CHIMI'S ADIEU ACT,2012

It was on 28th April I had my last exam in college and ended my college life. After exam everyone was relieved of academic pressure and excited to go home, but equally they were depressed too, realizing no more they would sit in the same class room and shout and laugh together. That was when all of my classmates who had been together for five long years bided adieu and wished each other all the very best of luck for rest of their life. I too wished them all but in a different way, in a written form through drafting a small Act which is titled as CHIMI’S ADIEU ACT, 2012. Here goes the copy …

                                             CHIMI’S ADIEU ACT, 2012

For the 10th Batch NALSAR, passed in the Room No. 119 of BH-I to be entered into force on the 28th day of April, 2012 at 2..am, when CHIMI leaves NALSAR gate, corresponding to the 7th Day of the 3rd Month of Water Male Dragon Year of the Bhutanese Calendar.

Section 1

(i) Chimi means immortal or deathless

(ii) Tashi Delek means Congragulations in Bhutanese Language

Section 2

I offer my heartfelt Tashi Delek or Congratulations to all of you for your successful completion of five year integrated B.A.LL.B (Hons) Course. We did it!

Section 3

It has been really pleasure meeting you guys and studying together for five long years. I shall thank you all for all the support and help in whatever way you guys have rendered in the last five years, mainly the following;

i. For some voluntary taking remedial classes before the exam

ii. For some contributing their painfully written notes in the class

iii. For some doing the service of Xeroxing and distribution

iv. For some making my name known to all in whole NALSAR and reciting every now and then.

Section 4

I shall surely cherish Five years of my life with you guys as one of the best parts of my life. Hope I meet you guys in future, before too long somewhere as following great legal luminaries:

i. Some as next Dhanda Madam(s)

ii. Some as legal or judicial activists

iii. Some as eminent professors

iv. Some as justices and eminent jurists, and so on and so forth…

v. Some as stud corporate lawyers

Section 5

I may not miss those lifeless buildings in NALSAR but definitely I shall miss you people.

So, lastly, wherever you go and whatever you do ahead, I wish you very best of luck guys!

GOOD BYE GUYS!! ............................

Rupee crunch: Felt longtime back

From google images

Rupee crunch, it came suddenly like a wrathful storm which has already affected and still affecting our country. Unless effective rescue measures are in place it will keep on screwing our economy. It has also generated enough limelight from all across the country except from village folks. The village folks being illiterates may not be knowing this crisis and what is going on around the country these days, but they must have felt already the effect of its pinch as, may not be rice, but for all other necessities they depend on all imported products from India .In some places like Trashigang has already started hiking the vegetable prices(Kuensel). Very soon we may hear the same news for other imported products from India also.

For I have little knowledge on Economics and Banking I really don’t know what could have prompted such a dreadful crunch. Might have happened before such crunch, short of foreign currencies in Bhutan, but I did not remember whether I heard such crunch in Bhutan. This time I’m hearing for the first time ever. May be because of too much import and less export or other contributory factors for such crisis. Whom to point the finger? I really don’t know but one thing I knew it long time back. Might not have felt at large in the country until recently but I thought Bhutan has started feeling the crunch long time back. If not, at least I felt the crunch long time back. Could have been my ignorance failing to locate the proper source for exchanging Ngultrums for rupees but with all afford and possible ways still I felt the crunch as early as five years ago, ever since I started travelling to India for studying.

“Go to Banks for exchanging Ngultrums for Rupees”, many said whenever I reach to Phuntsholing for coming to India. But the reality was different .On reaching the exchange counter in the Bank; cashier would say “Rupee stock is over come in the morning”. Go to morning same reply most of the time, no rupees. I still remember sometimes I used to go to Banks again and again only to get the same reply, no rupees. Some said rupees would be available in the BOD (Bhutan Oil Distributer) most of time. Unlike in the Bank, they would say “come in the evening”. Even from BOD most of the time same reply like Banks, no rupees. But few times I got few hundred at the most one to two thousands only. I must have gone on the wrong days or I was rather unlucky or the seed of crunch was already started to swell by then but just able to ripe its fruits fully recently only. Whatever may be the reason, for sure I felt the crunch. In last five years, whenever I leave for India though I tried first option to exchange from Banks in Phuntsholing but I did not get even once also. So I had to resort to last option, buy rupees of same value paying extra. Sometimes for every hundred rupees I had to pay Nu. 10 sometimes Nu. 15.

Though I paid extra even for exchanging the currencies of same value, but considering  the current situation that many Bhutanese folks are living with, looking back  I don’t remorse rather I feel i was  lucky at least i had alternatives to exchange. If ever students face same fate like me, today go to Jaigon, forget about paying extra they won’t allow exchange also. Even if  they allow also,  they would charge almost 30 % of the total exchange amount as this has been reported already in the Kuensel( Nu.30,000 extra for exchanging Nu.100,000)

RMA’s rescue measures are already in force, hope the situation gets back to normal soon  or  remain as DPT government's  farewell for the country .Lets wait and watch........

Never learn to become old

By mid 80s of his age my grandpa must have been agonized and frustrated of living in old age. He could have thought to do many things if ever his body was as young as his heart. But he knew it the realities and agony of living in  old age and his body cannot function as he thinks like once upon a time when his body was as young as his heart. For the fact that mind never grows old whilst body grows older day by day which becomes less functional and workable for every needy purpose, he would very often say “learn everything in life but never learn to become an old man”. “We don’t have to learn to become old but it’s a destiny for all that automatically one day or other we all are destined to become old, the only difference is just a matter of time”, as I either help him to stand up properly or accompany him for his late night natural calls and respond him the old man whizzing his few left tattered teeth would broke into chuckles.

He was 86 when he had his last breathe on this beautiful world on 26 December last year. He was an old man but despite being aged he had been far more active, dedicated and committed in whatever he did than many of us, we the grandchildren. No matter how many times we compel him to stay free at home he would not dare to listen. By dawn he would have already gone for firewood and by the time some of us still struggling to wake up he would have already reached one load of fire wood. While freed from collecting firewood he would be seen basking the sun outside busily engaged either waving the handicrafts or doing other things. He would not be seen free most of time. So hard working grandpa he was who has been always inspiration and motivation for all these years of my life.

Ever since he was born in 1925 he had spent almost half of his life herding cows in the jungles alone most of time. For all days of my childhood it had been always fun and pleasure to accompany him through the jungles helping him herding the cows. Even on weekends and vacations I would not stay home I would be always gone for helping him.

Under the sweltering heat or under the cool shed sitting by his side and listening the folktales and narration of various incidents and hardships he had gone through in late 1950s and 1960s while contributing compulsory labour to the government and while travelling to and fro Samdrup Jongkhar and other places for transacting business and other purposes, it had been really entertaining and interesting too, as much as today watching movie in one of the best theaters here. Not only entertainment alone, in all days of my childhood he had been guiding, directing, and putting me on the right path and teaching me all qualities and skills that every villager’s son posses.

One of urges that drives me to rush back home every vacation has been to meet him. Nothing back home had been as interesting as sitting by old man and chatting nonstop. Alas! No more now. This time when I departed for college I knew it I would not see him on my next vacation and forever for he had been bed ridden for about two weeks who was almost in last breathe. I was right then he passed away towards mid night on the same day I left for college.

I would not see his smile while I go home and sad face while I depart from home for college. I would not see him coming to see me off with few hundred notes and wishing me a safe journey back to college. I owe you so much but the fate acted so cruel at this time just on the eve of my graduation. Now name alone stands tall. I will not see you at home henceforth but will be in my heart always and forever. You were a great and special grandpa of all times. It was really a great lost to our family and will remember you always. May your soul rest in eternal peace! OM MANEI PEMAE HUNG THRE..

.Death, who escapes actually? All are destined to die…So! no matter what, life goes on and it must go on…….