An update with a THANK YOU note

I started off writing this blog not very confident about what I would write about. And as I did, a few comments and feedback and many others who came to read what I had written about, encouraged me to write more. So thank you all, for having supported me.

I had toiled with the idea of getting a domain name of my own and I finally have one. I will now be shifting my writings from here to www.sangaykhandu.com I hope those of you who have and continue to, will continue encouraging me by visiting me there.

I also want to thank ‘WordPress’ group for this wonderful platform where we continue to grow each day through our writings. Thank you, it’s been a wonderful experience in here.

See you all the other side.

www.sangaykhandu.com

Social Media Conference – the 1st in Bhutan

 

I am not going to try to start this by explaining what social media is, there is plenty of it on the internet. But what I would like to focus on the ironic paradoxes we hold about privacy in the later paragraphs.

Bhutan has had no study on social networking sites but it may have 33,340 Facebook users, age 18 and above who live in Bhutan according to Facebook statistics and a Google search leads one to a number up to 37,180 Facebook users from Bhutan, which equals to 74 percent of internet users in Bhutan via kuensel.

Day 1 of the 1st conference on social media in Bhutan (capital Thimphu) organized by the Bhutan Centre for Media & Democracy (BCMD) ended with each participant creating accounts on ‘Facebook’ and ‘twitter’ social networking sites. The conference saw presentations on social media and experiences by the two resources persons & students followed by question & answer.

Candid account of experiences gave participants enough reasons to get worried about the ‘negative’ impact social media may have for our young ones. Instances shared during the conference ended with ‘cousins’ being embarrassed on meeting for date. In another one we learnt of a much older woman talking to a young boy as a result of interaction on social media. These are not bad in themselves but one is easily reminded of how vulnerable our young ones can be in being tricked into doing things they may not understand at that moment. This may sound a little far-fetched but there have been instances of adults using social networking sites to lure victims (children). Add to that peer pressure of increasing ‘friends’ on social networking sites, our children have as ‘friends’ complete strangers with sometimes no way for them to know if these are genuinely good people, making them sitting ducks. This is not limited to children, it’s quite visible even with young girls. What may have started out as remaining in touch with real friends and making new friends soon turns into a race for increasing friends or sometimes even ‘flirting’ as some mentioned at the discussion. These are worrying signs and unless we address it, our worries about our children will only multiply. It’s just gotten so much easier now to connect. Ofcourse I am not contesting the benefits social networking sites and social media as a whole may bring to society and particularly to our young ones, but it is critical to understand and be aware of the downsides too.

Social media education, I feel, has become more crucial than ever. Mobile phones and phones with internet connectivity makes it even more crucial. Young children these days carry a host of gadgets that are all increasingly moving towards the internet platform, as simple as mobile phones and video game gadgets. How they balance time is anther pivotal issue in addition to privacy  risks. Parents and guardians need to be sensitized on it to make sure there are proper guidance. Educating our young ones is vital and efforts have begun which is good to know with the first media literacy event organized an earlier this year.

Most people get very suspicious when one starts to talk about privacy and rightly so. Risking personal information is not a simple matter and it is understandable. My focus in here is on social networking sites and when most of us are ‘Facebooking’ or ‘tweeting’ how little we maybe thinking about the kind of information we may be sharing with so many people. In addition to the online information on the site, when our ‘Facebook status’ and ‘tweet’ send out messages about what we are doing or where we maybe (GPS location facility) these are also important information, not always risk-free. It is amazing what I learnt about something called Please Rob Me; opportunists could actually use such information to look up opportunities to rob your house or you office or even you. Additionally there are other risks and it is important as we try to understand social media and it’s emerging role in our own context we learn from experiences of others – embrace the benefits and lower the risks associated.

Mainstream media did stories about online games ‘virtual entrapment’ bringing to the fore questions about time management in offices; risks for our young ones ‘Not quite kid’s stuff’. These are questions we still need to find answers to. For society to accept social media as another means of communication just like letters and phones, it is important we engage ourselves in more discussions. The discussions on ‘Facebook’, ‘twitter’ and ‘blogsphere’ on tobacco legislation may just see that unfold. Irrespective of how the tobacco issue turns out, social media would have gained recognition as a platform, as a many-to-many communication platform.

Benefits of social media still continues to emerge but to be fair and not sound biased, with all these risks, social media still offers a wonderful opportunity to Bhutan too. So in playing the role of the devil’s advocate in reminding everyone the risks associated with it, the benefits may need to be noted to take advantage of it even as we make huge investments in the ICT infrastructure.

I hope we can discuss it more so that we may all benefit out of this wonderful opportunity to communicate better and SMARTER!

The Tobacco Control Act 2010 and important provisions in it

Of recent the Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010 and a few provisions in there, particularly the penalty clauses and the act in essence, has come to be questioned. It is also evident that there are supporters of the law and it may be too early to conclude that “the Bhutanese are against the law”. However, it does bring out an understanding that a few DO NOT agree with it, in part or otherwise.

Over the last few weeks I have met people who hold varied opinions, some not as loud as the others. Still a few had nothing to say as they did not understand what the “fuss”, as some put it, was all about. This is just to convey the sort of opinions (or non-opinions) that I have come across.

A law is more than just the penalty clause alone and I thought it was important that while we may continue criticizing it, it is doubly important we understand the nuances of a law, which is by no means limited to the penalty clause alone. In the same “Tobacco Control Act 2010″, there are salient features that need focus to be understood altogether, which consists of 60 clauses (sub clauses to go with them). Not enough may have been understood about the law for in its clauses lays the “INTENT” of the law-makers. I do not want to take the risk of sounding too defensive, so without further explanation, I have put an exhibit of my selective clauses and sub-clauses which together is the “Tobacco Act 2010″ to me.

3. No person shall smoke in the following public places but not limited to:

a) Commercial centers: all shops, shopping complexes, supermarkets, showrooms, exhibition halls, lobbies and places to which public have access in hotels, motels, guest houses, inns and lodging, bars and restaurants, clubs, internet cafes;

b) Recreation centers: discotheques, snooker rooms, health clubs, sports and game centers, playing fields and related offices, cinema, theatre, video halls and other buildings of entertainment;

c) Institutions: all offices including those in the private sector, dzongs, monasteries, museums, health, educational, religious and training centers and their vicinity;

d) Public gatherings/spaces: public meetings, Tschechu, festivals and traditional celebrations,vegetable markets, bus and taxi stands,airports;

e) Public transportation: all buses and taxis, all forms of motor vehicles and aircrafts for passenger transport; and

12. A person may import tobacco and tobacco products for personal consumption as per the quantity approved by the Tobacco Control Board.

13. A person importing tobacco and tobacco products for personal consumption shall pay duties and taxes as specified in the rules.

20. The Royal Government shall designate relevant agencies to promote:

a) access to effective and comprehensive educational and public awareness programmes on the health risks including the addictive characteristics of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke;

b) the benefits of the cessation of tobacco use and tobacco-free lifestyles;

c) effective and appropriate training or awareness programmes on tobacco control addressed to persons such as health workers, community workers, social workers, media professionals, educators, decision-makers, administrators and other concerned persons;

d) awareness and participation of private agencies and non-governmental organizations in developing and implementing inter sectoral programmes and strategies for tobacco control; and

e) access to information on the adverse health hazards on individual, family, society and environmental consequences of tobacco consumption.

22. The Tobacco Control Board through the Tobacco Control Office shall take effective measures to promote cessation of tobacco use and adequate treatment for tobacco dependence.

23. The Tobacco Control Board through the Tobacco Control Office shall:

a)   design and implement effective cessation programme in the health care facilities;

b) collaborate with rehabilitation centers and organize programme for diagnosing, counseling, preventing and treating tobacco dependence; and

c) collaborate with international agencies to facilitate accessibility and affordability for treatment of tobacco dependence including pharmaceutical products.

The Board:

26. c) facilitate to fulfill the obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its protocols to which Bhutan is a Party.

27.  b) formulate and implement national tobacco control strategy;

g) propose amendments to this Act as and when necessary to the Parliament.

33. The Ministry of Health has the responsibility to:

a) promote awareness on the dangers of tobacco and health hazard to the public and all institutions;

b) establish effective cessation programmes in the health institutions;

c) carry out research on the ill effects of tobacco consumption on health; and

d) implement health promotion measures through all forms of media and through community based programmes;

Functions of the Ministry of Education

36. To conduct awareness and education programme on ill effects of tobacco consumption for in-school and out of school youths.

Functions of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs

37. Shall provide necessary support and cooperation to co-ordinate and conduct awareness programme on tobacco control at the Dzongkhag level

Functions of the Royal Bhutan Police

38. The Royal Bhutan Police have the responsibility to:

a) enforce the provisions under Section 3 of this Act.

(Note: This is interesting looking at last week’s news reports)

Functions of Road Safety and Transport Authority of Bhutan

40. To coordinate and conduct awareness programme on tobacco control in public and private transport system.

Functions of Civil Society Organization

41. To conduct awareness programme on ill effects of tobacco consumption in their locality and community.

Search and seizure

45. Any authorized officer shall have the power of search and seizure in accordance with the provisions of the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code of Bhutan.

47. The Board shall have the authority to impose fines on the offenders and may revise the fines (as given in the annexure) when necessary.

Now the much talked about provision(s) under penalty chapter:

11. No person in the country shall:

a) cultivate or harvest tobacco.

b) manufacture, supply or distribute tobacco and tobacco products.

c) sell and buy tobacco and tobacco products.

50. Any person who contravenes the provision of section11 (a) and (b) shall be punishable with a felony of the fourth degree as per the Penal Code of Bhutan.

51. Any person who contravenes the provision of section11(c) shall be punishable with misdemeanor if the source of supply is revealed. If the accused fails to disclose the source of supply, he or she shall be liable for the offence of smuggling in addition to the offence of misdemeanor.

52. Any person found smuggling tobacco or tobacco products shall be guilty of an offence of smuggling and shall be punishable with minimum sentence of felony of fourth degree.

53. Any person who contravenes the provision of section19 shall be punishable with a petty misdemeanor and shall be penalized as per the Penal Code of Bhutan.

19. Scenes depicting tobacco use including smoking should be strictly prohibited from domestic production of videos, movies and cultural shows except in educational clips produced for the purpose of health promotion.

54. Any person found with more than the permissible quantity for personal consumption under section 12 shall be guilty of the offense for smuggling and shall be punishable with minimum sentence of felony of fourth degree.

12. A person may import tobacco and tobacco products for personal consumption as per the quantity approved by the Tobacco Control Board.

 

The 1st Mani Dungdrup in Gasa Dzongkhag

Venerable Dorji Lopen of the Zhung Dratsang presiding, 1st Mani Dungdrup over in Gasa

This was the first time a Mani Dungdrup was organized in Gasa. The Venerable Dorji Lopen of the Zhung Dratsang has been in Gasa presiding over the transmission for over a week now. It will end on the 17th of this month making it 11 days.

Hundreds of people have gathered every morning to receive transmission and recite mani mantra in Gasa. For a small dzongkhag with a very thin population (estimated about 2900, give or take a few), to be able to organize this for aging parents who are not able to travel far for such an important buddhist progression of the mind and spirit, this is a great development. Although our elders from earlier times could have appreciated this, it was difficult to mobilize resources to organize it in the past.

I was very happy to be there last week amongst them and witness the joy on their faces. People made offerings and with these offerings, both monetary and kind; a sustainable fund once established will continue to allow aging elders to enjoy this mind and spiritual enrichment ritual.

Law-making a collective process (tobacco)

It’s very unfortunate Sonam Tshering became the first Bhutanese to be arrested for smuggling tobacco since the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act. As a law-maker, I empathize with his predicament. It is very important I mention this because law-makers are after all, at the end of the day, undeniably Bhutanese living in the same community with family, relatives and friends, governed by the same laws (I hope exceptions are NEVER made).

Kuensel ran in its editorial today about how and when the “banning” began and it was only a matter of time before other districts embraced decision on controlling tobacco consumption in the country. Needless to say, “banning” is not a new thing and therefore, as some very lightly accuse decision makers of setting “trends”, I would think it would be reasonable to criticize for the benefit of society and not sounding vindictive and negate the positive factors of hearing out criticisms which should be the focus and priority. It is also interesting to see how sometimes “precedence” affects decisions. Commitment as a result of movement by health sector in helping improve health of the people (tobacco included) won Bhutanese recognition and acclaim and having participated as a State, it may have made decision-making a little more complex than it may seem. I do not necessarily agree with the “ban” or “the penalty”  but I believe if it is a matter that needs to be re-discussed then it shall be, keeping legislative processes in mind.

I value people’s freedom of expression without a doubt, it was clearly on my mind when I signed it along with my colleagues. It’s one right I clearly am committed to upholding as enshrined in the Constitution and my brief experience on “facebook” with the group concerned about the legislation gave me a lot of insightful arguments; most of them genuinely mean well for the society and I can only say such concerns from citizens is encouraging, encouraging that honest and fruitful public debates, allowing more public opinion to be laid out in the public domain, may not be too far.  This is most important for a functioning democracy I realize and we should encourage debates more often. I remember when we first tabled the tobacco control bill, there were far little opinions floating around in public space then. Even BBS live discussions did not see opinions we see today, I wish there were, perhaps things maybe have been different and maybe Sonam Tshering would not be where he is sadly.

In the end, there were no ulterior motives in making the law supposedly “draconian” as it did not and has not benefited any law-makers. It was all well-intended ( I wish BBS would play the debate and discussions on the matter during the time).

I hope we draw lessons from such events.

(1) The public needs to be concerned and engage in debates meaningfully all the time so that decision makers do not just talk to constituents back home but take on board opinionated others.

(2) The media may need to create the environment to bring about public debate before and during such processes of decision-making. A bit of analysis of the bill and issue would do wonders to bring that about.

(3) MPs need to talk to more people outside of their constituents too. We need to stop thinking and compartmentalizing the Bhutanese as your and my constituency.

Good decisions come from experience; and experience comes from bad decisions

one more (a try at poetry)

 

one more bump one more road

down through the dusty lanes of life

one more life one more ghost

when will it all come to pass

 

one more kiss one more smile

a gentletouch before the rest

one more wish one more prayer

and forever I say goodbye

≡

 

On the mind, thoughts and writing

Thoughts are endless and our minds keep churning out millions of them. It’s amazing when one takes a back seat for just a little while and lets the mind do what it best does, churn out thoughts, and experience the mind and the drama of thoughts as a spectator from a distance. Thoughts jump from recollection of meals you ate for breakfast to faces of strangers you drove by in the morning on your way to work. Flying in from somewhere is also the thought on the next few things you need to get done during the day and suddenly you start wondering what ever happened to that woman teacher who taught you English for your last year at school; the woman with the horn-rimmed glasses. Just then when you are staring at the computer screen and typing out the report long over due from your last tour you start wondering if you had switched off the light on your way over to work from home. Occasionally the ’what am I doing with my life’ question may pop up and as quickly dissolves away. Dinner plans, bank deposits, movie scene flashbacks and a sudden urge to hum or sing your favorite song are also part of the entourage to arrive in the long train of thoughts. All this is to say that the mind deserves, if not the exclusive title but certainly the equivalent of the most hard-working engine in the humans.

It is the mastery of controlling thoughts that meditation tries to do.

My experience with meditation is limited to experiences on reading articles and writings on meditation. Given that, I have no hold nor control over the thoughts my mind paints. Yet, it’s been difficult. Difficult in finding something to write about. I believe writing takes a lot of imagination as well as many other qualities. It is in imagination and thinking that a writer may find something or someone to write about. I have tried to write because unlike speaking, writing allows and gives me a chance to best word my thoughts (not to say I have been any good at it). These last few days have been uncomfortably quite; I cannot seem to find anything to really write. One moment I am writing like I have it all clear in my head and the next, I am hitting the backspace button and lost about what I was writing.

So I decided since I could not think of anything to write about, I would give writing about ‘not being able to write’ a thought. Maybe I need inspiration or maybe it’s one of those lazy times when you just need an excuse not to think.