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Kathmandu Friday April 20, 2001 Baishakh 07, 2058.
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Discordant note
This is with reference to the article entitled “Bhutanese refugees :
Victims of circumstances” by Birendra Dhakal (April 17, 2001, TKP). Dhakal
seems to have detailed the chronology of Lhotshampa evictions, starting from Dalfam and
sweeping across the country through Sarbhang, Chirag and Dagana districts. He also
mentioned that Lamidara (which happens to be his native village) alone seems to have
produced people worth the salt. Somehow, this trumpet sounds little discordant and a
subtle fine-tuning is necessary. Dhakal seems to have been stuck with a bout of amnesia
while mentioning the deeds of “ politically conscious” villagers, about his own
brother Padam Lala Dhakal, who by coincidence happened to be the village headman (Mondal)
of Lamidara when the so-called voluntary migration was initiated. He also seems to have
very conveniently forgotten the other incidents (may be it is not right to detail them
now!), that has the politically conscious Lamidara villagers still seething in suppressed
anger.
He has also somehow seemed to have forgotten that the man, who evicted the
largest number of people in Bhutan, Dr Sonam Tenzin the then Sarbhang district
administrator, is currently the JVT team leader ascertaining the status of Bhutanese
refugees in the camps.
Dhakal mentioned many important facts and truths, but the
pseudo-amity and personal amnesia may not really help promote sympathy or raise the
social standing and help the efforts to neutralize other things so far swept under the
carpet.
B Bandeydah
Birtamod, Jhapa |
