A century of suppression
Unfortunate enough, despite Lhotsampas toiled for it, this month we are celebrating the centenary of the establishment of monarchy in Bhutan, as refugees here in Nepal. Proud to state, Bhutan’s monarchy would not have survived in present form had there been no cooperation from the southerners. Yet, it were they who faced the filthiest hatred from the regime.
December 17 completes a circle of Wangchuk dynasty ruling over the most isolated human settlement. Changes have been restricted, freedoms are torn and human-hood looted.
Lhotsampas prayed Kings were the reincarnation of the Lord Vishnu, but in reality it turned to be the demon that seized the virginity of Nepaliness. The voices for equality suppressed, the heads held high were chopped off and hands raised against brutality tied back. We did receive a whirling stone in response to banquet thrown.
The decent way towards sustainability and prestige has to go on. We have been shy to out mission yet we are not out of it.
During these hundred years, being suppressed, we lost many of our great leaders. The journey started with the murder of Garja Man Gurung in 1917. The murder of Gurung the then Paro Penlop still remains a mystery. Neither the rulers spoke of it, nor we searched the cause. The murder of Gurung is the beginning of the black days for Lhotsampas in this dragon kingdom.
Putting an end the Nepali rule in southern district, the Bhutanese regime of Wangchuk elite imported a moderator for us from India. To trace out, the Dorjis who have support the Ugyen Wangchuk in his mission for establishment of monarchy like we did, came from Kalimpong in India, received special privileges in royal family and ruled us for years. The last of powerful member of this family died last year – Lhendup Dorji who once had faced the fate like ours.
The Dorjis, who came from Nepali dominated Kalimpong maintained links with southerners. This was natural since they were specially mobilized to look after the administration of the southern district.
The Wangchuks did not like this to happen. Jigme Palden Dorji had maintained the relation of Mit (friend-in-law) with Mahasur Chhetri. Unscrupulous suspect of the Wangchuk regime Dorjis forging alliance with southerners against the Thimphu palace further dwindle the status of Lhotsampas.
During the early 1950s, we lost Chhetri, to whom we can term the bravest son that Lhotsampas even had. Enlightened personalities like D. B. Chhetri, D. B. Gurung had to flee the country in search of safer place for life. The attempt in 1950s was for equality, freedom, end of ill treatment and opening up the statement mercenaries for benefit of all Bhutanese. Yet, the regime assumed the nation has been the hereditary property and gift for them.
The exclusion of Lhotsampas was no merely an incident. The project was planned since the inception of monarchy in this nation. We have a popular idiom: kam paryo bhando, aaphal tero thando. It was only the Nepal, nearest nation, that had monarchy in power when Wangchuks assumed similar status in Bhutan. The Wangchuks thought it was important to maintain good relation with Lhotsampas to get positive nod from the Nepal monarchy for establishment of Wangchuk dynasty as hereditary line in Bhutan.
During this century, we have been swept twice. Still we have survived our hopes for justice. The first was in early 1950s when the regime cleared the southern districts. Thousands of Lhotsamps evicted during that time live in India. The demand for justice was responded with barbaric nature of the hill caste bhotes descended from the other side of Himalayan range – Tibet, the Bhot.
The second barbaric nature of Wangchuk dynasty, whose fourth descendant formulated the fallacies of Gross National Happiness, was unveiled in 1990 when he termed thousands of his loyal citizens as ‘terrorists’. The story started with a mere incident when then royal councilor Tek Nath Rizal reported the prevailing of rampant corruption in the bureaucracy.
Interestingly, the ULFA and BODO militants operating armed struggle against the Indian establishment were friendlier to the Wnagchuk dynasty compared to sentient villagers in the south.
In 1974 during his speech in Gelephu, the fourth monarch had said, ‘the people in the south are neither from Nepal nor from Kalimpong in India. They are the real Bhutanese.’ Within years he stated this, the plan for eviction was formulated. In a period of 15 years, the king interestingly termed these ‘real Bhutanese’ to be the economic migrants who entered Bhutan to grab the opportunities.
The pages are short to mention the stories of hindrances and challenges that we faced while transforming the Bhutan nation from isolation to modern one. The regime cannot repay the debt we clamped on him.
During this course, we have lost four imminent figures that we should continue to remember for their fight to equality. They are Garja Man gurung, Mahasur Chhetri, R. K. Budathoki and R. B. Basnet. The first two met their ends at the hands of tyrants. Budathoki killed with the conspiracy from Bhutan regime who feared his boldness to face any challenges for change in Bhutan. Basnet died in Kathmandu while continuing his struggle from exile. We remember these bold figures until Nepali community exist.
We toiled to unite the kingdom since Shabdurng Ngawnag Namgyal shoulder us with the responsibility in 1624. It was our ancestors and the Shabdrung who paved the way for establishment of Bhutan as an independent nation state. By the end of four centuries, the country has begun to split. Large section of the southern part was given to India in 1865 by Jigme Namgyal, father of Ugyen Wangchuk. The process continues till today. Recent reports revealed that plans are underway to chop off southern district to cede into India and large part in un-demarcated northern districts into China.
The presence of Chinese influence in Bhutan was shocking for India who took unexpected initiatives in recent months to express its dissatisfaction over the decision of the Bhutanese regime to allow China enter the Bhutanese territory.
The story might not end, but to end up this write up, what we must confess now is not to let the regime take another opportunity to play with our life and dignity, not to let the regime fulfill its political interest by selling land to India and China. The struggle for justice should continue, with hope that the day will come when we receive the relief.