My life: stages and changes
Bishnu Adhikari
New York, USA
Living being has to survive the life by rustling and bustling, sometimes dreaming the brightening race of the rising future, as the wave of life that flows on its own stages. Those stages can be categorized according to emotional, physical and psychological growth in a life. To describe my life stages and changes, I have to think about the grassy meadows at the lap of Himalayan Kingdom, Bhutan, where I played in the womb of my mom for nine months and on her lap in my childhood stage. According to my dad & mom, I started schooling at the age of 6 and my mother used to take me to school with my siblings. I was the smallest so my mom used to go with me up to school, holding my hand and carrying my small school bag, with love and care. That stage is unforgettable for me. Sometimes, if it comes to the memory, water flows from my eyes. After the completion of grade five, I was taken to another school where I studied up to grade 6. And then I was sent to a Central School where I completed grade 8. It was very charming and golden stage of my life that I’ve ever enjoyed. Until up to the 18th year of my life, I spent most of the time in school as a boarder student. It is miraculous even to bring it back in my memory today. Being the son of a simple farmer, I sometimes worked in farm and experienced farming. I got married at the age of 19 and started enjoying the life with my dear wife sharing the sorrows and happiness, and feeling to be the one in the world.
To describe another stage, I have to write about my country and status over there. My country, Bhutan, is a tiny dot in the world map and is landlocked in the Himalayas. Traditions and culture of Bhutan bear little similarity to her neighbors, India and China and her uniqueness seems antique. Yet, the government is very young; the present Monarch is the fifth generation. Ancient history of Bhutan is vague and the history that we truly know begins only from the 17th century. The kingdom has three major ethnic groups – the Ngalongs in the West, the Sharchhops in the East and the Lhotsampas in the South. The North is covered by bare mountains and few traces are inhabited by nomads .The rulers are Ngalongs who started the hereditary monarchy since 1907 AD and started to rule the land using verbal laws that were only on behalf of their family. Therefore the history we know and learn is the history of the Illiterate Bhutan which also played a vital part in the stages and styles its citizens. Although the Sharchhops are recognized as the indigenous people, they speak and write Tshangla, Tibetan language. We southerners had written language, accepted by the government as an official language for the Lhotsampas since 1958. In the late 80’s, the ruling group started to neglect our language to use in the office even for the illiterates. They started developing new and verbal laws for dress and developed the mandatory law in every field, to wear kho & kira (Drukpa dress) and to speak Dzongkha which was unacceptable for Nepali origin Bhutanese, specially for elderly and the priests. Because of the intolerable situation, the problem was raised to the palace and given in written to the Supreme Court. The government, instead of listening to the voice of the citizens, started to fine even to the farm workers and underage students. We also can divide the government of Bhutan into five groups. They are Palace, Central, District, and Village. The government officials working in district level burnt the Nepali books in the schools and made Dzongkha compulsion for every student and for the village level officials too. The bona-fide Bhutanese who are from Nepali speaking group, working as institutional heads were dismissed and Ngalongs were encouraged for the same positions. In the mid 80’s, there was a census for every Bhutanese (especially for the Nepali speakers), and asked to provide the origin of census from their birthplace/ districts where there should be written and government approved documents. As a result, most Nepali speaking people became non-national who were forced to leave the nation. I had to struggle for the same in the harassed situation.
The Lhotsampas populate the southern belt of Bhutan and they therefore culturally resemble the neighboring Indians and Nepalese. The tropical climate in the south favors them with rich harvest of crops and fruits and they are most rapidly progressing group. The diversity thrived under the king and Bhutan began to blossom in the serenity that was nurtured in the kingship of people including the royals. It was only in the late 1980’s when the government came up with the unification plan of “One Nation, One People” that left the kingdom divided. Under the verbal plan, the government’s requirements were to wear the traditional dress, learn the Ngalong language (Dzongkha) and practise the same religion, the Kagyupa Sect of Buddhism. The Lhotsampas are Hindus and the Sharchhops follow the Nyingmapa Sect of Buddhism. This enforcement led to protests in schools and colleges and unrest in most villages. Anyone who spoke, wrote or even read anything that was against their cruel design was labelled an “Anti-National” and was subjected to life imprisonment with heavy torture. This was another stage for me where I had faced a miserable condition even for the survival.
On the other hand Bhutan didn’t allow to practise any type of Human Rights, such as women rights, child rights, right to live and education in the country. The land tax was increased, medical treatment for the innocent villagers in the government hospitals was banned and they were asked to provide the Non-Objection Certificate from the Police if they had to enroll the children in school. Because of the harassment, the environment was intolerable and unfavorable for the people of south. Also the country’s security force was sent to raid the villages which are near the border of Assam and West Bengal states of India. The army troops raiding the villages made the villagers suffer inhumanly. Innocent citizens were arrested and sent to the prisons without a warrant. Thousands of innocents were arrested and imprisoned without a reason. They were treated very badly. Royal Bhutan Army (R.B.A) tortured the simple and innocent villagers indiscriminately and put them in jail. I was one of those who were arrested and put in the jail for fourteen months without a reason. I had to bear the inhuman torture after my arrest. This stage changed my health and made me incapable in various fields.
Life has to tolerate different stages like inhuman blames, torture and even the eviction if the government or the power of the place is designed by a cruel and evil mortal. The 16th of December 1990 was uncovering itself from cold and dark. The brightness of the new day was approaching from the east. Crowing of cocks and cooing of pigeons awakened mothers and farm workers of the village. The door of my house was knocked by somebody in a strange way. I got off from my bed and peeped out from the stairs. I saw a soldier who had a badge worn and saw the name Passang Tshering. He kicked against our door and entered inside. He called my name in a snarling voice, “Who is …? And where is he now? Call him or you have to go with us.” I came down and said “I am innocent.” Ignoring the words I had said, he commanded the constable to tie my hands. And they brought me to the district Army Barrack of Gayegphug. They blamed me for supporting and having sympathy towards the “anti-nationals” in my village and accused me without a good reason. I could at least can read and write Nepali and English. I had friends from the South, East and West. I was closer to them than my own siblings. Even my teachers were from all over the country and many were foreigners. The Principal of the school was a Catholic from South India and the person who looked after us in the hostel was an Indian, Mr. A.K Mukharjee. I was a student, a good student and was well loved by my families, teachers and friends. I loved my country and I knew my values well. I still remember what I was taught by my beloved teachers in school. When I grew up in the diverse surrounding, I stood up firmly in my beliefs and even determined to convince the illiterates in the village and supporting them for creative and modern living style. After my arrest, I was kept in the Gaylegphug District jail. At the time of my detention, Government was enforcing “One Nation,One People” policy. I did not fear what I am accused for because I knew what I believed was right. I was there for 14 months convincing friends (the detainees) that we were not anti-nationals but true citizens who worried for the nation and the rights of the subjects. After my arrest, the army officer started to take my statement. He asked me who my friends were supposed to support?” I told him that I had no idea because it was the only truth I was with. He tortured me severely. Due to the severe torture, I was unable to sleep and do things even for myself. My friends, the detainees in the detention period, helped me to use restrooms and bring food from the kitchen. We were kept in a dark room enough only for two beds but it had to accomodate 15 persons. No proper treatment was given while we were in need. When the International Red Cross Society (ICRC) went to Bhutan, we got a little freedom. After 13 months of my detention, a police officer called me in his office and took another statement. After a month I was released.
I came out of the jail with full hope of peace and harmony and thought about to build a bright future of me including families. But the feeling of me was drained in one shot. I received a letter from the district police station ordering me to leave the place within a week. I, along with my parents, siblings and wife came to Nepal and started to live in a refugee camp. The life in the refugee camp was miserable. We had to stay in a bamboo hut. In the dearth of proper drinking water, timely medical treatment and education for the children and the youths, they had to aimlessly move around. Though the JRS ( Jesuit Refugee Services) and CARITAS provided the education for the school-going-aged children and basic vocational skill trainings for the youths, no opportunities were seen for the utilization of those skills too. Another generation was grown up in the refugee camp from 1990 to 2009. The days, the months, the seasons, the years and the decades passed, we tried on, for our return and for our basic rights for living as the citizens of a nation, but we failed even to use our own assets and properties for our living. We approached possibly everywhere for our better hearing, but we failed. Even the UNO couldn’t help for our repatriation. I not only ruined future but also lost the assets, land, citizenship, patriotism and hope. We were thrown like wastes. With the help and support of UNHCR, we built the bamboo huts and made shelters. Basic needs for living were provided. At least school level education was provided to the school going children. The students who were dragged out from the country started enrolling in the colleges and secondary schools. A small amount of help was provided by some agencies. Professional trainings were arranged for degree holders by UNHCR in collaboration with Nepal government. In this stage, eagerness, curiosity and hardworking activity of the refugees showed that life is valuable. It can survive if certain kind of help is made available. Women were trained and given opportunities to learn by establishing the non-formal education institutes in the refugee camps. There are more than a dozen agencies for the help and support of women rights implementation, gender balance sensitization, prioritizing the women in every field. But still there remained some obstacles arising which used to block the active track of their development.
One day I thought of resettlement and applied for it at UNHCR office. When my detailed application was accepted by the UNHCR and IOM, I was called for an interview. After that I got chance to come to the USA. Now I have started a new life, totally new. The most important and challenging job at this stage for me is to build friendship and develop fluency in speaking English. I met new and helpful friends very comfortable to be with who can help me increase my capability to express my feelings and hope. Though the life still is struggling for its existence, the hope to be a man of success is mounting.