Thimphu
is capital city where hundreds and thousands of people come and settle down in congested
town and also in congested apartments. As and when we walk in street, we may
not discover the problems that every individual have, but back at home we can
easily understand how people suffers. The people come from every nook and
corner of the country which took more than three days or more to get into capital
City, Thimphu.
Every
day, tens of buses ply to and fro Thimphu. The people who travel as far as
proper eastern Bhutan, Trashi Yangtse, Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar and
other places. The Japan manufactured coaster buses and some few Indian made
Tata and Eicher buses ply all over the country from Thimphu and come to Thimphu
from various parts of the country. However, it is good that people migrate from
rural areas to urban areas but it creates lots of problems in urban centers.
The
main reasons for Rural-Urban Migration are as follows:
1. Availability of
better infrastructures,
2. In search of better
employment opportunities,
3. Educational
facilities are better,
4. Medication and health
facilities are good,
5. To meet children,
relatives, siblings and others,
6. Recreational
facilities are far better in town, and many more…
How
we would stop Rural-Urban migration? There are several strategies to stop it.
From my point of view, infrastructure development, education, medical and
health, recreational and other needy facilities should be increased in rural
areas. If the government, organizations and other offices set up in rural areas
would encourage people from migrating to urban centers.
One
evening, I went to Bus terminal (or booking) accompanying my cousin. He had
things to get from someone travelling from eastern Bhutan. We got there bit
early. It was just 3:30pm and we had to wait for long hours. It was raining
very heavily. When we are waiting there, I took an opportunity to go around and
snap some photos.
The
people from every nook and corner of the country come to Thimphu via passenger
buses. We were waiting for Trashigang bus to come. Suddenly, bus that travels
between Bumthang and Thimphu reached the terminal, followed by monger bus. The
people gathered there to pick up their relatives and all.
The
buses and other cars got together in the parking lot in bus terminal where four
or five buses reach the place at a time. The buses parked and the passenger got
out from the buses. Some of the passengers are coming for the first time to
Thimphu, some returning from holidays and vacations; some went on tour, and for
other various reasons. Tens and scores of people are picked up by their
relatives and some not.
The
people who wait for their relatives, friends, siblings and other relations,
visit shop nearby and take an opportunity to interact with vendors. The shop is
running by different vendors to make their living in capital and to support school
going children. The shops sell edible items, drinkable items, and other homemade
snacks and ‘momo’, etc. This temporary shop was constructed under the support
of BAWOE.
The
cabs, private vehicles and buses are moving here and there in search of space
to park it. The people coming from far-flung villages, just holding their
mobile phones and trying to call, some are in deep sleep, some just looking
around, and so on. This is interesting parts of the life at terminal point. I
wonder a lot why people travel to Thimphu from other parts of the country.
Owing
to eagerness, I asked few people travelling from Trashigang. As and when I
asked him why he comes to Thinphu, he says that he in on medical checkup. “I
will go back as soon as I finish my checkup as I am sure I would not like to
stay in such noisy city,” he said. The National Referral Hospital which is the
largest hospital in the country is located in the heart of the city. The reason
for people coming here is because of the medical facilities are far better.
Meanwhile,
I also talked with few other people who are on medical checkup and some who
come to meet their children who work in Thimphu. One of the middle aged women
travelled all the way from Silambi, Mongar on the invitation of her daughter to
sit the newly born baby. She is coming for the first time in the city and
worried how she would adapt with the place. Her son-in-law came to Bus terminal
to pick up her. She smiled and proceeds on. This shows that our aged parents
are employed as the baby sitter in the capital city and other parts of the
country, where urbanization taking place very fast.
The
men who is boarded on Trashi Yangtse bus come to Thimphu to witness Thimphu
Lhamoi Dromchoe and Tshechu which is scheduled at the end of this month and
early next month respectively. He came little earlier to celebrate Blessed
Rainy Day with his children. When asked about returning back, he says that he would
go as soon as possible. “Bara Dung May Reinpay,” he said adding that wife would
face difficult time back in village without his absence.
Thimphu
Lhamoi Dromchoe and Tshechu is one of the biggest festivals in the country
which has been celebrated for last centuries. The thousands of people come
together to Tshechu ground to witness mask dances and other social events. This
is indeed called as one of the biggest social gathering where people from all
parts of the country get together for same purpose. During Tshechu, hundreds
and thousands of tourists visit intending spend their holidays or vacations.
They come in groups paying huge amount of money.
Finally,
Trashigang bus proceeds into the bus terminal. The bus full of people just got
out. I looked carefully to see their expressions. Their smiling face indicates
that they are happy in Thimphu. I caught a man and greet him. I asked some
questions. He answered me politely. “Nan Neytshuel Dulenpa Gelamo,” he asked me.
“Mang gi wai......Jang.....” I answered him. He says that he saw reporters
asking questions to the people in town and even in villages sometimes. However,
he was extremely happy to meet with his son, who came there to pick up him.
Then
we got things that we were waiting for. We travelled back to place where we
stay. We walked sublimely in the rain. I intentionally walked in the rain to
learn something more about the people staying in town. As and when we walked,
we came across generations aged between 15 and 30, walking in the rain holding
umbrella to protect them from the rain. My question here is why people walk in
rain? My answer is just “No reason”. But still I could visualize the answer
that they might be having important works. Before crossing the Memorial
Chorten, I saw a young boy and girl coming from opposite direction. They met
just above Lungtenzampa oil depot and road heading to IMTRAT. They
intentionally come to meet despite heavy rain.
Not
only has this but also there are many people sacrificing their time for dear
ones in heavy rain. However, it is none of my business, I remind myself to
avoid blaming others. Nonetheless, it’s all pleasure of the youth and leisure
time.
Anyway,
we took our own steps to reach home before getting showery by rain water. The
heavy rain for almost two consecutive days had loosened the earth where mud and
marshy footpath really hamper our splendid walk.
The cabs never stay
idle. They travel in the city and drop people here and there. It was great
opportunity for cabbies to make some amount of money before getting late. This
is how some get affected and some gains while raining.
Our walk continued
until we reach home. It was really interesting for us to walk experiencing all
kind of lifestyles in the city and judged how people coming for the first time
looks like. The worried person coming for the first time to Thimphu just shows different
expressions. They smile when they could see the people they know prior to.
However, in future,
if our relatives happen to come to Thimphu, we should be some few minutes ahead
to pick up them as they worry who would pick them in such a crowd. This gave
some lesson for me and taught me what I didn’t think of learning it. Every
time, when we walk across in the city, I get more knowledge. This knowledge can
be used in various aspects of the life henceforth.
