtrum: Incredibly rare gesture - gifting these rare coins

Now I am short of only one coin – one milled variety struck in 1928. There is another hammered variety that would have been struck between 1873 and 1879 – if I am able to acquire it, it would be a bonus. But even without it, my collection would be complete but for the 1928 milled coin. I need this hammered variety for validation purpose only. Once I have these two in my collection, I will have completed my collection of both hammered and milled coins of Bhutan, beginning 1790 all the way to 1954. I do not mean that I have every coin that was ever hammered – it means that I have a number of representative coins from all the four periods during which our coins were hammered, until milled coins arrived in 1928.

The 1954 milled coin should have been dated “Shing Taa (Wood Horse) Lo Jatrum Ched”. But it is erroneously marked “Chaag Taag (Iron Tiger) Lo Jatrum Ched”. And there is a mistake on the obverse of the coin – they used the old die with the disconnected Ba-Ra-Ta-Da. Meaning that this coin is in error – both on the obverse as well as on the reverse. But while errors on the obverse are uncommon, errors in dates are not unique to Bhutan – it happens in other countries as well. In numismatic circles such occurrences are known as “frozen date”. The reason is solely because of the carelessness of the issuing authorities.

Coins struck after 1954 gets disgusting – until 1974 and 1975 when they regained respectability. Sadly thereafter, once again, as of 1979 they are full of errors that never got corrected to this day. Some mistakes are simply inexplicable.

It has been a long journey for me – my quest to dig up historical backgrounds and events that shaped the history of money in the country. The search took me to Canada, Belgium, Germany, the UK and India. Besides being tiresome, it has been rather expensive. But now my search is nearing the end. In fact it has ended, except for that 1928 milled coin that is missing. Once I have it, I am ready to put together a perplexing history of Bhutan’s numismatic march of errors.

The experience has been truly enriching. Some of the amazing things I have stumbled on, in the process of digging deep into the matter – I am now able to understand why some things have been the way they have been.

The coins may be inanimate objects fashioned out of lifeless metals - but the story they tell is profound - one of patience, tenacity and supreme tolerance, qualities that helped our Monarchs surmount and survive numerous tangles of web, treachery and conniving, to ably deliver our beloved Kingdom into the 21st century, intact.

PS: In my relentless search for coins, I was aghast to learn that majority of the packaged old Bhutanese coins, including modern ones currently sold in Bhutan are marketed here by dealers from Nepal. Strangely, the same situation prevails in our antique textile trade - they all find their way back into the country - through Nepal.

A New Kind Of Danger

Hi Johan,

It has been long since I heard from you but when I did, what a mail 😛.

Thank you for your mail. I am sure it would have taken you whole day to do such a long and detailed mail.

In Bhutan, as of now we have one confirmed COVID-19 case. And the entire Bhutanese population is frantic – as we should be. But sometimes we do tend to over-react without a proper understanding of the issues involved. I have been advising everyone that what is needed is cautious behavior and a sense of responsibility to self and to your friends and family. Irresponsible behavior and bravado are bound to cause bigger problems.

Happily our government is on the ball, as they say. Unfortunately what is emerging is a danger that few seem to have foreseen: the diminishing number of actively serving health workers at the JDWNRH, and perhaps elsewhere as well, brought about by the mandatory need for their isolation.

What I mean is that the health workers who are working/worked with the confirmed case and his primary contacts, are required to go into isolation for 14 days. This means if we have even 5 confirmed cases, the JDWNRH would be empty of doctors and nurses – because they would all be in isolation. Or, they would be working with the infected during which they would be barred from outside contact.

That to me is more worrisome than the possibility of infection by the virus – because we are likely to face a situation when we would be unable to treat even normal illnesses because all the doctors and nurses would all be locked up in isolation camps!

But as far as the COVID-19 is concerned, I think a vaccine should become available in the next 3-4 months: so this scare will pass too. I am sorry that you may not be able to come to Bhutan in July – but as I said your responsible behavior is the best defense against the virus and its proliferation.

I am not a praying kind of person – if I were, this would be the moment to pray for our health workers' safety, because as the persons at the forefront in our battle against this deadly virus, they are at the greatest risk.

But I can offer them my salutations for their service to safeguard the health and life of the Bhutanese people.

Tale of Two Coins

Investigation into the history of coinage in Bhutan took me on some strange journeys. And at times I have uncovered some utterly silly mistakes. Mistakes?? How can anyone possibly make such utterly silly mistakes?

Look at the following bronze coin: it was struck in 1979 and denominated at Five Chetrums:

The design was borrowed from a variation of the following coin hammered between 1790–1840, among Bhutan’s earliest coins:

Look again and you will notice that the engraver had totally altered the positioning of the “Sa” on the obverse, and the “Cha” on the reverse of the coin. If the engraver had copied the work from a master copy, how is it possible to make such a silly mistake?

The 1979 Five Chetrums coin should have been engraved as follows:

Between 1928 to 1954, and again from 1974 to 1975, the spelling of "Chetrums" was spelt correctly. Then beginning 1979, the spelling took a toss, to this day. The following 1974 coin shows the word correctly spelt:

Slowly I began to see a side of Bhutan’s history that is neither written nor transmitted orally. And then I begin to understand some inexplicable events that was never explained before.

Is Using Face Masks Useful?

Whole lot of Bhutanese are using face masks as a measure, in their opinion, to prevent being infected by the COVID-19 virus. Available resource material on the www tells us that inappropriate use of the mask can be more of a risk, than prevention. I believe that the Ministry of Health should set up a knowledge transmission program through the BBS to tell the people the truth about the face masks. The following are some knowledgeable views on the mask:

IF YOU MUST WEAR FACE MASK, WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW:

How to put it on, and remove it, the correct way.

Incorrect use of the mask is in fact more dangerous, than not using it.

IT CAN BE MORE HARMFUL IF YOU USE THE MASK INCORRECTLY:

Dr. Rajapakse of Mayo Clinic, USA says:

"Most people who do not work in a health care setting have not received training on how to put on and take off the masks properly. Doing this incorrectly can actually increase your risk of infection. Also, people who are wearing masks tend to touch their face more than those who are not, which can paradoxically result in an increased risk of infection as well."

WHEN AND WHO SHOULD USE THE FACE MASKS:

If you are an infected person, or if you suspect that you have been infected, you should use the mask – to prevent spreading the virus to others. If you are healthy, there is little or no benefit to wearing the masks. The masks are not airtight, thus they cannot prevent the viral particles being breathed in.

IS THE MASK YOU ARE WEARING DESIGNED FOR AIRBORNE PARTICLES:

Something that I learnt from the www is that you should know if the mask you are wearing is designed to prevent airborne particles. 

SINGLE OR MULTIPLE USE MASKS:

Apparently there are two types of masks: single and multiple use masks. How many Bhutanese care to learn what type of masks they are using?

COVID-19 And All The Confusions

In my thinking, the DNT government showed great courage by not placing restrictions on tourist arrivals into the country, despite the continuing rise of incidences of COVID-19 around the world. Restrictions don’t help - it is counter productive.

What is important to assess is the government’s response capability: how prepared are we in terms of detection and containment? If we are not, then it is time to upscale our preparedness – on a war footing.

One thing we have to understand: There is no way we can keep away the virus from the country. Our best defense is not keeping away tourists, but being able to detect and contain all emerging cases, until the virus runs its course, which it will in due course of time.

But the first order of the day seems to be to better inform the Bhutanese people. As of now, they seem to believe that stocking up on food supplies and fuel reserves is their best defense against the virus. And what of the mask-wearing lot? Who floated this misconception that wearing face masks is effective against any viruses, let alone COVID-19?

The ongoing confusion aside, there is one thing we need to consider and work on a plan immediately:

What do we do about the upcoming Tshechus (festivals) around the country? The BICMA has already disallowed reality shows. The government has discouraged large gatherings.

What are our plans for the following Tsechus?:

Zhemgang Tshechu           April 01 – 03, 2020

Talo Tshechu                     April 01 – 03, 2020

Gasa Tshechu                    April 01 – 03, 2020

Gomphu Kora Tshechu     April 01 – 03, 2020

Paro Tshechu                     April 04 – 08, 2020

Rhododendron Festival     April 17 – 19, 2020

Domkhar Tshechu             May 02 – 04, 2020

Ura Yakchoe                      May 04 – 08, 2020

While the government is working on a plan, let us be responsible and contribute to the government’s efforts. Let us avoid large gatherings, or planning one.

As far as I am concerned, I have stopped going to gatherings,  crowded places, vegetable market, restaurants and hotels. I have stopped eating or drinking outside. I will resume normalcy only once the government tells me that we are safe from the threat of COVID-19.

Yellow-rumped Honeyguide

One of Bhutan’s most sought after birds among the world birding community is the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide (Indicator xanthonotus). It is a small and pretty bird that is most often seen around colonies of beehives. It is called Yellow-rumped because it has a patch of yellow on its rump.

Yellow-rumped Honeyguide

Most believe that this bird feeds on honey. That is not true. It feeds on wax of the honeycombs. How it got its name is because some species of the Honeyguides (not those in Asia) has this uncanny ability to draw humans and bears to live beehives. Once the beehive is raided and honey taken out, the birds then feed on the wax.

These birds most often perch on plundered beehives, as you can see from the above image. These birds are brood parasites – given to laying their eggs in other birds’ nests mostly tree-hole breeders such as Barbets.

The above image was taken in Chaplechhu in Zhemgang. But I have a whole bunch of images acquired from Khaling, Trashigang.

The Copper Coins of 1951 and 1954

In 1951 and again in 1954, two pretty copper coins were struck by Bhutan. Although the coins’ dies are not nearly as nifty as those done by the Englishman A P Spencer for our 1928 and 1929 silver Thalas, nonetheless, to me the coins look pretty neat and well struck.

Same same but different

While the designs remained the same, the die was re-cut for the 1954 coin. The rendition in detailing has certainly improved in the later version although to the untrained eyes, they look identical. But there are distinct differences.

The differences between the two coins are in the eyes of the Sernga (Gold Fish), Apex/Protoconch of the Doongkar (Conch Shell) and the Bumpa’s (Vase) cap handle. The following comparison chart will show the differences:

Clear and visible differences

It took me a while to get hold of both the versions of the coins.  For some inexplicable reason, the 1954 version is in abundance - it took some doing to find the 1951 version. Some shopkeepers in Thimphu whose shops I often frequented in the hunt for the coins, looked sullen every time I approached them and requested to take a relook at their collection of old coins.

Equipped with a magnifying glass, to the shopkeepers I must have looked like some spook from another planet 😂

I am now waiting for the shipment of a Maartrum that was struck by one of the Wangdue Dzongpens - it is laboriously trudging its way all the way from Victoria BC, Canada.

Gift of Oxygen

Yet again, for the Rotary Club of Thimphu, the season of giving is here. This time it is our belief that we have done one of our most meaningful humanitarian services to date - gift of oxygen.

Yesterday morning at about 10AM, a motley of Club Members gathered at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu - to donate and handover 17 units of Oxygen Concentrators to the officials of the JDWNRH. Personally, this project has been most gratifying - I mean supplying oxygen to the weak and the frail and the dying - what can be better?

Gift of life: 17 units of Oxygen Concentrators - all set to be donated to JDWNRH

According to reports, the JDWNRH had only 4 of these machines - with our supplement of 17 more, few lives should certainly be saved. That too in the comfort of their homes - because what we supplied are the portable variety - that which can be taken home so that patients do not need to spend uncomfortable days and weeks at the hospital.

What are Oxygen Concentrators

Oxygen concentrators are widely used for provision of oxygen in healthcare applications, especially where liquid or pressurized oxygen is too dangerous or inconvenient.

An oxygen concentrator takes in air and removes nitrogen from it, leaving an oxygen enriched gas for use by people requiring medical oxygen due to low oxygen levels in their blood. Oxygen concentrators utilize a molecular sieve to adsorb gases and operate on the principle of rapid pressure swing absorption of atmospheric nitrogen onto zeolite minerals and then venting the nitrogen. This type of adsorption system is therefore functionally a nitrogen scrubber leaving the other atmospheric gases to pass through. This leaves oxygen as the primary gas remaining.

Portable oxygen concentrator

What the Club supplied to the Jigme Dorji National Referral Hospital, Thimphu under this donor-funded project is the portable variety of oxygen concentrators that typically plug into an electrical outlet.

The principal purpose of this donation is to meet the growing demand from the home based users. The hospital will loan out these concentrators so that the congestion in the hospital treatment room can be freed, for better healthcare service.

I Am Not The Whole Difference

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your prompt reply to my yesterday’s mail. I am glad that both you and Nancy are keeping well.

..................................................

I have a concern about the item below in your email: "I resign from the Rotary at the end of August 2020".

Please explain what this means with regard to our planning for the possibility of a Global Grant application and an agriculture development project that would certainly require implementation well into year 2021.

Are you stepping back from Rotary and the plan for involvement with a Global Grant application?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Steve

..................................................

Yes, I will be resigning from the Rotary. Initially I had decided that I would only resign from the post of the Club’s Secretary. However, as I began to contemplate more, I realized that given my character, a total severing of the umbilical cord is the only way to go. If I still remain in the Rotary, I will be drawn into involvement, one way or the other. And given my level of commitment and passion, I will not be able to resist getting involved. Let me explain.

I should be actually resigning at the end of RI Year: June 30, 2020. However, since I am organizing a Rotary Conference in Thimphu during the last week of July, 2020 on behalf of the Club, I need to be around to tie up any loose ends. I am sure that the event will spill over into August.

I have been the Club Secretary since the last close to 5 years. I have put in 16-17 hours of work every single day - Saturdays, Sundays and holidays included. Such dedicated and passionate involvement became a norm with me - only for one single reason - the realization that the ROTARY world offers immense and bountiful possibilities to countries with limited resources, such as ours. So, I went head long into it - the Rotary Club of Thimphu was my world, my oxygen, my family my entire life’s focus, my very high note.

In other words, I ignored every thing else – my responsibilities and obligations elsewhere. Also I realized one thing: that I am not the SOLE INHERITOR of this wonderful country. I can make a difference – BUT I AM NOT THE WHOLE DIFFERENCE. There are over 500,000 capable adults that can share the burden. And it is important that I offer that opportunity to others who can be as adapt, if not more, than me.

I know your concern arises from the fact that your Club and ours are all primed to implement a GG project in the agriculture sector. Trust me, because of my imminent planned exit from the Club and the Rotary, I have been preparing for it.

You will be happy to know that on 3rd January, 2020 our Club had a meeting when we discussed your project and the need for appointment of a Chair for the same. On that day we appointed the Chair who will spearhead your project. The Rotarian’s name is Ms Kesang Tshomo and she is Project Director of Bhutan’s RDC, Yusipang. Currently she is working with the field agriculture offices to gather data that you need to discuss with your DRFC Chair.

Once she has the data and submits to you, please tell us to go ahead and I will walk the new Chair Tshomo through the GG application process. You will have no problem, I can assure you.

For your information, since its Charter on 24th April 2012, the Rotary Club of Thimphu has brought in over Nu.140.00 million worth of meaningful projects that benefitted the country and the people of Bhutan. No one in the Club is in any doubt as to how meaningful the Rotary is to the people of Bhutan. Thus I assure you that there are many in the Club who recognizes their responsibilities to the Club and, by default, to the country and the people of Bhutan.

I hope I have been able to reassure you that my departure will change nothing in the way the Rotary Club of Thimphu will function.

Bye and take care

Hammered “Sa” Coins Of The Wangchuck Dynasty

Historical reports show that striking of coins in Bhutan existed as far back as  1790. Of the huge variety of coins that were struck, the “Sa” coins – hammered coins with the word “Sa” is credited with the Wangchuck Dynasty. For the record, when I refer to the Wangchuck Dynasty I am also including the period when Jigme Namgyal became Trongsa Penlop.

The earliest of these coins would have been struck by Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyal in the 1860’s when he captured some Cooch Beharis and brought them as slaves and put them to work to hammer coins. Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyal, also referred to as the Black Ruler, would have stuck his coins at his mint in Enduchhoeling, Trongsa.

The following are few of the many variations of “Sa” coins that would have been struck by Trongsa Penlop Jigme Namgyal, and later on by his successor Druk Gyalpo Ugyen Wangchuck, followed by His Majesty the Second King Jigme Wangchuck.

The Coin Die on the left above belonged to Druk Desi Kiptsep Dorji Namgyal. This die is currently in the possession of the Desi's descendants. The hammered coins on the right depict a variety of design variations but all bearing the mark "Sa" credited with the Wangchuck Dynasty

It is difficult to say which of the many Penlops and Druk Desi’s hammered which coins. But one coin that can be identified with Daga Penlop is the following:

One of Daga Penlop's many hammered coins

Other earliest hammered coins are the following:

 This coin is supposedly from the year 1790 - 1840. Strangely it has a "Sa" marked on its obverse. If this is true then there is something wrong with the recorded history.

1835 - 1910

The following coins may be the last of the coins hammered by the Wangchuck Dynasty - before the milled coins were introduced in 1928 and there after. However, Nicholas Rhodes who is an authority of repute in matters related to Bhutanese coins wrote that even after the Wangchuck Dynasty came into being as of 1907, there were two other persons who retained the authority to officially strike their own coins - Paro Penlop Tshering Penjor and Gongzim Ugyen Dorji. Of the two, Paro Penlop Tshering Penjor was said to be a very artistic person. Thus, given the artistry of the coins' designs, Rhodes believed that the following coins could have been struck by him. But nothing is certain any more.

Last of the Wangchuck Dynasty's hammered coins: 1910 - 1927

As of 1927, Bhutan stopped hammering coins. Instead milled coins came into being - initiated by the Second King Jigme Wangchuck. Two of the earliest milled coins were the following:

Silver Thala of 1928

Bronze Zangtrum of 1928 - two sizes of these coins were issued

Over The Moon

There has rarely been a day that I was as happy as I was few days back. Two things made my day - which occurred on the same day:

1.  BOOK ON COINAGE OF BHUTAN

I received a gift of a very authoritative book on Bhutan’s coinage titled “The Coinage of BHUTAN up to the mid 20th Century” autographed by the Belgian author Kris Van Den Cruyce, a collector of Bhutanese coins and a numismatist:

2.  BHUTAN's FIRST MILLED COINS

If that were not enough, a selfless couple friend gifted me a set of two very rare Bhutanese coins: the silver Thala of 1928 and another of 1929, both of which are in mint condition:

This silver Thala is Bhutan’s first milled coin, minted in 1928 under the command of His Majesty the Drukgyal Ngipa. An Englishman by the name of Albert Pearson Spencer rendered the engravings of the coin’s dies. Historians acknowledge that the engraver’s work on our Thala’s dies was his best work ever. Unfortunately there was a mistake in the word "Druk". The Ba-Ra-Ta-Da was erroneously rendered.

To correct the error on the coin of 1928, another order was given to mint some 30,000 more of the silver Thala, the following year – 1929. This time the word “Druk” was correctly rendered as seen from above. Sadly, there was a mistake in the year of coinage. The year of minting was marked as “Tsa Druk Lo”. The Year should have been marked as “Tsa Druel Lo”

I spent two days (my PhotoShoping skills are very poor) recreating the 1929 Thala - as it should have been rendered.

The silver Thala of 1929 should have been marked as above

I am now looking to own the other 2 Zangtrums coined in 1928. Two sizes of these coins were released that year. The larger of the two measured 26.5mm in diameter while the smaller one measured 25.1mm. The larger coin weighed 7.0g and the smaller one weighed in at 4.9g.

This coin is perfectly minted! The word “Druk” is rendered correctly and the year of coinage is also spot on.

It baffles me - if the dies for this Zangtrum was correctly rendered, how did it happen that there was a mistake in the silver Thala? After all, they were minted in the same year, in the same mint and the dies were produced by the same engraver.

Puzzling!

Misconception About Vehicle Quota

I just read today’s Kuensel article on vehicle quota. It is so sad ….. clearly some of our lawmakers seem absolutely clueless about the reason behind the award of vehicle quota. Some have even gone to the extent of saying that the quota is given to public employees for long years of dedicated service to the Tsawa Sum. I do not intend to contest this claim - after all we all know the truth.

My endeavor with this post is to inform the misinformed lawmakers.

The Honorable MP’s and NC’s should know that the vehicle quota is NOT given for long and dedicated service. It is given for attaining a certain position - irrespective of whether one has put in long years of service, or whether one has been dedicated or hard working, or merely shamming all one’s life. Integrity, service and dedication are not prerequisite, to be entitled to vehicle quota. I know of public employees who did not know how to execute a print command on the computer keyboard - and yet he got his vehicle quota.

Frankly, let us forget this line of argument - lets get down to brass tacks.

The elected MP’s and NC’s do not need to put in a day’s work in the service of the Tsa Wa Sum, and yet they are entitled to vehicle quota. So then, tell me, is vehicle quota really given to people with long and dedicated service to the Tsa Wa Sum?

The Coronavirus Has The World Shaken

Hi John,

Thank you for your mail a few hours back.

Indeed this Coronavirus is extremely worrying but like you say, July is a long way away. China is a disciplined and determined country with the resources to tackle this with grit and determination. The Chinese government has the courage and resoluteness to do what needs to be done ... so I am confident that they will contain it. My worry is other countries where the virus has found its way – these countries might lack the single-mindedness that is called for, in tackling this dangerous virus.

Bhutan is fortunate in that our government is headed by a medical doctor – he and his cabinet has initiated plans and programs on a war footing and we are certain that we are prepared and sufficiently shielded from the threat of this dangerous virus. Thus thank you for your concern but we are certain that we have been proactive enough to ward off any threat to our lives. As you have read on the TCB website, we are all braced to face this threat with caution and preparedness.

But the world must pray for China and the Chinese people – what they are currently going through deserves all our sympathy. They are the world’s biggest economy. Thus what affects them affects everybody at a global scale. The faster they resolve this virus problem, the faster our recovery will be.

As you know, Bhutan’s most important industry is tourism. I am under no illusion that we will not be hit – we will be, as a result of this outbreak. My only hope is that China will live up to its reputation for swift and determined action, and that damage to us and the rest of the humanity will be minimal, and short lived.

Bye and take care

Yeshey