GREENER PASTURE ISN'T THAT GREEN

What do they have in remote far flung villages in Bhutan?  They neither have road connectivity nor do they have electricity, which of course people say they can’t live without it. The dreary day begins waking up before the first crowing of cock, prepares the breakfast on smoky sooty firewood hungry oven. Had to hurry up so that before the sun swallows the misty mountains of west, she knows she needs to be in field where weeds are competing with the seed that she had sown in early spring.

What does she want? She wants to live a life like any other women in town and cities, where there is little household chores to attend. Sleep in comfortable thick mattress and wear clean attractive fancy clothes. She wants her clothes to be taken care by the washing machines and have latest technological gadgets to watch movies and listen to songs.

That is when our girls fall victims to the educated civil service and even to a simple driver, who happen to be in villages. These educated obnoxious officers (but few!) take advantages of credulous uneducated girls with false promises. They believe that they will fulfill their dreams to get in greener pasture only through such approach. Otherwise they will be in place where they are destined to. At the end of the day many has unfortunate stories although they had a plausible reason for their actions. Many of these officers never return after the study tour make her life more miserable than before.

The roaring rusty truck was on its wheel towards Pema Gatshel to have the share of the gypsum. The driver of early 40’s was kind enough to give me lift up to Shakpashing for my journey towards Orong. “Returning to home?” I inquired to a girl who was in the cabin with the driver. We introduced and begin our conversation while trucker swirling the trunk left and left to avoid the pot holes on the high way. She was one such victim. “He was at our village for the land survey three years ago.”  He left her promising he will come back for. Later she got to know that, that particular person was a father of two. All she could do was to blame herself for her mistake. Lucky for her, she is married to a driver and lives a happy life.  

Babysitting for working parents becomes alternative options. Some even drop out from the schools, so that she can live in town babysitting. Many become unfortunate, some beaten up for broken glass while others scolded with indigestible filthy words for spilled tea. Their grief are exacerbate when sexually harassed by their own employee. Some cases reported while many others hide in their heart. She has to live because she doesn’t want to go back to languishing home with shame.

Our farsighted monarch wanted every child to have a basic education. With establishment of schools now almost all child are enrolled in school availing the basic education. After completing the basic education, every student in forced to stay in Capital city with the dream of having a decent job. There are no jobs in job market, there are thousands and thousand other, and the competition become stiff, and loses all hopes and dreams. But need to move the live on.

When the opportunities seems bleak, because of the escalating prices of commodities, house rent shooting over the roof they resort to the drugs and other juvenile delinquencies even to the extent of prostitution (like in  Paro incidents).

Our government wants to be self reliant, wants to grow our own vegetables rather than importing from India. Looking back in villages, we see all aged decrepit parents and disabled one, the strong and younger generations in towns reading newspapers every day looking for vacancies. Many fields remain barren because there is no labor force. Who will produce those vegetables?

  All in all, every problem can be solved given little development in rural villages. At least if they have the basic amenities like roads, electricity, irrigation channels etc.