OPINION

What Makes You Not a Bhutanese?

What does it mean to be Bhutanese, or not? Is there more to it than just being born in Bhutan of Bhutanese parents? I have a friend who was not born in Bhutan and whose parents are not Bhutanese, but who speaks Sharchokpa fluently, who is totally loyal to Bhutan, …

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The Nepal crisis and four lessons for Bhutan – Part 1

There is now little doubt that Nepal is undergoing an effective trade blockade by a combination of protesting Madhesi groups in Nepal’s southern border and Indian custom officials at the border who have used the excuse of the protests to strengthen checks and slow down or even stop trucks moving …

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Communal joke on WeChat

The context of this post is the communal joke that was widely circulated on the badly abused social media platform, WeChat. Yes, WeChat has been already used as the launchpad for the three worst things to happen in Bhutanese social media which are leaking private movie clips, spreading hoaxes, and …

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BoIC’s perception problem

Though the main focus of the current debate around the Business Information and Opportunity Centre (BoIC) is on its legality, the main heart of the controversy around BoIC is political in nature. It is this political element that has brought up BoIC before discussions in the Parliament, where even its …

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Plastic Won’t Be a Problem in Bhutan

I n school we were told plastic was among the worst things that could pollute our environment because it would not disintegrate in 800 years, just say forever. It means the very first batch of plastic mankind produced, which was in 1862, hasn’t yet disappeared and in the last many …

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Our Road Crossing Culture

Our road crossing culture is a chaotic most of the time! And in the absence of traffic lights it is difficult for the pedestrians to know when exactly to cross a road, be it in the town or at certain sections of our roads. Sadly, zebra crossing is a highly …

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We need to introduce more festivals

Bhutan is known for many of rich and colorful festivals. Every Dzongkhag has its own Tshechu to celebrate and rejoice. And of course many tourists come to watch and experience many of these festivals. Today, in urban Bhutan, we perform mask dances to entertain tourists; I am not sure if …

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Honest Scooter

A few days ago I witnessed a disheartening incident at the Changlam square in Thimphu. There was a group of high school girls who hurriedly gathered along the pavement, craned their necks across the road and began laughing at something seemingly very funny. I got curious and walked a few …

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The Voice of Bhutanese Mothers

As I type these lines, I am watching a Bhutanese singing show: Drinchen Amai Sungkoed, the voice of Bhutanese mothers. Unlike the earlier Bhutanese reality shows, the current show engages Bhutanese women and is specifically aimed at developing their voice and personality. In Bhutan, the concept of women empowerment is …

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