“How Can I be a Good Citizen?”

It is a wise saying that, “Having drunk the country’s water, one should follow the country’s law”. Our forefathers sacrificed their lives to make Bhutan a heavenly abode and peaceful country that passed to the next generations of the citizens of Bhutan. Comfortably enjoying in the peaceful landlocked country as a result of our forefathers’ sacrifices and their patriotic nature; is me a good citizen? If isn’t, how can I be a good citizen? In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it” and in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, “Citizenship consists in the service to the country”. Demonstrating disloyal nature and having negative thoughts to the service of Tsa-Wa-Sum will not be accounted as a good citizen. Following are some of the ways how I can be a good citizen.

Citizen of an everlasting peaceful country, Bhutan, one must possess civic sense and sense of belongingness. The actions resulting to our comfort must not be as an outcome of someone’s sufferings. Serving Tsa-Wa-Sum to the best of our abilities and keeping in mind the concept of Gross National Happiness as a guiding and development philosophy, an outcome of one’s work must not be detrimental; rather it must be of some help to the society. Valuing and appreciating somebody’s masterpiece, developing sense of perseverance and showing a positive attitude to an assigned task are considered as the feature of a good citizen. A people to consider as a good citizen should have a great zeal to thrive for knowledge and wisdom. Such type of people initiates an activity which ultimately leads to protection and preservation of Bhutanese culture and tradition.  Ensuring and putting it into action, the principle of Equity and Justice, our conduct must not involve corrupt practices and instead one must render a full support and strong cooperation to curb corruption, and other unethical practices. Genuinely shouldering the responsibilities assigned and not considering it as a burden, a good citizen of Bhutan must efficiently, transparently and punctually devote one’s work for the well-being of others.

The manner we work and the attitude we possess must not deviate from the principle of Cause and Effect. Avoiding evil thoughts to the earthly creatures, respecting to the elders and erudite person, helping the needy people and participating in alms-giving and moreover showing a caring attitude to our juniors, people naturally deserves respect from the public. Our bodily conduct, the thought process of our mind and speech must always be as per the country’s norms and Buddhist code of ethics. People influenced by Buddhist philosophy must not commit any of the ten negative actions and must focus on accumulating ten positive actions by following sixteen virtuous acts so that our work can be concentrated in combating corruption and help in alleviating poverty.  Avoid vandalism, participate and initiate voluntary activities for a social benefit. Discouraging unethical practices such as robbery, burglary and theft are some of the strategies for one to become a good citizen.

In conclusion, as a student, one must have a great sense of devotion and obey to the teachers, follow the norms of the institutes by not violating the rules and regulations, being time conscious while studying and actively participate in the co-curricular activities. Seek an appropriate advice, obey the boss’s command if he or she directs toward a right track, as a leader one must not go for self benefit and must think and work for the general motive. The work performed by us must be accountable for the general well-being and ensure building employer-employee relationship. Our thoughts, words and deeds must be accounted and one must be faithful to oneself, must not cheat others and in nutshell, a good citizen must practice the sixteen virtuous acts, ten positive deeds and avoid its negative consequences.

I WILL BE HAPPY AND CONTENT EVEN IF MY HOME IS UNDER THE BRIDGE

...................................................P  R   O  C  E  S  S  I  N  G.....................................................

I AM NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT I HAVE

.............................PROCESSING............................

I AM HAPPY WITH WHAT I HAVE

..........................processing..................................

My Internship Struggles:

My Internship Struggles:

When the clock exactly strikes 4:00 PM, logging off the window and properly shutting down the system, Mr. Jigme stands up from a revolving cozy chair with a sigh of relieve and gets out from the four-storeyed building functioning as the head office of National Pension and Provident Fund.

Like a detected thief, he looks towards the four directions and corners of the ground floor and comes out from the main entrance of the building facing towards no direction. With a great dilemma and more or less like in a somnolent state, he thinks and thinks and thinks where he could find a host for tonight to depend with as he has no proper adhered host to depend with in order to efficiently and effectively complete his two months duration of internship in NPPF.

Despite not having even single buck in his pockets, he considers it as ‘a good for health’ for daily walking more than one hour every morning and evening to reach to his internship site where it is giving a good avenue to learn a lot. Taking advantage of the religious concept of fasting and circumambulating the chorten during lunch breaks, he enjoys working at NPPF and desires to work permanently in future so as to avoid the problem of host to depend with.

The concept of window shopping learnt somewhere in plus two grades are being applied in the process of loitering around capital city with a thundering sound supposed to be heard from the sky now heard from his my abdomen.

Loitering in the street aimlessly sometimes feels like in a state of somnambulism. Friends are plenty when wallet is full. Nobody cares when somebody is not in a self-sufficient situation. He feels pity to himself and those like him being ignored by their own siblings.

Money as a means of exchange is an unavoidable means which facilitates the standard of living in metropolitan city dwellers. Everything and anything can be achieved if his/her surrounding feature is money. Money, money and money is the today’s dreams of a people.

Depending everyday on his three years old black leather shoes given to him by his far cousin three years ago, using continuously without change, the sole (outer layer of the shoe) becoming thinner and thinner everyday.

With bounteous indefinite thoughts in the mind, the desires are plenty and the wishes are left unfulfilled. Sometimes day dreams, what shall he do and where shall he invest if he finds one packet of 1000 BTN notes lying on his way, such useless thoughts keeps pondering in his mind.

Once he was on his way from internship site to his host’s place on foot. The weather was unfavorable and tit was chilly cold. The taxi drivers are proactive in giving their services. They would stop before him albeit he did not show the sign for them to stop, many a times he refused them saying ‘he prefers walking’. Fortunately or unfortunately, just below the roadside, he found one 50 BTN note lying. The thought came, whether he should pick it up or ignore it. Following him, there was two beautiful well –attired woman. He hesitated to pick it up in front of them, however, if he ignored it, he knew he was giving up the sum assured of Nu.50 which will serve his great purpose and after all he did not have a single buck in his pocket. He never misses reading the newspaper, during that fortunate incident too, he was carrying the Newspaper (Kuensel). He believes in superstitions that it will be a bad luck to the finder, especially when someone finds worthwhile commodities. Though hesitated to pick up the lying 50 note BTN, however, he stepped on it with his right leg and pretended reading article in the newspaper but his thought was only to that Nu. 50 note under his foot. Although, I felt sorry to the owner who had lost it, it had served his great purposes.

...........................................

                                  BY Jigme
                                  Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan

ESU Terms of Reference (ToR)

Vision:
“Maintain and sustain green environment by ensuring eco-friendly activities"

Objectives:
To make a litter-free surrounding for the purpose of a healthy living.
To create awareness by demonstrating the importance of waste management.
To preserve and protect green environment by planting trees and caring saplings.
To render voluntary environment services.

Area of Work:
Mass cleaning activities within and outside the college premises.
Cleaning water tanks within the locality.
Planting trees and protecting saplings.
Fixing dustbins/pit within the vicinity.
Maintaining ESU Park.

Terms of Reference (TOR)
Membership/Certificates:

Any student or faculty of GCBS can become a member of the unit.
Membership is voluntary.
A person must be a member of the unit at least for one year (two semesters) to obtain membership benefit.
It is mandatory for all the members to contribute Nu.50 as membership fee per semester (non-refundable).
The members are to attend all activities carried out by the unit.
The membership will be forfeited if a member doesn’t fulfill the criteria set by the Coordinators.
ESU member cannot be a member of SCC as the work timing for both ESU and SCC coincide.
Certificates will be issued at the time of graduation for students and for the faculty upon their resignation from the unit. The duration of the service will be reflected in the certificate.

Funding:
Unit fund will be sourced by initiating the following activities;
Fund raising activities
Seeking donations
Membership fee
Other sources...

Budget for the ESU (if any) will be kept with finance section of the college by maintaining a separate account and it will be withdrawn by Coordinators whenever there is a need ( with the evidence of expenses incurred).

Budget for the ESU will be used for:
Refreshment during work,
Procuring equipment needed by the unit.
Certificate Printing
Prizes (if any) for the various initiatives.
Printing charges for the purpose of notification.
Other necessities…..


Chairperson:
For an advisory role, any full-fledged lecturer of GCBS can be the chairman of the ESU.

Election and the eligibility of leaders:
 A final year student, who is an ESU member and who has served the unit for a minimum duration of one year can be eligible for election of leaders of the ESU.
Nominees will be chosen by the ESU members.
Short-listing of the nomination will be done by the ad-hoc committee.
Members of the unit are eligible for electing the coordinators.

The modus operandi of the ESU
 The ESU work is different from SUPW in terms of frequency of work, timing for work, type of work and nature of work.
Any mode of communication pertaining to work will be notified in the notice boards prior to the date.

                            Jigme (Founder & first Coordinator of ESU)