An open letter to my facebook friend T. Gyelpo

Dear Tshering Gyelpo,

Wish you good health.

I am not your enemy. Neither have we had any old dispute nor any personal ego. Being a human, we should share our views in a friendly and civilized way. The use of the vulgar word doesn’t cast the right shadow. So, why not we converse in a cordial atmosphere to synthesize the subject matter.

My first question is, what did you see wrong in my Facebook post which made you comment negatively? You wished to skin me alive. What was my mistake?

Well, you said that I’m against Tsa-Wa-Sum. In your word, going against Tsa-Wa-Sum is anti-national activity. But first of all, do you know friend, what actually Tsa-Wa-Sum mean? It denotes the King, country, and people. Hence, the violation of Tsa-Wa-Sum is a great crime in Bhutan.

We agree that going against people and country is a crime. But it is the fundamental right of the citizens to criticize the government if not satisfied. If they are banned to criticize the government, there is no democracy. No one is above law in a democratic system. Not even the king, too.

So, on this ground, people have the right to criticize their government or king if they do not meet the people’s aspirations. For e.g. there were 18 Shedras in eastern Bhutan run and monitored by Nyiangmapa sect of Buddhism (Sherchops). But slowly and gradually, all those Shedras were occupied by the Drukpa Kagyugpa sect replacing head lamas of Nyiangmapa sect by the Drukpa Kagyugpa sect on government’s recommendation. In this way, the government hatched a conspiracy to convert all the Niyangmapa sect Buddhists into Drukpa Kagyugpa sect. That act not only hurt the sentiment of Sherchokpas but also ruthlessly attacked on their national identity. Through that act, the Drukpa Kagyugpa sect wanted to abolish the glorious history, culture, and tradition of the Sherchokpa community.

Dissatisfied and discontented sherchop community peacefully protested on the road demanding the restoration of their original ethics and traditions in 1997. But the then dzongda Lakpa Dorji shot down Lama Gomchhen Karma and brutally suppressed the peaceful protest. Gomchhen Karma lost his life but Lakpa Dorji escaped the punishment. This incident is only an example. So many such incidents are there which proves that the government of Bhutan is not democratic. Democratic thoughts and schools have been ruthlessly suppressed in the history of Bhutan.

If we go back to 1985 and before, there had been peace and social harmony in the country. In 1958, the government enacted Nationality Law, for the first time in Bhutan. The government tried to implement it in 1985 during the National General Survey in a revived form. But it was not effective. So, it was again enforced in 1988. That revived law, which is called Citizenship Act-1985, divided a family into 7 categories. That was the beginning of political unrest in Bhutan whose seeds were shown by the government. Those seeds slowly and gradually germinated and began to cover the nation. As a result, the outburst of “People’s Mass Demonstration” came into being in 1990. It was nothing but a peaceful protest demanding the restoration of human rights, peace, and social harmony and fair means of implementation of the law all over the country. But the government implemented that Citizenship Act only in southern Bhutan which made it unfair and draconian in nature.

That act of the government made the people of southern Bhutan discontented, resulting in some suicidal cases. Some started blaming the government and demanded that the government should be responsible for those incidents. The government did not try to address the people. Rather the discontented section of the people was arrested, tortured, imprisoned and the environment of state terror was created all over the country. That compelled many youths to flee to Indo-Bhutan bordering areas and started retaliation movement. These all prove that the government lacked proper measures to address the nation and national issues which gave birth to the mass movement of 1990.

Hence, it can be concluded that the government was fully responsible for creating havoc in the country. People did not do any activities against Tsa-Wa-Sum until 1988. But the political unrest started after the government introduced the draconian Citizenship Act-1985 in 1988 and later, which divided the family into 7 different categories. And the noteworthy part is that it was introduced and implemented only in Southern Bhutan. So the question arises “Why not in other parts of the land?” Were the Lhatsompas second class citizens? Or why did the government played such an unfair and dirty game against them? If it is implemented in other communities, too, will they be able to produce the land tax receipt of 1958, which is considered as the cut off year for being a bonafide citizen?

So, dear Tshering Gyelpo, the government has been engaged in the “divide and rule” policy for decades to strengthen its political tentacles. If Dzongkha is the national language, why can’t be Nepali in the south and Tshangla in the east be the second official languages? Such rights can make national unity stronger and boost the popularity of the Druk Gyalpo. But suppression weakens the national unity and gradually leads to retaliation and political unrest in the course of time.

There are many countries where more than one language has been declared as the national language. Such countries are peaceful, harmonious, and developed too. So, let’s stop spreading hatred and hostility among us, the Bhutanese people, and let’s walk hand in hand on the road of social harmony and development.

The age of absolutism is over. This is the age of science and technology and the democratic system. Let’s respect each other, respect all religions, traditions, and national identity. Buddhism teaches us non-violence, passion, and selfless love.  Let’s do KARMA that always yields the best.

Your Stranger Friend
Tumbehang Limbu
8/14/2020