Press Release (Declaration of Literature Council of Bhutan)
11th June 2011
With tremendous volunteer works, continuous effort of dedicated Bhutanese writers and readers and needful suggestions from our seniors and contemporary friends from Diaspora and Bhutan, a mission towards preserving and promoting Bhutanese literary activities has come to its establishment under a banner of Literary Council of Bhutan (LCOB). There was a time in exile (Nepal), where the evicted Bhutanese had to undergo acute problem in reading and writing their mother tongue. Thus, our honorable seniors, former teachers from Bhutan and some eminent scholars had instituted a forum called Nepali Bhasha Parishad Bhutan (NBPB) in 1993 for making exiled Bhutanese and their children educated in Nepali language. The entire Bhutanese community is indebted towards those pioneers. With the trend of development and dedication of community folks the need was felt by the institution to expand its working arena to strengthen the quality service it was then named Nepali Saayetha Parishad Bhutan (NSPB).
NSPB in collaboration with Nepali Saayetha Prachar Prasar Samitii -Siliguri could educate hundreds of Bhutanese folks and generated Nepali language teachers and assisted Caritas Nepal in the mission of providing quality education to the Bhutanese children.
The mission of NSPB encouraged, mostly, the youths to involve in creative writings and conducted series of workshops and seminars to transform the responsibilities to the younger generations. As a result, many Bhutanese writers evolved through the creations of different genres then.
History has its own fold. With the passage of time lot many changes had to undergo and as a result the ongoing third-country-resettlement program affected much to the establishment. The office of the institution remained in the camp with its active members scattered across the globe. On seeing the situation the present executives of NSPB felt the need to transform the institution along with the transformation of the life of exile Bhutanese. For the same, series of discussions were held among the former members and other well-wishers in this regard and finally the team decided to up-grade the institution under the banner of Literary Council Of Bhutan (LCOB) from 11th of June 20011.
In the course of difficult hours faced by NSPB due to ongoing third-country-resettlement program some of the active youth members from the countries of their resettlement felt their need to continue the mission of NSPB and hence began collecting and converging the scattered writers and community folks through weekly online publication under the name Bhutaneseliterature.com. Henceforth, the newly upgraded board of LCOB decided to keep Bhutaneseliterature.com as its main publication site in preserving and promoting the literary creations of Bhutanese from Diaspora and inside Bhutan in days ahead.
The final meeting held through conference call discussed on the bylaws and future plans and programs of the institution. And, has agreed in moving ahead with the following port-folios:
Chairman: Mr. Bhakta Ghimere
Vice Chairman: Mr. Siva Lal Dahal
Administrative Sec.: Mr. Yeti Raj Ajnabee
Vice Adm. Sec.: Mr. Yam Thulung
Publication Secretary: Mr. Ramesh Gautam
Finance Coordinator: Mr. Dona Acharya
Public Relation Coordinator: Mr. Rup N Pokharel
Vice Public Relation Coordinator: Mr. Puranaghare
The house has decided to expand the board members, regional representatives, editorial board and an active advisory board at the earliest in consultation with seniors and founding members of the institution. Further, the house has decided to welcome all the Bhutanese literary writers and readers to join this pious mission dedicated in preserving and promoting our literary treasure and rich culture irrespective of where we are.
Rup N Pokharel
Public Relation Secretary
Literary Council of Bhutan (LCOB)