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.
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