यो वर्षको झकास पुरस्कार भारतीय साहित्यकार राईलाई

पुरस्कार ग्रहर्ण गर्दै साहित्यकार राई (सौजन्य: प्रकाश आङ्दाम्बे)

साहित्यप्रेमी भूटानी युवाहरूबाट गठित झकास समूहले वार्षिक रूपमा प्रदान गर्दै आएको यो वर्षको ‘झकास अन्तराष्ट्रिय पुरस्कार’ भारतीय साहित्यकार विमल राईलाई प्रदान गरेको छ ।

पुरस्कार गत आइतबार झापाको दमकमा आयोजना गरिएको एउटा कार्यक्रममाझ साहित्यकार गणेश रसिक, संगीतकार मणीकमल क्षेत्री र गीतकार एलपी जोसीबाट संयुक्त रूपमा साहित्यकार राईलाई प्रदान गरिएको हो ।

ताम्रपत्र र १६ हजार रूपैयाँको सो पुरस्कार सन् २०१० बाट झकास समूहले प्रदान गर्दै आएको छ । उक्त पुरस्कारबाट साहित्यकारहरू याम थुलुङ र प्रकाश आङ्दाम्वे क्रमश सन् २०१० र २०११ मा सम्मानित भइसकेका छन् ।
“तपाईहरूको माया मात्र भए पुग्छ, मलाई नगद रकमको कुनै आवश्यकता छैन,” भन्दै राईले आफूले पाएको १६ हजार रूपैयाँ सृजनशील कामका लागि झकास समूहलाई नै फिर्ता गरेका थिए ।

Source:BNS.com

Fourth Issue of TRH published

Fourth Issue of The Refugee Herald(TRH) published last Wednesday.

As per the Editorial Team of TRH, they are regretted to publish fourth issue after dateline but also they achieve more demands of paper this month.

The Adobe Portable Document Format(PDF) of the newspaper will be out in internet only after few days, informed source.

Forgery-accused youth faces severe torture in custody

Nepal police have severely tortured a refugee youth who is apprehended for his alleged involvement in obtaining Nepali citizenship and Machine Readable Passport (MRP) illegally, revealed his family sources and the Center for Victims of Torture (CVICT).

The family sources of one “J. Subba, in his 20s,” disclosed on Saturday that security personnel tried various forms of physical techniques to torture him in police custody. Citing the nature and sensitivity of the news, BNS can neither mention the full name of Subba nor can it publish his image.

According to a petition circulated by the Punya Foundation, Subba was inflicted with severe forms of tortures, including the technique of hooding. Following an alert, a team including legal expert from the CVICT visited Subba in police custody last week, it is learnt.

“CVICT lawyer reports Subba as saying that police in civil dresses slapped him on his face 10-12 times. Further, Subba was randomly beaten with a baton and kicked. He is subjected to falanga-torture, as a consequence of which, he has difficulty to walk,” stated the petition.

Again women begins hunger strike

Women in strike with charts.

Bhutanese women who have been fighting for refugee status since long time again started the hunger strike from last Tuesday morning accusing the government of Nepal to listen their demands.

Even they staged 12 days fasting to death in last November.

Strikers' demand chart paper.

A group of six women led by Durga Devi Bista kick-started hunger strike including other strikers Ira Maya Khatri, Chandra Maya Khadka, Renuka Mongar, Tulasha Dhakal and Parbati Chouhan.

Their demands are registration and refugee status, informed coordinator Bista.

An American volunteer releases ‘The Journey Home’

An American volunteer serving resettled refugees in Cincinnati, Ohio has released a book named ‘The Journey Home’ conducting a photo exhibition depicting Bhutanese and refugees from Burundi.

The book authored by Sheryl Rajbhandari contains stories narrated by resettled Bhutanese.

Book’s hard-copies are available for sell at blurb.com which has been priced US $ 19.95.

According to the source, the author and her Nepalese-American husband, Amsu Rajbhandari, were rewarded as ‘citizen of the year’ in 2009 from Wyoming for their outstanding contribution towards the resettling refugees in Ohio.

Nepal to allow urban refugees to resettle

Nepal

After a long wait, the Government of Nepal has finally decided to issue exit permit for “urban refugees”, other than Tibetan and Bhutanese, to resettle in various western countries.

Prior to this development, Nepal was issuing exit permits to just Bhutanese and Tibetan refugees. Some 60,000 Bhutanese in exile have already resettled in different eight countries in the west after getting such documents.

Senior government officials said the Minister of Home Affairs has sought the consent of the finance ministry to waive visa fees and penalty slapped on urban refugees, who have already received acceptance letters from host countries for resettlement, reports the Republica daily from Kathmandu, Monday.

“We have decided to allow their resettlement as prolonging their stay in Nepal would only complicate matters,” said the Ministry’s Spokesperson for Shankar Koirala.

Electricity still banned in refugee camps

By: HK Dahal

Since there is no any written international law to prohibit refugees to get access of electricity, but also Bhutanese refugees in Beldangi are totally prohibited to get access of such infrastructure of development.

As exiled Bhutanese students are studying in school that for appropriate development there should be the adequate Education, health, transportation, communication and electricity facilities. Slightly our exiled Bhutanese people are getting access of education, health, communication, transportation but mainly electricity is totally prohibited here in camp. No Bhutanese knows what is the main reason behind that.

Before some months, hardly exiled Bhutanese connected electricity from host community but within few months Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) of Damak disconnected and seized all the connecting cables and meter box forcefully.
As exiled Bhutanese were not using it in free, they used to pay Rs.20 per Unit as local consumers only pay Rs.9 per Unit. Last time local consumers had collected Rs.5000 from each exiled Bhutanese consumers, which they haven’t returned till now.

Mainly the lack of electricity, exiled Bhutanese students are forced to study in dark at night in absence of proper light as there is no any other light facilities.

Fire safety awareness rally(Photo Collection)

An  awareness rally on fire safety was organized on the inauguration day of Eastern Regional Volleyball Tournament. Dozens from camp school, camp management committee, representatives from various agencies, children forum and Armed Police Force (APF), among others took part in a rally held to inform the exiled community about safety measures of fire and its disasters.

Eastern Regional Football Tournament begins

The Eastern Regional Football Tournament started from Tuesday in Bhutanese refugee camp Beldangi.

The tournament is ongoing under the joint effort of the Fans Club of Bhutanese refugees and Pravat Kiran Yuba Club of Damak-5.

According to the organizers, tournament will last until April 10 and the winners will be awarded with cash prizes of NRs. 15,000 and 10,000 respectively.

Two matches have been held on daily basis, as altogether 12 teams are participating in the tournament, informed organizer Yuba Raj Sampang.

An  awareness rally on fire safety was organized on the inauguration day. Dozens from camp school, camp management committee, representatives from various agencies, children forum and Armed Police Force (APF), among others took part in a rally held to inform the exiled community about safety measures of fire and its disasters.

Again alive after death

We all know that we can’t live after once we die. But one Chinese woman challenged this natural rule. 95 years old, Jeufeng of Guangji region of china again alive after six days of death.

सबैलाई थाहा छ, मरेपछि बाँचिँदैन । तर यो यथार्थलाई चीनकी एक महिलाले चुनौति दिएकी छिन् । चीनको गुआंग्जी प्रान्तकी ९५ वर्षीया जिउफेंग नामकी महिला मरेको ६ दिनपछि बिउँतिएकी छिन् । सुन्दा कसैले पनि नपत्याउने घटनाबाट सुन्नेहरु त अचम्ममा परे नै मरेपछि पनि बाँच्ने ती महिलाका पति र आफन्तहरु पनि तिनछक परेका छन् ।

केही दिनपहिले टाउकोमा चोट लागेपछि उनको मृत्यु भएको थियो । श्रीमतीको मृत्यु भएपछि उनका श्रीमान किंग वैंगले जिउफेंगको अन्तिम संस्कारको तयारी थालेका थिए । चिनिया परम्परा अनुसार मरेको केही दिनसम्म आफन्तहरुको लागि श्रद्धान्जीली दिन लासलाई घरमै राख्ने चलन छ ।

आफन्तलाई अन्तिम दर्शन गराउन जिउफिंगको शवलाई पनि काठको बाकमा राखिएको थियो । तर छैटौँ दिन जब किंग वैंगले श्रीमतीको शव भएको बाकस खाली देखे तब उनी झसंग भए । शव कसैले चोर्यो भन्ने उनलाई लाग्यो । तर ६ दिनअघि मरिसकेकी र अन्तिम संस्कारको तयारी भैरहेकी श्रीमतीलाई जब अकस्मात् उनले भान्सामा खाना बनाइरहेको देखे तब उनलाई सुरुमा त भुत हो की भन्ने लाग्यो । तर अन्तिममा भने ती महिला भुत नभएर साँच्चीकै उनकी श्रीमती नै थिइन् जो बिउँतिएर काठको मुर्दा बाकसबाठ उठेर भान्सामा पुगेकी थिइन् ।

डाक्टरहरुले यस्तो अवस्थालाई कृत्रिम मृत्यु भनेका छन् । यस्तो कृत्रिम मृत्युको अवस्थामा मान्छेको सास रोकिने तर शरीर तातै हुने गर्छ । ती महिलाको पनि सास रोकिएको देखेर उनी मरेको सम्जिएर उनलाई अन्तिम संस्कार गर्न लागिएको थियो । तर पछि उनको फोक्सोले काम गरेपछि उनी उठेको हुनसक्ने चिकित्सकहरुको भनाइ छ ।

Lesson for Lovebirds

The recent suicide of a nursing student in Southern Tasmania has triggered emotions of varied natures amongst resettling lovebirds. The first lesson for all teenagers and adult lovebirds is to be serious in relationship and get resettled in the same country. Reportedly “betrayed” by her boyfriend, who is now in US, 22-year-old Hari Thapa killed herself by hanging in her own room, bringing a most tragic moment in her family. The last video post in her Facebook profile page clearly indicates that there was something wrong between the lovebirds for quite a longtime – may be an issue of marriage.

While attending several interviews at the UNHCR and IOM, resettling refugees have been asked to furnish their all sorts of details including the marital status or relationship with a partner, if any. In a society like ours, girls hesitate to open themselves up. This is why Hari was resettled in Australia without knowing that the guy she loved more than herself was moving with a heavy heart to the United States!

However, the ill-fate could have been avoided had there been enough seriousness towards their relationship from the beginning and by making parents of both the families informed about their longtime affair.

In a true relationship, no word like ‘betray’ exists. Every situation should be beneficial for both the partners. And, no parents will appear as barriers in between when a teenager is very much serious and cautious while adopting someone of the opposite sex as a lifetime partner. Instead, they’ll encourage. If your lifelong partner is resettling in a different country, hurry up to sit with your parents and inform about your relationship. Probably, no officials at UNHCR or IOM will stand against your decision if you do not fall within the legal age bar.

(This is an Editorial column adopted from the Bhutanese refugee based newspaper “The Refugee Herald” Third Edition.)

Third edition of TRH published

Front view of third edition

The third edition of Bhutanese refugee based English newspaper “The Refugee Herald” (TRH) is published and circulating in camp.

If you want to read this newspaper online click here to download.

The first edition of TRH is published on 14 January, under the private circulation of Bhutanese refugee students under parenting of Chief Editor: Vidhyapati Mishra and Managing Editor: Mona Rath Pokhrel.

TRH is one and only English newspaper left that is alive in Bhutanese refugee camp.

Over 5,000 people resettled in lands owned by exiled citizens

Altogether 5,088 people from various other districts have been resettled in farms and lands, which were previously owned by Southern Bhutanese in exile, between 1997 and 2008.

Of this, Samtse suffered the largest resettlement as the National Land Commission (NLC) offered lands to 2,194 individuals, offering five acres of land for each resettled.

Likewise, 1,585 people were offered lands in Sarpang followed by 859 persons in Tshirang. Dagana received the least number of 450 resettlers, according to NLC.

The resettlers are mostly Sarchops from the East. However, the Commission has issued lands to landless citizens from other parts of the country as well.

Meanwhile, the Commission last week notified all resettlers that if they failed to occupy or cultivate the allotted land it would not be registered.

It has also warned of nullifying the registration of those who have stopped cultivating the farms offered to them.