Prado - Power and Pride

 I was driving my 14 years old Hyundai Getz on the only double-lane freeway in Bhutan, the famous Babesa-Thimphu Expressway. Unexpectedly there was a honking behind me, looked at the mirror and it was a private number silver bright Prado trying to take over me. On the left was a small Maruti Alto, the majority private cars in the country, trying to catch up with the rest of the speeding cars. I could not quickly give way to the powerful impatient Prado. I slowed a bit and pulled to the left but that took me nearly a minute. As the Prado passed by, the proud owner looked at me with a threatening facial language. I just looked away to avoid any further adversity! 

It is said that today Bhutan has over one hundred thousand motor vehicles with most of those being personal cars. This number is strange for a small population of just over seven hundred thousand. Our demography is not expected to go up in a big way with an alarmingly low 1.7% growth rate. In any case the average per family possession of the personal cars is shooting up at an exponential rate and in addition to the public transport the statistics ensures that no Bhutanese have to be pedestrian in the country. If the prevalence of cars was an indicator of economic growth Bhutan should have graduated into a developed country some years ago. I hope some economist will explain this dilemma.

Talking about the per capita car ownership, the per capita debt could be one of the highest in the world. Even the thought of the individual share of national debt sends down shivers in some of us, especially those of us who have not even borrowed a pie from the financial institutions. For the governments this is enough to say that this is only for now and with the completions of so many hydropower projects our debts will be gone and perhaps we will all be a very rich country.  We are living in our future income and borrowed prosperity, and also teaching our future citizens dangerous way of living. Some of our business men, especially new contractors live this ill advice all the time and often go bankrupt due to poor financial decisions they make most of the time. People often say that some of these aspiring contractors, borrow a huge amount from banks or get the first advance for the big project and buy a Prado for themselves. I do not blame these amateur business people, as this definition of status is exemplified by our leaders all the time. Possessing a Toyota Prado SUV is so deeply Bhutanese show of status, power and pride that the urge is even unconsciously ingrained in our psychic make-up.

Majority of us middle age and older Bhutanese who enjoy the comfort of modern day Bhutan had walked few miles to days  to reach to our nearest schools, nearest shopping place for the day to day living and to our nearest health center, when there were any built. Many of us have walked several days with heavy loads of rations and daily requirements like salt, kerosene and other basic supplies on our backs from the nearest shop to our homes. Today those days have become the stories of yester years for majority Bhutanese (even though this is still prevalent with few poverty stricken brethren) thanks to our fore-sighted leaders who have toiled hard to develop our country. While the youngsters today start their career by first getting a car by any means, the older lots are busy exhibiting a very poor show by way of setting exorbitant standards and examples in this regard. It is almost a rule in this country that anyone above certain positon is given a Prado to ride as an official car, whether you live 5 minutes away from your office or your nature of job requires any travel at all. If you are somebody in the bureaucracy and do not have a Prado the society will mock and laugh at your in-ability to acquire one and may even be seen as inefficient. Even to the extent that, it is a disrespect to the high profile deceased if he/ she is taken to the cremation ground in a single car and did not have certain numbers and types of cars in the funeral procession consistent with the status and positon of the deceased when he/ she was living or that of the family of the deceased. For the living, it is again the length and the strength of the cars behind you that will determine how powerful and important you and if you can add the Prado in the forefront the departed soul, as if this is also a sure step to the ultimate destination of Nirvana!! 

Few years ago the picture of Sweden PM on bicycle had become viral on social media, only to be dismissed by all of us as a pomp or show of some kind.

Where are we heading to and how can we sustain this is anyone’s guess. We import all kinds of fuel and we produce practically nothing in terms of metallic products and yet we are so consumerist and outwardly showy.

The most modern history of Bhutan, will feature Prado as an important chapter especially in the political debate. Most Bhutanese would remember the Prado episode of 2013 when the outgoing ministers walked away with kidu Prados while the opposition leader ‘returned’ it to the then government. All eyes were on 2018 change over and to the relief of most common Bhutanese (with no potential of riding Prados), these massive machines were neatly parked back in the premise of the parliament house and perhaps taken over by the new cabinet members (I hope they did not find these too old and passed down to ministries and bought a new one for themselves). I didn’t see that line of prosperity again in 2023 and wonder what happened to those official cars!!

Whatever may be, Prados are of paramount national importance, often sadly a national identity for the top consumerist minority Bhutanese, especially the elites or elite-aspirants, and could easily become one important indicator (if not a variable) for Gross National Happiness measurement. I will not be surprised if one of the questions on GNH survey could be” do you possess a big car such as a Prado and if not after how many years down the line you think you can possess one’? Having said that, I salute those senior urban colleagues who take pride in making those mileages by their legs through walks and long trekking in the green and happy Bhutan.

 

 

 

Quarantine ended successfully - a lifetime experience

 

Last 5 days in quarantine

February 6, 2022

In the last two days I was seeking help from different people in getting permission to get my car from where I had parked nearly a month ago to the quarantine hotel so that we could drive on Monday to Thimphu. Every small thing seem complicated and you keep worrying if your next step might offend the protocols. After asking several people was done  possible to get the car driven to the parking in front of the hotel Thanks to my friend who introduced me to s very helpful Dessup in charge in the Zone where my car was parked. The next worry is the weather. The incessant and heavy snowfall in the highland has caused a lot of road obstruction and hope that the highway to Thimphu will stay open on Monday. There are reports of snow even in mid and lower altitudes this time. People say it is due to climate change even though many people are happy about it and say it is a good omen and a good harvest for farmers looking forward this season.

The news of the lockdowns in half of the country is quite painful. We had pretty bad experience in 2020 and 2021 already and this is really unexpected. People are stranded in spite of the helpline working 24 hours to provide guidance and facilitate travels. Students are expected to travel to schools and colleges while there are family emergencies and sickness that compels people to travel. I do not think anyone would travel for leisure these times inside the country. The quarantine facilities are falling short just like the ventilators in other countries some months ago. There is some degree of restlessness and worries even though there are no serious implications of the infections in Bhutan. The numbers are rising and the government is finding hard to get enough isolation hotels/ centers which is causing shortage of quarantine centers. Even though the international travelers would have dropped following huge number of infected people in one lot from among the imported workers, that being the cause of community transmission as well, domestic travel is unavoidable for many.

I feel for the resident of Phuntsholing. Almost after a month of lockdown with restricted movements, from today there is a complete lockdown declared for 10 days. The community transmission is not stopping and that is worrying the task force. Hope this is a solution and the lockdown does not continue any further unlike last year when it lasted for over 4 months.                                                                               

On the 4th evening I was able to join some academicians from the region to discuss and share the idea of blended learning. The Daffodil University of Bangladesh had organized this seminar - Transforming Higher Education, Post Pandemic  - A South Asian Model. I hope to contribute a book chapter on this theme.

The spillover effect from India as put by someone seems unstoppable. This town being the main gateway for the import and export, on all days there are large trucks carrying essentials such as gas, fuel, food supplies and medicines. This is pretty clear how dependent we are and in fact we have become even more over the years. With urbanization and increased consumerism, the import will only rise. Spillover is inescapable. Little that is produced in the country also has to find the Indian market.

The front liners and medical staff are working day in and out. But how long can we sustain this and most importantly how long can our front liners continue doing this. It is quite possible that the 5^th death in the country was a result of fatigue from our front liners, if not a deliberate lapse. I fear more unfortunate results of fatigue in days to come !

Just as I was writing this on the 6th of February, the nightingale of India who sang in Indian music industry for over 7 decades passed away. It is an end of a voice that soothed billion hearts in pain, happiness and leisure. The consolation for this sad loss comes from the thought - what a wonderful journey this mostly highly acclaimed singer of this entire region had. She will continue to live in the hearts of billions!

Monday, 7^th February, at around 1030, we could load our car and drive home to Thimphu !

Our nuclear family of four is back under one roof.

Quarantine continued...

 Day 8: January 31 and Day 9: February 1, 2022

The first big news for us today is that RT-PCR test given yesterday came out negative including the rest of the hotel inmates who got tested yesterday.

By the way, we are a family of four. While two of us are quarantined here at Phuntsholing for the last 9 days, Arun, our elder son is in an extended quarantine in Paro. He tested positive for COVID after a week-long stay. He suspects he caught it on the plane as he had a negative test report before he flew back from India. He was on a two week trip to Mumbai, an epicenter of Omicron for a filming contract. Who knows at what point in time the virus found its way into his throat! He was asymptomatic and had only mild throat pain, symptoms milder than a common cold. Just this afternoon he is allowed to go home after he tested negative. He was moved from a quarantine facility to an isolation center, another beautiful resort nearby in Paro. This was not enough as he was also bestowed with a special food package gift from the palace. We offer our gratitude to our benevolent King for this extra-ordinary love and care to His people.

Our younger son at home, all by himself, is managing his time and working from home at this challenging times. In the lockdown he seem to have gone a bit philosophical as is evident from some articles that he has posted recently on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/bhattaraisrj).

Back in here at Phuntsholing temporary home (central Hotel) time is moving on. I have just completed reading two books in vernacular – Pasinaka Paila by Laxman Gamnage and Gham Astayeko Hoina by Byanjana Sharma. I have also started reading “Factfullness” by Hans Rosling. Thanks to Mr Netra Binod for the e-copy. Reading on the screen is not as comfortable unlike our new generation who simply do not look at the paper prints!

While 8^th day was a pleasant one with sunny and warm weather, looking through the window I witnessed an eagle taking away the peace and the romance of hundreds of pigeons that would fly between the buildings and feed on the generous neighbors who frequently sprinkle some grains on the empty roads below. But these happy-go birds are terrorized by one eagle who seem to be chasing them, perhaps to pick a prey. This chase, which lasted over fifteen minutes resulted in some restlessness and chaos among these symbols of peace. There were also some crows seen crowing and flying mixed with the pigeons, equally restless for whatever reason! Finally, the eagle seems to have left the area, perhaps with a prey that he was seeking.

Back to the updates on news and Facebook posts, the COVID cases in the country seem to be skyrocketing, even to the extent that US has categorised as a  country on high risk.  Looking at the number of cases, it does not seem that the lockdown is going to be lifted soon. In fact it is already extended for one more week as almost all the Dzongkhags are in red, while four of those with over 1500 active cases are newly categorized as “High Burden Dzongkhags”. Every day there is a new record for Bhutan with over 300 new cases today. This border town is leading with 90 community cases as it feels as if the virus is all over in the air. We see much fewer people on the street. The news, government circulars and notifications are constantly changing, often contradicting, causing some amount of confusions among the people. Most recent notifications sent out about the Class X and XII examinations by the Ministry of Education is a clear example of the nervousness and panicky that is prevalent, even in the Government quarters. 

                                      

Globally, the COVID-19 seem not a scary thing anymore. Even in the most developed nations lockdown is not any more the option. In fact the Director General of WHO has repeatedly said that he is not ‘suggesting national lockdowns’ but only appealing for more vaccinations and follow other protocols. BBC discussing about the variant Omicron and its two infectious lineages, BA.1 and BA.2 says, “it is one for the scientists to watch, rather than for the public to be alarmed about at this stage.” Perhaps in Bhutan too it is time to review the way we are dealing with this new strain of milder virus!    

  

Quarantined: Days 3 – 7

Nothing exciting is happening in quarantine! All in all, we are spending our time pretty leisurely -mostly reading, writing, watching news on television or some interesting YouTube programmes.

Last night I was woken up at about 1 AM by a very loud noise from the next door. This guest was speaking on her phone and I could even hear the person on the other side talking. She would speak very loud (almost shout), make funny exclamations, laugh aloud and sometimes even scold the person on the other side. This process went on for over an hour. In the morning I had to lodge a complaint to the hotel management and make sure it is not repeated next day to spoil my sleep. It seems the information got conveyed effectively as the event was not repeated again.

I was suffering from severe toothache from day 2. I hoped it would go away but was only aggravating. On the 4^th day, I called Dr Gyan and asked for advice. He prescribed antibiotics and some strong anti-inflammatory medicines. I forwarded the requirements to the hotel staff, a Dessup volunteer serving through the whatsapp connection. She was kind enough to forward it to a hospital staff who in turn delivered the medicines in the afternoon. What an incredible service! This perhaps happens only in Bhutan.

Even with medicine, the pain was coming back frequently until Day 6 and less frequently from Day 7, but did not go way completely. It would start at a particular point between upper right molars but would spread throughout the jaws and gums, neck and head. I have to somehow sustain the pain until I am out of the quarantine and is able to see a dentist.

In between there were few online meetings and discussions with the management team of the college, almost every day. Besides these official engagements, I still have enough time to read. I hope to read some more books in next one week that we have here.

Food is reasonably good in the hotel, even though there is some monotony in the menu. The volunteers make a big bang on the door after dropping the food on a table kept next to the door. They disappear from your sight immediately. Door is closed right away and permanently. Food comes in small aluminum foil packs. Breakfast at around 8 AM includes fried rice and occasional puri and sabji with tea in tiny paper cups every time. Lunch at around 1 PM includes rice (invariably) with dal, vegetable curry and occasionally some non-veg item. At 4 PM you get your tea in small-sized cups along with some biscuits and occasionally some fries. The supper is at around 8.30 PM and is not very different from the lunches. We are habitually fond of milk tea and insist that we get some fresh cow milk in our tea and hopefully make curd for meals. The dairy shop in front receives and sells milk to people who keep dropping in throughout the day. We have managed to get at least 3 times a bottle of milk each through a contact in the pharmacy. This gentleman has been kind to add a bottle of fresh milk with our purchase from his shop and drop at the hotel counter for delivery to our door table. So we continue enjoying milk tea and continue making curd as a supplement tastemaker in our meals. Thanks to the curd that we brought from home which is serving as a starter.

Amidst reading writing and some official correspondence with the workplace, we do enjoy the sun that finds its entry from three panel window into the hotel room, which is luckily facing east. We do brisk walks across the room, do some stretching and yoga poses to give ourselves some exercise. We also watch people on the street, cars passing by and cleaners cleaning the already quite clean road.  Once a while the noise through a mike from across the border breaks the silence and reminds about a very different mood out there. Prayers or spiritual hymns, Bollywood songs or some political speeches are overheard frequently assuring everyone that life is moving on as usual in spite of 3^rd or 4^th wave of corona surge in our neighbor's great land!

Here in the hotel, everyday tests results are announced by the staff through the whatsapp group and fortunately until this time all the ones tested from this hotel have shown negative results.  On the 7^th day we gave our test to two smart ladies who appeared at the door in their full PPE. Also everyday few people are seen leaving the hotel on completing their quarantine and heading for some other destinations. These travels are very well coordinated and organized by the Task Force staff and Dessup volunteer staff. This is amazing how we have become very efficient in managing affairs in these times of dire need. In spite of all these, virus is making its way into the communities. Country saw a surge in cases with one more death reported recently. Phuntsholing is seen leading on the country’s datasheet. Unfortunately one more patient with kidney troubles succumbed to COVID infection taking the national death toll to four. We hope and pray that this is the last tragedy and the last wave of pandemic.

Day 2 - Quarantined

 From Central Hotel Phuntsholing, January 24, 2022

This loss was deeply felt. We had a plan to interview Madam CK this winter and to write some kind of biography about her, a thought that came too late. Later in the day we were connected to a live forecast of the funeral by Madhu, Madam’s grandniece which was also exclusively shared for her nephews and niece in Kathmandu and Darjeeling. Included in this close virtual group. This has to pass and life has to move on – that is the key lesson that we have always learned from such incidences.

In the evening, Tulasa started reading a book by Dr Byanjana Sharma (Bhattarai), Gham Astayeko hoina (The Sun is not Set) and occasionally would read out lines from the book, which was a memoir of a mother who demised back home in Nepal when the author, the youngest daughter, was a student in Australia and was unable to join the last rites. Author had a daily diary written expressing her feelings for her mother and how finally this helped her come out of this melancholy. She has described a theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross which suggests that we go through five distinct stages of grief after the loss of a loved one: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance (https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/5-stages-dealing-with-grief-sorrow/). This is a very practical lesson for everyone since none is spared from such tragedies at some point in time in our lives.

Well, Madam CK was not biological mother of Tulasa and this may be seen by some as a bit of over-reaction. But often your emotional bonds with a person defines your relationship with the person and not only a family connection or a blood relation. The reality is that we are now in a quarantine and have no other option but to mourn from here as we can’t visit the family even though it is just about two hours drive from here.

Just a day before on the 22^nd January, one of the greatest Buddhist Zen master and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh had died at the age of 95 in Vietnam. Tulasa had enjoyed reading his “Old Path White Clouds” some years ago. She would keep mentioning about the practical and universal ideas about life, living and death detailed out in the book which is a recount of the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha over the course of eighty years. The book speaks through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy who provided kusa grass for the Buddha's enlightenment cushion, and the Buddha himself. This popular book was given to Tulasa by a young man Yeshi Dorji who incidentally died suddenly before she could even return the book to him. The book remains with us even now.

Two days later on 25 January, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, one of the most prominent contemporary masters in the Nyingma and Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, passed into parinirvana. No one including these spiritual personalities who have worked to bring world peace and taught us about the cycles of birth and death can escape death. Some random statistics says that nearly 163,000 people die every day which is about 114 per minute and almost 2 per second!! So what is so frightening or sorrowful about death? We also know that the world birth rate is almost the double the death rate. That is why the global population is always on the rise. Life has to go on is the key answer to all the sad feelings!

Second day of quarantine for us here in Phuntsholing is pretty pleasant. It is sunny and seems warm outside. The streets are empty except for some pigeons flying freely around. Occasionally you see some stray dogs running aimlessly and chasing each other. On the other side of the road there is a row of 3-4 story buildings mostly looking brown from outside. These are beaten hard by summer heat and heavy downpour this place is known to receive. An old Ama is seen walking to and fro a narrow and short verandah with her prayer beads on her hands. From one end of her verandah she will be able to see the Lhakhang just about 50 meters away inside the park. She would look up at the temple with folded hands once a while. On the next building I see a middle-aged man making swift strolls within his short porch for over an hour. Few people are seen coming out on the street masked up with ‘movement pass’ on their hands and small bags with essential stuff.

People are mostly out to get some basic supplies from few stores that are open at this time. There are just two shops open on this side of the road from what is visible from my windows – a medical shop and a dairy. People enter into these and get some stuff and return. These stores seem to be doing some brisk business during the lockdown.

COVID and Quarantine – Day 1

    After confinement of nearly two years in Thimphu, this winter vacation we decided to travel south and beyond. Upon getting a permission from the Department of Immigration to travel out (a requirement in Covid time) of the country, we packed our luggage, bid goodbye to our younger son, Suraj, who decided to stay back and work on his film, and drove enthusiastically towards Phuntsholing. Passing through new transit arrangements at Sorchen, briefly stopped in Phuntsholing and drove straight to Mechetar (Khandothang). After a couple of days, had a pleasant drive further to Dorokha and made some visits, and returned to Samtse for few more days of warmth and then to the exit point in Phuntsholing. The Omicron was on rise globally, few cases were suspected to be emerging in Bhutan but determined that we will travel out, we left the gate with some amount of hesitation. Life out there seem as normal as before and soon we forgot about the pandemic and spent our times with the near and dear ones that we had been missing for too long!

    After nearly two weeks, equally nervous we reported at the Bhutan border gate only to be welcomed back with all the protocols in place. Within an hour we were in a quarantine facility – Central Hotel in the heart of the town. There were some preconceived worries about the hotel, so I tried calling out some good friends for their help in securing a reasonably good hotel. We were advised that the hotels are packed due to the recent surge and there would be no choice of hotels. In his briefings, before getting into the hotel, the young Dessup mentioned that it will be a 14-days quarantine (unless we test positive when tested half way through) and the first night would not be counted. As we were settling down and got connected to the hotel wifi, the first news received was a very tragic one. We had just lost a veteran educator of the country and the first woman graduate of Bhutan, Ms CK Gurung in Samtse. Tulsa had been a huge beneficiary of Madam Gurung since her primary school days. Madam was not just her teacher and a mentor, but a guardian and a Godmother with whom she had stayed for couple of years until she became a teacher. Ever since Tulsa (called Tulsi by the family) remained a part of the family and particularly close with Madam. This loss was very personal for us and it was very hard for Tulasa.

    As the news got spread across the country and beyond, there were a lot of condolences and RIPs pouring in the social media of which the most comprehensive was the one from our distinguished educator and the former Education Minister Lyonpo TS Powdyel.  I take this honour and also liberty to quote and re-post his post as it is:  

“The Noblest of the Sector Noble... no more...

 It is difficult to believe that this life larger than life is no more. Just a few days back when I contacted the family, I was given to understand that our beloved Madam Gurung was getting better even though still very frail and bed-ridden.

 One of our brightest stars in the Sherig firmament dimmed into her heavenly abode at eighty-seven yesterday even as the day was drawing to a close at Gurung Basti in Samtse.

 Miss CK Gurung, as the outstanding life-time educator was well-known, symbolised the noblest virtues of the Noble Sector and inspired a whole generation of educators by her exemplary dedication, edifying grace and rare commitment to the highest ideals befitting the mission called Teaching.

 Even as a primary school student in my village, I used to hear my elder brother speak in glowing terms about his amazing teacher and mentor at the erstwhile Samchi Lower Secondary School and then as his trainer at the then Teacher Training Institute (TTI) where Miss Gurung was one of the only two Bhutanese lecturers when the first teacher education facility started in the country in May 1968. Lopon Samten Wangchuk moved on to pursue his spiritual calling.

 When I came to Samtse to continue my studies, I would often obtain fleeting glimpses of the highly revered Miss Gurung as she followed her trainees in her quintessential elegance and awe-striking presence. Years later, when I myself joined what had then become the National Institute of Education (NIE), of which Miss Gurung had become the first Bhutanese Principal, a fresh and excited young lecturer, just returned from my training, immediately found a true idol and mentor.

 The first batch of our B. Ed graduates passed out in 1986 under the oversight of Miss Gurung and her highly motivated team. Samtse and Paro Colleges of Education have over the decades done a most commendable job of preparing the nation’s vital teaching force and of strengthening the country’s educational destiny.

 As the first Bhutanese woman graduate, having attended excellent schools and well-known institutions including in Edinburg, Scotland, and with work-experience in Singapore, Hong Kong, the British Army School in Malaya, Miss Gurung was well-travelled and led many Bhutanese delegations to important events and assignments abroad.

 With all these distinctions, Miss Gurung still chose to continue dedicating her life and work to the cultivation of her first love – Education – when she could have selected any department in the government then and become what people would call ‘a big shot’. And, that made all the difference. She became ‘a bigger shot’ as an educator and raised hundreds of dedicated leaders who have made a difference in their own right.

 There was something uniquely characteristic about Miss Gurung. Despite being a scion of a well-known family, there was no trace of pride or arrogance in her. Though a spinster, Miss Gurung was a mother-figure to all and her benign warmth radiated everywhere even as she lived out and expected the highest professional and personal standards in those in her charge.

 Her self-effacing demeanour, innate good cheer, infinite goodwill and respect towards all, her positive outlook, and her almost saintly disposition earned Miss Gurung rare reverence from all whose lives she touched in her own endearing ways.

 Soft-spoken and approachable but armed with a no-nonsense confidence, Miss Gurung lived by example and naturally inspired numerous batches of young men and women who took it upon themselves to take on the most difficult, yet the most important, mission in the world – Teaching. And that generation of Miss Gurung’s students has done the nation proud in good measure.

 A veritable institution in her own right, Madam Chandra Kala Gurung was a recipient of coveted awards and singular commendations for her outstanding contribution to the advancement of education in the country. The Ministry of Education had the privilege of acknowledging Miss Gurung’s life-long service to the education sector in its own humble way during the celebration of Sherig Century during 2012-2013.

 At a time like today when education and educators all around the world are under the scanner for different reasons, it was our good fortune that we had the likes of Miss Gurung to look up to and do our part in this vital endeavour called nation-building.

 On a more personal level, it is a regret that I wasn’t able to visit and pay my respects to my beloved mentor, the dreaded virus having come in the way. But it was enough to know that Madam Gurung was there... With her gone now, like so many of my other venerable elders, there is a palpable void that will not be easy to fill.

 May the noble soul of our beloved mentor rest in peace in the loving company of her virtuous ancestors in heaven...

 And, may the Almighty grant the bereaved family courage to overcome this painful loss...

The legend is gone, but the legacy lives on...”

 I thank Lyonpo Powdyel for his succinct yet a complete account of the life of Madam Gurung and also pay our deep respect and homage to the departed soul.

NEW YEAR 2022 from Down Under

Another New Year is here again. One more year of pandemic has passed with no relief anywhere in sight.  When Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in early 2020 by WHO, most people thought it would be just about one year thing. Adding to the optimism, vaccines were developed in a record time and implemented within a year or less. First dose, second dose and now the booster, but the virus refuses to give in.  It is, on the contrary, changing its forms and is becoming resilient by day.  The master copy of COVID-19 mutated into Delta in early 2021 and the year is ending with another successful form called Omicron. Numerous other forms would have arisen and disappeared unnoticed and harmless. Who knows what is to come in 2022?  While the world is trying to cope up with “new normal” that is mostly characterized by frequent lockdowns – national, regional, local, including extra-ordinary protocols followed in conducting normal businesses, no one is sure about what the new normal would look like some years down the line!  Mask has become another piece of essential body cover, at least in public. In a way the face masks in varied designs and colours have turned out to be one great equalizer among people of different strata, as the virus itself has been.

 

Bhutan has been extra cautious as always. In spite of just three deaths and that too with underlying issues already, and most of the time without a single active case in the country, we have often surprised the world with extra-ordinary precautionary measures, even if that was at the cost of our own mobility and of course our fragile economy. With 21 days of compulsory quarantine for cross-border travelers, tourism, our second revenue earner was the first victim. Hotel business is on prolonged hibernation (except those few luckier ones who are surviving or even thriving due to quarantine services). The in-country quarantine requirement has come as a big relief to the 3-star and below ranked hotels.  Even with reduction in the international quarantine to two weeks, tourists are not likely to show up. A portion of the lost revenue is expected to be compensated by the remittances that continues to grow with our youth continuing to venture out.

 

After nearly two years of confinement in Thimphu, the most privileged city in the country, following long deliberation, my wife Tulsa and I dared cross the green zone last week. Upon filling out the usual Check Post Management System (CPMS), one uniquely Bhutanese version of new normal, I cautiously and with utmost vigilance drove up to the new check-post gate at Sorchen, made entries and received signals from the RBP personnel there to continue drive down. Just across the checkpoint, the red zone is marked by small hotels and restaurants apparently doing brisk business with drivers and commuters waiting for the next move. Some of them were seen playing carom, others simply chitchatting, with their vehicles parked at the side. This is the transit point, where the goods are transferred by the loaders adding that extra burden to the otherwise privileged consumers up there. To some extent this penalty is also borne by people down south who often get some of their supplies such as vegetable during summer and the third country-imported garments and gadgets from Thimphu.

 

Our second largest city, Phuntsholing looks deserted, though cleaner, obviously with very little business. Half of the shops are locked up, perhaps the consequence of the fronting crackdown. At this time of the year, this town would be bustling with visitors, practically people from all the nook and corners of the country, including visitors from across the border. I stopped my car close to the border iron fence and looked across, only to see few closely standing buildings with billboards, quiet and perhaps most of the doors shut. There was no one visible, except for a lean person looking eagerly through the iron bars, as if waiting for some partner in crime to snub some illegal stuff across for a peanut profit margin! May be I am being too suspicious… I changed my thoughts quickly. May be he is just curiously waiting for his business across border to become normal!

 

After a short rest, we were dashing across dusty bank of Amochhu (River Toorsa). There is no proper road differentiation on this flat sandy bank, except for few ‘diversion’ signage that guides the drivers. The surface is uneven and undulating. Several large trucks carrying sand pass by as usual and the river embankment work seem to be going on forever. We passed through the new housing colonies for people rescued from across the border some one year ago, a Royal gift. You drive pass this terrain and across the beautiful bridge on the Toorsa only to enjoy the calm of beautiful villages, forests and gentle curves, overseeing the Indian plane. Our first destination was Mecheytar (Khandothang), our first winter home.

 

Weather is pleasantly warm here.  At the surface, the life of the villagers here seem very normal. Young people are busy making some money through odd jobs that are easily available due to absence of cheap labour from across the border. Some people do express their disappointment about the inter-zone quarantine. Largely this is an accepted new normal for the people here but are unhappy for not getting the quarantine facilities instantly. I am told that these limited facilities are heavily subscribed. It is everyone’s hope that this one week quarantine will be done away after all eligible people get their booster!

 

Globally countries are dealing with new waves of pandemic differently. There are national and localized lockdowns, night curfews, travel bans and many more all over the world. But gradually people are complacent and even protesting against the restrictions. Some smart scientists are making wise guess about the newest variant that it is milder in its virulence even though it is spreading like a wild fire. The virus is likely to stay around in its evolved forms with varied degree of virulence for some time to come if not forever. WHO optimistically says if all the countries in the world vaccinate 70% of its population by mid-2022, the pandemic status will get downgraded to endemic or something milder!

 

Amidst the emergence of millions of COVID experts, a layman can also say quite definitely that there are a lot of empirical data on the nature of this virus and the experience of dealing with its impact, that should help to make reasonable decisions on dos and don’ts, as we also continue living our lives. For sure, we can’t continue the way we were in pre-covid times nor can we continue the way we are now in, forever. It is time that the policy makers take some calculated risks and make bolder decisions to give social life a chance and put back the economic development on track. It is time to test the human courage and resilience against this invisible enemy. Whether we like it or not, as the world decided to move on, a small country like ours will also have to make hard choice very soon.

 

Until then, goodbye to yet another pandemic year of 2021 and a warm welcome to the NEW YEAR 2022.

Dorokha, January 01, 2022