Skip to main content

A Community like No other

‘If Community literally means all about the bond, cohesion and friendship among the people living in it, Lobneykha Community is undeniably an exemplary one. It is more than a conventional community, a community with so much social cohesion and closely knitted people.

Lobneykha community under Chapcha Geog in Chukha Dzongkhag is very much renowned in the country for the strong union within the community members. The people in the community share a common believe that they belong to ‘Lobneykha set’ and they do anything but for the interest of the village. The clustered houses built attached to each other are the unspoken symbol of their attachment to each other.

The village rests on the lap of a mountain facing the Wangchu River. The community composes of 81 households and grows mainly potatoes, Chillies and beans to sustain themselves. The community is fed by 4.7kms community road which connects to the Thimphu – Phuntsholing national highway.

The incredible part that makes the community like no other community in Bhutan is that the people in the community value the respect of equality, oneness and making available each other during the time of sickness, problem encounter and in needy hours. They share so much understanding on the ‘rule of one’ in the village that if they develop, all must equally reap the benefit.

The 4.7 kms community road which benefits them immensely is constructed way back in 80s with all the efforts shared among the community members. They had very limited supports from other government and organizations. This speaks in itself about the strong sense of community belonging they share.

Lobneykha community is also the first and ever community in Chukha Dzongkhag to come forth with proposal to establish the community forest, which demands for lots of time and willingness to do so from the beneficiaries. With unwavering interest from the community, establishing one was not a problem at all.

The fact here also depicts enough about how much cooperative they are. It is said that the people in Lobneykha do not have to own bulls for draught power. Whenever it is time to plough their field, anyone can catch hold of any bull to serve the purpose. During the annual Puja, every household must present. Unless, the absentees have a genuine reason, he/she is fined Nu. 100/- per day. If the person in community becomes a social nuisance by involving in drudgery and does anything unacceptable by other, he/she is given no place to stay in Lobneykha. The community is governed by the set of unframed law, which is always safe with the people and every people are expected to strictly adhere the unwritten rule. Beside these, there are many other community benefiting initiatives, which I could not record here.

The government and the other agencies can always take advantage of such community in carrying out the activities demanding for intense support from people. The community has many other potential that can without any doubt benefit themselves. We can rarely find such community and when we find one, we can never be complacent.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My New Found Love: - What shall thy name be???

I count myself lucky having met her one sunny day near the place I presently stay. I purely attribute it to the destiny or the fate we shared since it was the invisible string of love and passion that brought us together. None would dare to agree to believe me that she just decided to stay with me midway in Chukha in her journey to Thimphu, having consulted neither her parents nor anyone who took her care. So bold she is, is she? If ever I have been waiting for the fresh love, it was she who would give me the correct doze. "Lucky girl she is!" We have now developed so much of attachment that we can hardly think of time away from each other. We love each other so much that we eat together in same plate, sleep in one bed, go for evening walk and literally do everything together. What love is this if it is not one genuine one? The time I have to be in office is the time I miss her most while she stay at home, sleeping all day till I return home. Lucky girl she is! She eats th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cypress Surprise

It’s said that every cypress tree in Bhutan tells a tale. And indeed each one has a story. It just takes going around asking about the tree to unveil it. Besides being the national tree of Bhutan the cypress is associated with diverse myths and beliefs. Every grain of the cypress tree seen majestically towering over the dzongs, temples and stupas is imbued with intricate stories. Such stories are the greatest surprise surrounding the cypress. The two formidable trees at Baylangdra in Wangdue and at Kurjey in Bumthang are no exception to this. Their origin can be traced to the walking stick of the great Indian saint who visited Bhutan in 8th century. When such trees are planted, they’re done to serve as the ‘standing proof’ of the flourishing dharma. Often it is said that the trees will grow only if there is a prophecy that Buddhism will exist without waning. The trees cater to the locality as symbol of worship and blessings. The giant cypress tree growing near the Kurjey Lhakahng is ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the National Butterfly of Bhutan?

Ludlow's Bhutan Glory (Ludlowii bhutanitis) to be designated as the national Butterfly What is the National Butterfly of Bhutan? We do not have one yet. But we may have one soon. The rediscovered Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail (Bhutanitis ludlowi) may become the national butterfly of Bhutan. "The research and the filming of this project will be carried out in partnership" The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed this morning between Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) under Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF) and Japanese researchers and film crew from NHK and The Butterfly Society of Japan will take up comprehensive research and filming on Bhutan’s Butterflies with special emphasis on Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail. The research and the filming of this project will be carried out in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) and Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE) as the national counterpart. “While w...
Post a Comment
Read more