med student Doofus: As I discover my voice of interrogation PART II

I wanted to update my blog on the very day the Lyonchhen Hon PM of Bhutan was here to receive his humanitarian award. The fonder justified that since the invent of GNH Bhutan has been proudly broad-casting the concept and living upto the GNH standards that the current PM who gives so much emphasis on the concept deserves the award.

On September 9th the 27 of us Bhutanese were given the opportunity to have audience with the very PM at the extravagant Trident Hotel. All Bhutanized and dolled up plus the advent of meeting the PM galvanized our very senses. What to say? How to behave? Should I bow down? When to?

We entered the lovely premises of the brand hotel and entered a conference hall lead by one of the woman. And sat on the heavy chairs surrounding a big rectangular table.

There are several glitches my college has. Some Bhutanese students are not happy owning to the strict hostel rules or the fact that every time there is a cricket match involving India, the Bhutanese male students are often the punchbags for the testosterone laden Indian males. Caveat- Prakriti (the leader of the Bhutanese group here) told us to strictly prohibit blasphemizing our college in front of any officials. I was not very happy with that.

Several officials were there in their shiny ghoes. Patterned and colourful, it rung the very memories of Tshechu time back at home. I felt happy and safe. They inquired us. Mostly introductory and the courses we took here. And were we happy here or not? To which everyone of us gave cheeky smiles and nodded in unison.

There was some great shuffling for perfection and quietness, everyone fell silent and rigid. The PM entered the hall with a big smile. The handshakes began. The handshakes were over. He presided at the top most of the table and then the "video" began playing titled "KIIT and Bhutan". It was an informative video whoever directed that. It showed scenes from Bhutan and Bhutanese students here. Some interviews were taken and there were suppressed laughter coming from us to see ourselves interviewed on screen. Then a scene I wasn't present in. Several of my friends were there and they cheered "WE LOVE KIIT" with so much of zeal and love, I nearly fell off my chair. I had to re-adjust my butt to contain all that pride.

His excellency speaks excellent English which made me perk up because I do like communicating in English. Really I do. Then he urged us to interact since this "is a conference hall and we should talk about issues" he said.

I looked to my left and my right. No one was going to utter anything I knew for sure. So I raised my hand and I began.

I saw Prakriti from the corner of my eye. She gave me a cold glare saying "DON'T YOU DARE."

I began. I should have begun with 'Your excellency'. OH no one told me that is how a PM has to be addressed. I just began, "May I know of your opinions regarding the Pedestrian day back at home? It has caused quite a stir over the internet."

TO which he replied, "I am the government. My opinion has been set and I have molded the rules. We have had thought over this for the very protection of our environment."

I say, "And how are you coping up with all the opinions coming from the people of our country?"

His Excellency said, "I think you are being too nice and not being direct enough."

To which everyone laughs and and I say with a big smile, "How are you coping up with so many negative reviews that keep cropping up every Tuesday over the internet?"

To which his reply was so long my blog is unfit to contain the answer. Mostly it was environment related.

My second injunction was more of a suggestion than a question. Regarding the catastrophe of Wangdue Dzong burndown. If I point out shouldn't we use Bhutanese materials all the way and ensure that the labourers should also be indegenious and not exotic so that the income would stay in the country itself.

To which the reply was really long my blog is unfit to contain the answer. It was mostly economy related and the Rupee crunch crisis in the country. And he appreciated my suggestion. :D

After that there was still no one to speak up so the pleasure was all mine. And I wansted to discuss about rather sensitive issue- The Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. My question sounded something like this, "What is your current plans regarding the resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees? Will they ever be allowed to set foot back in our country?"

To which the reply was long my blog is unfit to contain the answer. He told us about the people who are now in western countries and are leading a good life.

Then I said, "And what about the small population of those of us living in the country without any valid documents? When will we ever given the rights to be citizens of the country?"

To which he replied a long answer my blog is unfit to contain it.

And dinner time at Trident.