There was THE VISION to look after...

"In September 2014, His Majesty The King visited my village. His Majesty found the clustered houses unique. His Majesty loved and admired the stones, doors, windows, footpaths, roofs of the houses.  Such would be a village thromde to be cherished and sustained for community and nation at large. The King through admiration commanded that it be preserved as a Heritage Village for all times to come. Every authority/responsible people and the community there must take this Command seriously.

For me, the Command Visioned KhengRigNamSum and in particular Trong Community. It was another blessing of confidence and strength to withstand the Pride and Prestige of being a native son from there! These strengths of mine from my village and people there never worried me." This was what I wrote in one of my two sparingly blog posts a year ago about my village.  (http://ugyenlhendup1.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-village-my-dream.html). 

Not that I only write. Being at the village over two decades as a farmer's son and making sure to visit two to three times (if not once) in a year completes me on where your roots are. Knowing each and every innocent villager, monks, domestic animals, forests and structures there build my serious attitude towards my home. Especially the emotions, grievances, and challenges of innocent people who dared to share with me. That was one of the many things we comfort. Thus, the home and community that nurtured me from birth till today, as everyone does, it is too habitually dear to me. I could not help but write to pass a timely and true message with the hopes and believes of pro and better interventions.  

Many good things are coming up there. Many times, taken for passionate lovers for villager’s concern and development, I passionately like coordinating community events, particularly spiritual. For Spirituality, it universally commands bad, ugly and the good.    The initiative gathers people at grassroots and know what, the gathering is beautiful! I like that! Be it of official or informal pursuit. Conversely, without coming face-off, you cannot find the attention and the energy of where you stand with. Wrong assumptions take rest. You become open.  Discussion simply begins when you take an effort to meet, even for a while of a smile.

For businesses and community adherence and benefits from small events intended this far. Did it benefit people to come closer and share the love joy and views of day to day happenings of home? For a simple example, in recent Lhamo Kangtsho, Lama Zhang Kuchoe initiative, etc.., over a few lakhs were injected in the purchase of groceries from local markets and retailers. The local community organizers said that this is more than an income a retailer can fetch in a year at Zhemgang.  Therefore, in such events, we make sure that local markets are boosted by such events. This should encourage anyone to be part of local events and such events. Hopes of timely intervention from all stakeholders and who really cared about it was believed but the national news probs us loud to do more.  Birth festivals were exemplary at large and we need more events for villagers and retailers as well. 

Having grilled to such passion for home, many times, I did attempt to thrive discussions bilaterally for pro-solutions with bureaucrats and elect representatives of past and present. Somehow, it did not turn up to a popular policy agenda. I will do for future as well (via person or media), even if, politics have their own neutral approach of pursuing everyone and not hurting anyone or any authorities taking it otherwise.

Honestly, it did not surprise me either from defending, prolonging, keeping it uninformed or excuses. Only to think about why Zhemgang and for this recent news, 'Zhemgang: A small dead town' The ‘Thromde Heritage Village’ gifted should set back this long in any policy and intervention to look into the matter after the highest command.

This recent news did not surprise me as well, because this was one from many repeated cries especially from people around heritage village/thromde. Which itself has a different version of allocating resources, treatment, and perceptions of people themselves and from public officials sadly as well. The views and perceptions are half baked evidence yet cannot be ignored.  The fear is what it brings a type of view and attention of readers and those who knew about the community. 

Besides, by-pass road and its impact on the business reported and without mentioning many other specific concerns, this is what I felt it must be shared through people's own views and solutions to it. Not that we derail a good part of development but accommodate more when we have the willingness and opportunities seen ahead today.   Khengpas and Kheng cannot dare and care more than today. As problems and issues rise so does the solutions only people there.  And here we can attempt the following accommodations: 

1.      Timely and Sufficient Information Sharing:

-          Whenever I am reminded of service in time, I  hear former Chief Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye saying 'If you give on time, you are giving two times'. And for timely information, the question of many citizens' active participation today and mostly with illiterate and innocent people are how they are fed with information.

-          Information is power and it must be made CLEAR, TIMELY and SUFFICIENT by public officials (mostly) to public and vice versa. Most importantly make it RIGHT! Not that we give notice by morning and shut the service by afternoon. Not that we placate the information and threat it merely as therapy and declare that people are not interested or not-cooperative and defend altogether.  

-          Should it be truly public service or serving people, we must dare to be a servant. Dare to push, influence and make frequent platforms to thrive and thrill with excellent information sharing and communication. Like your own child and someone whom we feel deeply to serve, if a villager cannot understand you, get in his shoes, seriously! Check on his/her language, attitude, emotions and platform that can best suited for effectively communicating within that platform. Anyone of us on service providers end can do/understand this better than villagers themselves. At the end of the day, we are leader or server who serves on him/her at receivers’ end and not on providers' authorities wants, whims or fancies.

-          No support/guidance or help is exhaustive, I strongly feel but the views and authority we placate with to helpless citizens. At least a courtesy of polite advice cannot exhaust. It is when the process is put to an unnecessary dead-end, the throbs of issues sprout unnecessarily. 

2.      Catering to citizen's active engagement:

-          If we carefully examine, the issues and challenges are community and people-based. Dare to consult and engage people whenever possible and it is possible any-time, every day, particularly at any village settings. ‘Gather’ and ‘influence’ people. The highest to lowest authority must bring them for a meet at community temple or elsewhere, periodically. We had this beautiful tradition of Zomdu!  Make them feel open, free and fearless. 
-In Zomdu, rather than assuming to understand their problems and put a full stop from further explaining, welcome opinions with emphatic listening, Communicate! Every people have their share of views, grievances and importantly SOLUTIONS to share. The good part is our villages anywhere have a natural platforms for democratic decision making. Thus, I wrote in my blog describing the vibrant settings of Visionary Trong Heritage Village. 

-          Therefore, just listen and thrash out- We will find a problem that is too old, too simple but throbbing stressful for helpless people, not without SOLUTIONS in themselves.  

The Case of Trong Heritage Village Thromde:

Going by a specific case of Heritage village/thromde which I knew the most and talk a lot. I urge we must talk and discuss with people to fill the breaching gap between problems and solutions to it. Today, as villagers and businesses have either confused or have different views, why not there be GATHERING! (as always coming together is beautiful!). Let people be informed/know (someone must communicate) just on the simple matter as in the following probs shared by people themselves recently:

1.      The Trong Heritage Village had not only the most Gracious Gifted Vision and replacement plot by His Majesty The King for the Trong Village Communities. It is Thromde on the other side (where basic facilities kept fluctuating). How do we reconcile the treatment being Visionary Heritage Village at the same time Thromde? 

2.      We can inform/explain (just tell) people, why homestay did not apply for Visionary Heritage Village (as shared over the phone by a focal person)? 

3.      Clarify on today’s pressing confusion on how Heritage Village being thromde classes fluctuate and subsequently the varyingly high tax on it (the current fear of high tax payment there), why all households did not get equal treatment of Thromde or Heritage facilities?

4.      Was the idea of current narrowly blocked drains, unlabeled pavement, and street lights a better ambiance for Visionary Heritage village? Can we look after it making more glitteringly Visionary?

5.      Do we have Strategy built and budget on VISION of Heritage Village or Thromde setup? If we don’t have one, its high time we discuss one with beloved people and from their apolitical and sincere verses. Tell and let people participate in any Budgetary accounts!

6.      Two houses in Heritage village was razed to the ground in 2015, I was told there was direction being blessed but it is turning to the ruined ground this far. Why are two landlords helplessly confused for too long? Why should they be confused and stay in the shattered hut and rented houses for over four years now? Maybe it is a communication gap. 

A woman confused: To built or wait for the Dzongkhag kidu's directions. She and her family are staying at a temporary hut below for about 5 years now. The other lady and family are surviving in a rented house with minimal cash income to cover rent. 

Razed house with matured grasses and dogs kenneling. 

Front view of the razed house.

2015 house razed

7. Taking a lesson from it, what are safety and securities put in place for fragile structures of Heritage village/thromde so far? Can narrow drain and shabby electric poles be replaced?

8.   Why should anyone or a villager keep follow up for too long and many times just for simple matter?... etc. Let alone literate find that too tiresome, illiterate might be going on with depression and helplessness.  

2015 house on fire

3.      To Expedite Sl.no 1 and 2: We can attempt for Governance with Citizens than Governing to    Citizen

-      I see the matter with any case of public service dealings be it in corporate or government owned public services, is information sharing, engaging and empowering people. To make it more specific, the National Council in their Assessment of Local Governance 2015 issue asked HOW can we seriously inform, engage and empower a community.  The gap is when we assume people’s views and mindset and do not attempt to gather or initiate one of the gatherings (friendliest, free and open ones) and discuss/understand views or issues.  

Therefore, keeping the importance of Sl.no 1 and 2, we can make it happen in old age tradition of ZOMDU out in two forms:

1.      Indirect Participatory Approach-To Commission a local/village committee along with Thromde and Dzongkhag Representatives with 5 to 7 members of villagers. This committee shall expedite to communicate/discuss with any authorities on the matter of Thromde.  The committee shall represent only after discussing the matter with general beloved villagers. A lot advantage of cost and time for public officials; 

OR

2.      Direct Participatory Approach-The Authority by itself lead a gathering/discussion with people entirely and dissolve any matter concerning Village/Thromde. This option is more direct, costly and time taking.

Keeping in mind the shyness, reluctance, illiterate and innocence of the villager’s participants, particularly women and farmers, the building of trust and confidence of gathering can encourage the true and valuable views. Just that we need to get inside their true mindset, emotions, and concerns. Therefore, a simple Zomdu can do. I would recommend that the discussion may need an most agile atmosphere, fun, welcoming gesture, a friendly, lively, open and free situation for people to speak out. Like we do with high-end guest and our meetings, why not a catalyst elements like a bonfire, high tea, lunch dinner, music, refreshment is something should help it out to connect freely with villagers.

Nt: The above is messages are based on personal experience, media and peoples’ concerns shared repeatedly every year by people themselves during my visits for Kangtsho and annual lochoe at the village. This happened in every gatherings at the village, thus the importance of bringing people together. I hope positivity accomodate the judgments.