Friday, June 20, 2014

The Stink of Selfish Greed – the 10th Personal Perspectives

The 2nd National Assembly dominated by People’s Democratic Party robbed the civil servants of the inflationary adjusted allowance of 2010. It is an act of disgraceful fraud - the stamp of national indignity.

It is shamelessly claimed that the pay hike of 67% - to – 131% for politicians and constitutional appointees are as per the approval of the 1st Parliament. If that is so, why did the Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s Cabinet instruct the 2nd Pay Commission to look into the pay revision of the Ministers etc. along with that of the civil servants? The National Assembly flexed its Legislative muscle to package greed and lies like milk and water - milk for themselves and water for the civil servants.

A seed of permanent discord and grievance has been sown. It is a very unfortunate consequence of democracy in selfish disarray.

I do not begrudge the pay scale for the upper hierarchy. But why? why? why rob the pauper to enrich the Prince? How could the political leaders rob the civil servants of the inflationary adjusted allowance to fund their own 67% - to – 131% pay hike? Was starving the children only way to fatten the mother?

The government should have asked the visiting Indian Prime Minister to restore the scale of balance into the Indo-Bhutan Hydro projects. Narendra Modi should have been requested to revert to the initial hydro project financing of 70% grant and 30% loan (after all, India would be consuming 70% of peak production of Bhutanese hydro projects) or for total grant funding for the escalated costs in the hydro projects or 50 paise raise in Tala and Basochu hydro project electricity export unit rate. Maybe India needs to consider all three simultaneously if Modi really meant that progressive Bhutan is good for India.

There is no need to kneel and beg. A substantive reasonable and nationally dignified approach was and still feasible. The goal of the hour is to have Modi demonstrate in practical economic terms B4B rather than just offering in beautiful Gujarati Hindi glowing tributes to the dragon Kings and the GNH Mountains. Bhutan has Kings and Mountains but there are also the needs and aspirations of the citizens of a sovereign nation.

I do not doubt the sincerity of the Bhutanese Prime Minister’s refusal to accept the extra over and above the pay of Cabinet Ministers. It is in keeping with his socialist tint though no more the trait in general practice. But how come the duly elected democratic Prime Minister is demonstrating a huge void in leadership capacity? He declares that he finds his own pay hike offensive yet he refrains from expressing views on the highs and lows of the two most contradictory benchmark of the pay hike. This confirms that he has difficulty in leading from the front and is unwillingly to follow from the rear. Why is he in such a straightjacket position?

There is a historical lesson to be learnt from the result of the personal austerity measures of Mahatma Gandhi. Such measures of Gandhi could not impact the ways of his core disciples - the leaders of independent India. Instead his acting poor man status idolized the sorry state of half-naked and underfed masses to which many still remain condemned. Likewise the Prime Minister’s seemingly personal sacrifice does not ease the pain and dismay of the nation at large and in particular that of the civil servants who feel betrayed and cheated. The civil servants do not number just 25,000 RCSC employees. They number 25,000 families and if one takes cognizance of the social fabric of extended family system then the number rises three fold. Please wake up! Dear democracy leaders!

I cannot end this sad chapter without drawing a silver lining. Hope is very important! Money Bill or otherwise, the Supreme Court had ruled the constitutional requirement of discussion in both Houses of Parliament and final royal assent. So Civil Servants, pray harder for a royal reprieve immediately or later in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the 4th King. It was the 4th King who personally negotiated the Chukha hydro electricity export unit rate with India so that he could bring about the 1st major pay revision for the civil servants.

The King of Bhutan who adores his father King may commemorate the 60 years’ service to the nation by a Royal decree that re-instates the 2010 civil servant inflationary adjusted allowance.

I feel that the 2nd National Assembly needs to be corrected in its unlawful withdrawal of the inflationary adjusted 2010 allowance of the civil servants. Unlawful because robbing the masses to enrich few is a form of dictatorial oppression which is unlawful in a State under democratic principles. Here one party is receiving a huge hike and the other being deprived of what it had in order to create the resource to fulfill the greed of the 1st party. Also it was the political campaign promise of the PDP Party to give 20% pay hike and 20% house rent. It’s unlawful to give with the right hand and then take away with the left. Even legislative body like the National Assembly must adhere to a code of conduct that befits and meets the propriety of democracy.

His Majesty the King had declared to the Members of the 1st Parliament that the King and the People will support them all the way. However, if they error then corrective measures will be taken as part of the duty of the King and the People to the nation.

11 comments:

  1. This is truth speaking..sir...

    ReplyDelete
  2. All Bhutanese people did not like the way the pay revision was passed !!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. it's not an insult to called someone Nado for his dark appearance and Kado for is fair skinned appearances but if you mix the two, it can be an insult. so the view expressed in the blog is pure written with great conscience....

    ReplyDelete
  4. well said author....i fully agree with you and keep expressing one day your strong words will penetrate through the deaf ear of the government....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Remarkable moments:
    1. Loosing of Khadar by TT at Modi's feet.
    2. Taking Madi's hands and getting blessed
    3. Modi's confidence to feel at home in the NA verses TT's over-doing obedience/submission
    4.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is where politics pivoted..This what happens due to immature politician, there was poor experience, because in the past a single man was given opportunity to serve till to keep the record in genius book of 29-32 year no other got chance .. so guess the weakness ..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Its sad that the gap btwn the rich n poor has bn widened with the recent salary revision.....n tax on vehicles.....y is the govt. Interested in making our beautiful country into a dumping yard....sad

    ReplyDelete
  8. india's gdp is 4000 dollar per annum bhutan gdp is 6500 dollar per annum per capita...in short india is poorer than bhutan!!!..go and check wiki if anyone has doubts..and we still want more..india is already giving 60% of our expenditure...why do we hav to beg more..cant we be self reliant?...where is bhutan pride?this guy wants us to beg china if india dsnt give it...the same snake like china which has gobbled up every other small country around its borders..just see what it is doing to tibet taiwan...for his own political gains this guy is trying to drive a rift between india and bhutan in every article that he writes..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your feeling of being a beggar is your problem. In negotiation a party has to comprehend the desire and weakness of the other party. Only then a good negotiation can happen. And regarding your reference to the per capita of India and Bhutan are you aware of the population of India? Then when you refer to China taking over Tibet don’t forget what happened to Sikkim. Maybe you have no idea about Sikkim and definitely you lack correct information regarding the island of Formosa which was part of China. Chiang Kai-Shek forces moved to Formosa leaving Communist China in control of Beijing. Much later the name of the island was changed from Formosa to Taiwan. I think Taiwan and China share a good rapport especially in trade.
      What India and China does with other countries is their business but what happens to Bhutan is the business of every true Bhutanese. Only people of your character would think that truth about Indo-Bhutan relation will hurt the prevailing situation. Bhutan is already hurt. But anyway please enjoy your way of thinking.

      Delete
  9. A very good resource for everybody that wants to read a good blog. Your blog was absolutely fantastic! Great deal of great information and this can be useful some or maybe the other way. Keep updating your blog, anticipating to get more detailed contents.

    Villa with private pool Spain

    ReplyDelete