Why BAR all the time?

One man asked me, “ Sir, do you issue BAR licenses? Can we transfer the name and change the location? Can I buy the bar license?” I said "NO" to the first but second and third, it depends on how genuine is the case. I was scared of this question “what is the distance that we should keep our bar from the schools, institutes and Offices?” Thank god, he didn’t ask me. If he did, I would have smiled and started a long conversation.

Consumption of alcohol is injurious to health. Alcohol consumption has lead to many societal disorders. Gang fights, domestic violence, rape, robbery, vandalism, etc. Besides that, hundreds of patients are admitted of liver cirrhosis and birth defects. We need some laws to control but not to ban the products. Better not to drink at all. We, Bhutanese are fond of alcohol despite stringent governments rules inhibiting the sales. An apology to the sobers- but how can we prove Bhutanese without alcohol? We are so used to and has trickled down from the ancestors as a culture. Cannot list the occasions that we drink, some started drinking heavily and has become so dependent on it. This has lead to the booming business in BARs in the country. -I am not health but on business now-

Recently the Trongsa DYT discussed about shifting the bar licenses which are located near the schools and institutes. While some expressed their concerns over the establishment of the bar before the institutes or schools, majority stood for the motion. Hence they should shift now. If we look around the country, this very rule will appear unfair. Thimphu with maximum institutes, schools, offices and parks, more than 700 bars are fully operational as of now. There could be hardly 50 ft away in some cases. Look at the location of the RCIBL, BOBL, BNB, Thimphu Thromdey Office, JDWNRH and etc. Bars and some even with pools to enjoy, surrounds them all. In contrast, People of Kanglung, under Trashigang Dzongkhag are deprived of bar licenses. In 2007, the bar licenses are ceased by the Dzongkhag administration upon serious alcoholism by the Sherubtse College students.  Now the time has come to Trongsa Dzongkhag.

While I generally know that opening bar in such location is prohibited through my senior inspectors and trade officers, I could not find in any Rule/Law Books stating that certain distance has to be maintained. Very recently, I came to know of one circular issued to the Ministry on 7^th January 1999 by Honorable Tengye Lyonpo, Khando Wangchuck. Point no (iii) of the circular reads “No bars shall be located near dratshang, Rabdeys, Gomdeys, Shedras, Dzongs and educational institution.”  Although the circular does not mention any specific distance to be maintained, it seems that the effect of the very circular is coming with harder impact. Is it a foot, a kilometer or a mile? We will just have to assume. Rule 17 of Rules and Regulations for Establishment and Operation of Industrial and Commercial Venture in Bhutan, 1995 states that A licensed wholesale or retail dealer in alcohol shall not sell or gift alcholic beverages to a person below the age of 18, however there isn’t any clause stating the distance that we should keep between the bars and institutes, schools, etc. Even the latest version, Miroc, Retail and Wholesale Trade regulation, 2006 is devoid of the clause that people usually ask, but already implemented elsewhere and we will never find this circular coming out as law or rule in the history of MoEA. Therefore, do we, the enforcing agents and departments have any legal right to chase them away as when the things do not work?

While the impact of the alcohol has added on our nations debt of intensive medication, the people will still look for a fair play. After all we are all human, many looking for one’s benefit and least about others. It becomes worst when it comes into the field of business. How will the business sustain if it were to be located away from the town and crowd? If the students and trainees drink from the nearby bar, is there any law that says the owner should not sale to students? The law limits the age and not the type. Imagine if Trongsa have to shift to a new location and imagine if all the bars are few kilometers away in same location. While we try to clean the old space, will it not create a drunkard zone on other hand?

The moment I joined my service to serve the general public, I was confronted with the challenge to raid the shops of Kanglung, Trashigang, for selling the alcohols to the students of Sherubtse College. We penalized them on the ground of selling alcohol without license and not on the ground of selling to the students. Ever since the bar licenses were ceased by the district, black marketing thrived very well in the shades of consumer’s curiosity and profit of the shoppers. I got drunk many times during my college days and my college too was alcohol and tobacco free zone. You know where I did my degree? Shhh……it’s SHERUBTSE COLLEGE.

“DID I WISH MY KING???”…LAY MAN ASKS…!

It takes someone to remind us…I don’t care about others but for me, I need someone to trigger. So it was and it will be. I have never been to our national stadium so formally like today, 21st February 2011, and I was flashed back to the decades ago. The old national band with beats and trumpets engulfed me with nostalgia. I felt like I was walking back to the years and years ago, when I was listening to the old radio. I realized I am old now. Time has taught me enough…

Those where the days when I would be in the ‘half full’ shirt, belly region of my shirt would be torn, and crying for the breakfast as soon as I wake up from the dusty bed. Not exactly a bed, it would just be a hand made mattress stitched so many torn clothes together and pillow made up of husk in a sack. I remembered how I cried for my mother when she would leave me and my younger sister all alone and both of us crying “Amaa..”

Now Bhutan is transformed. I remember my village mates have rice cookers and boilers each at least. IF not for our great fathers of Bhutan, it would be for none. Fourth king served the kingdom bravely, defending the militants in a day, and compassionately (loving and missing his people). By now, I changed my king. Every body was bit scared thinking, “what will be the next”? It’s not because people lack trust in him, but in losing our former. But he displayed his role as real people’s king.

Have you ever seen any other king kissing his subject? Have you ever seen any ruler playing with the kid? Have you ever seen people staying with their leaders and hugging him? Not so common… when ever I think and see my king hugging and kissing with the innocent kids and holding the wrinkled hands of our senior citizens, my eyes get blurred with tears. I saw him travelling in any weather, ridges and gorges to meet his people. I saw him cooking in his own ancient home. He is my model that I worship and look up. Deep inside, I feel, “how lucky am I to born here as a lay man”!

As I came back from the stadium, and walking in the busy street, I was walking with wisdom. Though I felt lonely all alone I was thinking a lot; How many of our guest in the tents must have sung the national anthem very proudly? How many of the students beside me must have replied ‘GYALO’ with deep thought. Of course there may be few, but I saw many for fun and left the memories in the dead stadium….wishing you sincere ‘happy birth day’ to your majesty the fifth druk gyalpo. May you live for eternity…



The lost life…..Dead man writes…

The lost life…..Dead man writes…

How do you feel when you hear of an accident? Does your heart beat increases or gossip for the sake of hot news? Have you ever thought of how the victims must have struggle to die while we struggle to live? Have you ever seen or been to accident site????? Here are some answers…..go ahead…and find out how we usually feel;

It was somewhere in the mid of Autumn. I was traveling all the way from Mongar to Thimphu. Started with a two packs of 'High land'. Journey was bit hectic so I put on ma head phone to get myself lost in the world of music. Alcohol stated to work. I was feeling bit dizzy and headache controlled me to silence. Forcefully I closed my eyes till I was awakened by my sister’s call

‘Where are you now’…she asked me.

‘Here at Thruemshinla’…about to cross…i replied.

She told me many things about my lunch and road safety regarding the frost backed roads and all. I was least bothered and answered ‘ok’ many times. It was somewhere a thirty minutes drive after that. I was informed of the bus accident at Trashiyangtse. Late at night, I was at Tronsa with almost a freezing point. BBS reported of Bolero car accident of carrying not a passenger but population I guess. Many injured and one dead reported the BBS with Maps online.

People are not freed from the Nepal plane crash. Eighteen people were killed and series of accidents are occurring. It was again when I was at wangdue, I was informed of Bus accident at Lampelri near Dochula pass. I was then curious to see the spot because we will be coming across this place soon. Pillars beside the roads read "lampelri '0' kilometer". We searched for the accident site. I have no other mind then to see the accident spot, thinking I may not get the chance to see next time. I came almost to enjoy. It was 4;00 o’clock in the evening and i wasn’t expecting the dead bodies will  be there. We parked the car few meters away from the site and walked down. Policemen were busy taking their late lunch. Doctors have left the spot with medical waste stained with blood. Six dead bodies were arranged in the line. They didn’t  look like dead body indeed. Their muscle’s function weren’t stopped. I saw the policmen lifting the body so flexibly. They were wrapped with a thick white cloth and dumped on the DCM. One girl, around sixteen or so with a pink half stocking and black jacket was laid still. Their faces are covered yet they revealed the sadness of the accident.

It moved me and others too. Driver claimed of a mechanical failure but this failure killed nine people. I felt for the first time and thought about the impermanence very deeply. I was ridding like dead man, lips dried and heart beat increased as if to compensate the beat after my death. I felt lost, dumped and speechless really…..

People talk of accidents very lightly. I talked of accidents for the sake of gossip but now I feel the pain. I think of their pain and their struggle before death. In Bhutan, AIDS killed 42 people within ten years but accident killed roughly 35 people in month. We should give a proper priority when it comes to the health of the people. Its not for popularity that I write but to keep a print within us that machines kills us if we don’t use safely. As I moved from the site I saw  woman, her eyes swollen and cheeks painted with tears. She was held by a policemen near an ambulance. She must have lost her son or daughter ….That incident aggravated my pain and I still feel her and the dead-bodies… May all the souls rest in peace….