A boy on his educational expedition bid adieu to the village which remained stricken by the extreme poverty, away from all developmental facilities. Going back to the same village after ten years, he remains flabbergasted of the transformational path the village has trodden towards His Majesty’s noble vision of Gross National Happiness.
Sangay completed his primary schooling in early 80’s at his own village, Goshing, the name of a hamlet that has never stretched out its skirt. The hamlet remained as an isolated and secluded community with its people existing in harmony with nature. They survived with what a nature has to proffer them in terms of varied wild foods, fodder, fiber, firewood and many others.
On his journey from hamlet for his higher education at metropolitan, he turned to make a final stare from a vantage point that offers a sweeping view of his village. He could see how much developments it lacked. With no road network, electricity, cable and cars, it looked more like a deserted hamlet. He could coherently make out few scattered houses with smokes emanating, possibly preparing their breakfast. The houses were decrepit and ramshackle made of bamboo and thatched with banana leaves and wild grass that is usually preferred. The houses he knew were bare enough to shield them from sweltering heat of the sun and the incessant summer downpour.
The farmers cultivated orthodox crops in the tseri (shifting cultivation) and reared unproductive livestock. They went for the slapdash harvesting of the forest produce and sustainability was a word they never heard of. They felt that the forest is a never depleting resource.
A small number of children, perhaps those providential one went to a community school on the ground that it contradicts or never compromises with acute helping hand in the farm. A lone teacher struggled to make the education as meaningful as in town. And if Sangay is on his way higher up the education ladder, the lone teacher deserves all the credits. His parent has refused to enroll him saying he is too good to look after cattle herd and without him the cattle would diminish. But the teacher was consistent and adamant and finally succeeded in getting the boy admitted in school.
The local ‘Tsip’ and ‘Pow’ rendered instantaneous and hands-on remedies to different ailments of the community. More than the medicine, although the Basic Health Unit of the village provided all helps and medications, they trusted more of these local healers. They have to say that they have seen these local healers do more help than the BHU.
The people walked barefooted in their homes and on their dusty trails. On the narrow trail that he is using for his journey to urban areas, he could see it crammed with lots of gigantic and flattened barefoot prints. He thought this is an indication that people are all poor without even money for the pair of footwear.
Exactly ten years afterwards, he returned to the place he was born but for a short sojourn. From his school in Sherubtse, he was sent for the vacation. And instead of staying with his uncle in Thimphu, he thought of going back to see what has happened with the village he left a decade ago.
On his return journey, he surveyed the same hamlet now a sole geog from the same imposing ridge of ten years before. He was bowled over witnessing the sweeping changes that my village has gone through. He could see that the development has started slowly seeping in. The figure of the houses has doubled and greater numbers were two storied stone houses. The shinning galvanized tin roofs from almost every house in the clear scorching sun momentarily blinded him. On the path as it is now with much wider dimension, the barefoot prints were surrogated with the prints of slippers and shoes. The close scrutiny revealed few of sneaker prints and Kito lady slippers.
Resuming his journey he encountered with a huge building and the signboard read ‘Renewal Natural Recourses Extension Centre, Goshing geog’. He also met with Gup elected as per the decentralization policy of the Royal Government of Bhutan. This convinced him that the inevitable changes have surely seeped into his village.
Ap Dendup, who he met on his way home upon enquiry said, “things have definitely changed for better in your absence. There are more houses sprouted with better shape, size and model”. He went on to tell, “People now rear no more unproductive cattle and showing interest in natural resource management”.
Ap Dendup continued that the health of the population has also drastically enhanced with establishment of better health facilities and people now rarely turn up to the local oracles for their treatment. He also shared with him the news that the Community school has been upgraded to primary school offering education upto grade six and two of his lovely younger sisters are studying following his steps.
Back at his home, his mother served him a hot steaming Suja and the rice with Paag in the imported plates of Dhaka. His mother offered him tea instead of locally brewed whisky which was their tradition of serving the guest. After listening to long story of how the village has developed, he retreated to the bed. To his astonishment, he found an pricy and imported quilts and the equally thicker mattress to soothe him. Under thick blanket of night, he hardly felt the fatigue of long hours walk.
That night, sleep eluded him and he could hardly believe the transformation of the village. He kept on comparing them with how he left it ten years ago. Round and round, it took him no where than to the realization that people are much happier now. People wore better clothes and ate better food under the roof of stronger and bigger home. The noble vision of His Majesty’s Gross National Happiness is not far away, he closed his eyes surrendering to the balm of the night.
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