Teacher: The Restricted Species

This vacation I have had the privileged of travelling different places and sharing my winter with variety of teachers at the expense of government. I had written program for what was to happen in the classroom and I have even written the report on what happen in last fifty days and how I used up nearly a million ngultrum that spent some nights in my bank account.
However the best part of the show wasn't these rigid official stuffs, they were but the joy of reunion of long lost friends, excitement of meeting new people whom I wish I had met ages ago, the jokes we crack over tea and lunch and the hope and promise of meeting again.
Today I said good bye and received generous acknowledgement from the last batch of teachers. And as I shut down the last computer in Punakha I stopped to reflect on the winter vacation that I didn't have, and from among infinite memories something stood out quite firmly which made me laugh. It's something about the change in human behavior after one becomes teacher, of course it's just my personal theory based on my crazy observations this cold season, that most teachers are fond of tobacco and alcohol.
These two intoxicating substances are the plots of all stories that teachers talk about. It's amazing how many hands come forward at the sight Baba khaini or cigeratte, and how promptly everybody joins you in a bar late in the evening. It's not even surprising to smell strong alcoholic breath from teachers' early in the morning. If you don't drink, and if you don't even smoke or chew tobacco then you are considered a saint or an abnormal teacher.
While I enjoyed the same bloodline I couldn't help wondering why we became so even after knowing all the ill effects in the world. I curiously asked a few of them, some say it's because of the huge population of teachers while I found more substance in the second reason we found- that these stuffs are forbidden fruits for teachers and the human inside us overtook the teacher in us. We are the restricted species among the humankind and therefore we are rampaging into our freedom.

Amend the Tobacco Act (not repeal)

I don't smoke but I am still concerned. Tobacco Act does not go well with our country's image. And most importantly it doesn't represent the will of people, which it should have. Everybody is talking about it now and many are swearing on the government. But I wonder who is more concern about Bhutan than our Prime Minister. He sounded upset about the Facebook group and many comments people made, and he has the right to be. What he wants is not silence but the right approach. He wants people to talk to their representatives. While it is possible to do that, it could be difficult to reach them. 


Here is a easier way out! Sign the online Petition: Repeal the Tobacco Act. Read the letter, and if you agree then give your name and email address and click on sign. Comment is not necessary but if you have something to say make it formal and decent since it is going to be submitted to the government. This is the right and peaceful way and there is nothing to worry about.

Form will look like this! I have signed, You?

Country of many Bans

One question that kept bothering me: why did Bhutan ban tobacco? A smoking man doesn't sleep on the road. A smoking man doesn't assault his wife and children. A smoking man doesn't shout in the crowd and pee in his pants. A drunken man does. Why alcohol is not banned? Is it because we are a Buddhist county? Perhaps! But didn't we agree that our politics will be free of religious influence?

BBS Picture of Burning 2.4 M worth of Tobacco

World would be amazed to know that Bhutan has burnt million worth of tobacco. Some tourist would think Bhutan is so rich but many know that Bhutan survives on countless foreign loans and grants. Then they would wonder why we are acting foolish, Bhutan has banned tobacco but India didn't, it all came from India and we could easily sell it back and generate some funds to put some street lamps along Lungtenzampa Bridge.

Business Bhutan Picture 

National assembly wants to create the record of one ban each year and this time it's drayang. Social disharmony is taken hostage. The problem is not with the drayangs, it is with indecent men. And for such men it need not necessarily be drayang, they do it onto waitress in the hotels, doma sellers in bus stations, office colleagues and assistances, vegetable sellers, passengers sitting on the side and any girls walking along. Should we then go on banning Hotels, Offices, Vegetable Markets, Taxis and Buses? Or the better alternative is to ban women from coming out in public.

And the funniest part is Labour Minister's Promise of employing the girls. What about the boys? What about the fate of the businessmen who had invested everything on this business. Perhaps he should have given a minister's thought before making his first parliament promise, now he has hundreds of questions to answer on various forums and blogs as to what are his promises for the thousands of jobless youth.

Yangthang behind the bars

Yangthang

Next year when governments implements the tobacco law, which roughly says that any tobacco user without the permit will be sentenced to jail, my village Yangthang will be behind the bars. Since any jail will be small to fit in over 50 households I think it would be wise to construct walls around my village because only in one of the homes tobacco is not used.

I tried to figure out how my entire village got addicted to tobacco; my theory was that it could have been influenced by Indian army base in Ha but old folks told me that tobacco was there even before IMTART came in. While it has a long history, today tobacco play an important role in the performance of my village workforce. They claim that they can't work without it. Some say they lose temper very quickly when they run short of stock. There are some who lose their mind without it.

The recent ban on tobacco has changed nothing in my village, they only had to pay higher but they are supplied somehow. And in my opinion these people, if not helped, will suffer if the law comes into act. Their income may not be enough to buy them the taxed tobacco and therefore resort to black marketing which will land the entire village behind the bar.