The Bhutanese Leading the way.
On 15 October at around 10.30 am in the morning, the Damphu Municipality cut the drinking water supply to a building in Damphu town, Tsirang on the instructions of the Dzongda who is also the Chairperson of the Municipality.
The water was cut for two reasons, as detailed out in two letters sent by the Dzongda to the building owner Rajen Tamang, 48, on 8 October 2024.
In the first letter, the Dzongda said that Rajen had been summoned by the Dzongkhag Administration on 11 July 2023 and adequately reminded of the consequence of organizing unauthorized public gathering in the building.
The letter states, “In spite of this about two weeks ago it has come to the notice of this administration on public gathering being organized in your building.”
The Dzongda then goes on to cite the Local Government Act saying it is the responsibility of the Dzongda to maintain law and order, and also peace, harmony and unity within the Dzongkhag, and so public gatherings is not allowed unless approved.
It says that failure to abide by the above will mean being dealt by the existing law of the nation.
The second letter sent on the same day said that the basement of the building was approved to be operated as a karaoke, but the municipality office noticed it has been used for mass gatherings during Sundays. It says the space should be used for the intended purpose.
The letter says that failure to abide by the notification will result in disconnection of municipal services like water and electricity supply to the whole building.
Both the letters above have taken care to not specify the type of gathering, but according to Rajen Tamang it is a religious gathering led by him every Sunday.
He wrote back to the Dzongda on 11 October saying that the gatherings in his residence is in line with the Constitutional right to freedom of religion under Article 7 section 4.
He wrote saying that these gatherings are private, peaceful and held in accordance with their faith practices, not posing a threat to public safety or order.
Rajen said that he then continued to have the religious gathering of around 30 people on Sunday, 13 October.
Two days later, the municipal team came in and cut the water supply to his building.
Rajen said that the cutting of the water supply, which remained cut even as of Friday evening, has impacted his family staying in one apartment, and his tenants who consist of 10 families staying in 10 apartments and another 6 shops in the building. He said the families, which include two pregnant women, are being forced to fetch water in buckets from neighbors.
Rajen said that when the Dzongda had given him the warning in July, he had requested to apply to the Dzongda for approval, but he said the Dzongda told him that since his religion is not registered officially in Bhutan, he is not authorized to give approval.
He pointed out that his Sunday religious gatherings which can vary from 40 to 50 people is not done outside but inside the Karaoke, and that too for only two hours.
He said in the evenings the Karaoke is still used as a Karaoke.
The building, which was completed recently, has a loan of Nu 19 million, and Rajen said the cutting off of the water supply can lead to his tenants vacating the building.
This is not the first issue with the municipality, as it had fined him Nu 100,000 for building an 80 cm height wall to prevent water from the nearby vacant plots from coming into his basement area. He had to destroy the small wall, which the municipality said was built without permission.
Dzongda Sonam said that water had been cut off as the Occupancy Certificate given for the basement was only as a karaoke and not any other reason. He also said that any mass gathering needs approval, which was not sought.
The Dzongda said that even when other religious groups, like Buddhists and Hindus want to have large gatherings, they seek approval first from the Dzongkhag.
While the Dzongda stuck to his two official letters and reasons, the real reason why such strong action is being taken seems to be a bit different.
According to a source, there is concern within the Dzongkhag Administration in Tsirang that the particular religion professed by Rajen is spreading rapidly in Tsirang with a lot of conversions happening.
While Article 7 section 4 does permit freedom of religion, the same section also says, ‘No person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means or coercion or inducement.’
The source said the suspicion in the Dzongkhag Administration is that Rajen is involved in conversions using inducement as he is seen all over the place.
When this allegation was put to Rajen, he denied taking part in any conversions and he said he is only serving the existing community who comes to him. He said he moves around when there are weddings and deaths in the community, and not for conversion.
The Dzongkhag Administration does not have evidence of Rajen taking part in conversions using inducement.
Rajen went to see the Dzongda on Tuesday, but he had gone on a field visit and so he met him on Wednesday. Rajen said the Dzongda told him the water will be connected to the building only once Rajen agrees to not have such gatherings every Sunday.
Rajen, on his part, told the Dzongda that he will continue to have his religious gathering and so the matter has entered a stalemate of sorts.
This paper found that the action taken by the Dzongda is his very own initiative and there were no departmental, ministerial or government directions given to him from Thimphu.
The issue, on one hand, is the basic freedom of religion granted under the Constitution versus the approval needed for mass gathering, and also municipal laws on use of a structure.
At another level, the issue is also the fear of the Dzongkhag Administration of the alleged spread of a certain religion through inducements in Tsirang, and how the same section of the Constitution does not allow conversions through inducements.
This is also in the larger context of such religious gatherings happening informally in multiple locations across the country, including in Thimphu, every Sunday, and how they can happen without any issues, but how it has become an issue in Tsirang.
It may not be wise to leave this matter only at the Dzongkhag-level, and the government may have to step in and find out and clarify the issue for all sides.
