DOWRY THRIVES IN INDIA IN GOLD OR HARD CASH

The skyrocketing gold price has not deterrent the practice of giving  dowry in India, instead families have become more innovative in meeting the  dowry obligation.     Gold, which is traditionally given by the bride's family as dowry, seems to have lost its luster especially after the commodity's price breached Rs 32,000 (RM1,747 or US$568.49) per 10gm recently.      Nowadays, Indian families seem to have moved away from gold to hard cash or properties or a combination of any of the two or all three.     In a modern India, the dowry system seems to have withstood the test of time and legislation barring the practice. In fact, it is thriving though many view giving dowry as a diabolic practice.     Fat Indians weddings and dowry as a precondition for marriage is a norm and glamorously reported in the media though dowry is blamed for many of the cruelties against women.         DOWRY HAS GONE AGAINST WOMEN     Dowry, known as Stree Dhan, is actually gift items usually given to the bride by her parents and relatives at the time of marriage.     In Hindu scripts, the Vedas, dowry is mentioned as Kanyadaan (gift of the maiden), said Nitasha Agarwal, chief manager of Smile Foundation, an NGO working for women's welfare and empowerment.     “As the daughter in a family is not entitled for equal share in the family property, they are given gifts in the form of dowry but sometimes it is offered to entice the groom’s family.     "This has obviously worked against the women and their basic rights," she said.                 CRUELTY TO WOMEN         It is common knowledge that in most communities in India the amount of dowry given is nothing less then 100 sovereigns of gold and when a girl is born the family starts saving for her wedding immediately.     "Thus girls are considered liability, therefore female foeticide and infanticide prevails,” she told Bernama in an email interview.      Bollywood actor Aamir Khan in his Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails) talk show brought to light that 80 per cent of bank loans were taken by people to meet dowry demands.     Moreover, the dowry demands continue even after marriage and failure to fulfill the demands lead to harassment, physical and mental torture and the horrific practice of 'bride burning' .       "One woman dies every hour in India in dowry related cases," Aamir revealed in his show.     Nitasha also blamed on the misplaced societal perception that if a girl is married at an early age, a small amount of dowry would work but if the girl is educated then the family has to pay a high dowry to seek a bridegroom of same status.     Therefore, the dowry system to a great extent is also to be blamed for child marriages, neglect of daughters and sexual harassment.         PROHIBITED BY LAW         Meanwhile Dr Rizwana Parvin, a practicing lawyer in Delhi said that India has sufficient laws to protect women but has not been enforced properly and do not fully take into account several gender sensitive issues.     Dowry is even banned under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 and Section 498A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) while a host of other laws protect women against domestic violence, rape, and prohibit gender selection tests.     However, there is a lack of awareness about these laws. Also, it is the fear of social stigma that stops women from seeking divorce when they suffer domestic violence due to dowry demand or any other reason.     “So, women to some extent tolerate such harassment either not knowing the existence of laws that protect them or due to the mindset of how the society will look at them when they seek divorce,” she told Bernama.     “I have handled a few matrimonial disputes (related to dowry and otherwise) and the women found proper justice and their needs were well taken care of.     “The fact that dowry-related violence and deaths have shown no abatement in the past two decades only indicate that the existing laws have not been implemented properly and therefore failed to serve as deterrents,” said Rizwana.          HIGHEST CRIME AGAINST WOMEN     Thousands of women are killed every year in India over dowry. The cases of dowry-related torture are the highest accounting for 32.4 per cent of crimes against women in the country.     Among the recent cases were a young woman being brutally killed allegedly by her husband for dowry in Vijapore village of Navsari district, Gujarat and a woman from Punjab claimed she was tortured by her husband and in-laws for giving birth to a girl and bringing 'inadequate' dowry.     And such cases are not restricted to poor or uneducated segment of the Indian society.     Early last month, a 28-year-old homemaker was allegedly murdered by her engineer husband over dowry at Motilal Mallick Lane in Baranagar, Kolkata. While the husband was arrested, the victim's mother-in-law fled.     Dowry deaths continue and their perpetrators consistently go unpunished, despite a considerable amount of activism both globally and domestically and the availability of international and domestic laws, said Nitasha.     A report quoting the National Crime Records Bureau’s statistics indicate a crime has been recorded against women in every three minutes in India.    Every 60 minutes, two women are raped in the country. Every six hours, a young married woman is found beaten to death, burnt or driven to suicide.     “Gender subordination is among the reasons for such violence against women as they are generally considered as secondary compared with men in terms of education and career,” said Nitasha.     Others were institutionalisation of dowry system all across society-caste, class and religion as well as turning dowry into opportunity to make gains and as a marketing exercise. The problem is made worst by the lack of stringent action against dowry law violators, she pointed out.    “Women are trying hard to save their lives and dignity with the support of legal amendments, media, serious activism, and heightened awareness. Despite of all these protests, India still could not shed the dowry stigma,” she said.      IT IS STILL NOT TOO LATE      The mechanism to stop crime against women should be strengthened further by making the authorities, such as police to be more sensitive in handling gender issues, said Nitasha.     Firstly, there should be a proper system to report on crime against women, active and properly functioning women police cell as well as crises centres.     Shelter homes had to have competent counselors and proper rehabilitation approach, she explained.    Capacity building among young girls, boys and local leaders to say no to dowry is another method of weeding such problem from young.     She said civil society organisations and individuals should also work on changing perception of family and society towards girl, especially parental perception towards their child and her upbringing, rights to property and awareness on laws and protection policies.       “We have encourage people to start thinking positively, because when our social relationship is dictated by religion, caste and creed,  we follow all that exists within. Yet when we come out from the closet, we see others as humans in our social relationship,” she said. -- END

BHUTAN: MAKING A SACRED TOUR OF THE ‘HAPPINESS PLACE’

Bhutan, the only country in the world that acknowledges  the ‘happiness of its citizens’ as a benchmark for progress is a paradise for visiting tourists who admire its natural and placid surroundings.     The kingdom of Bhutan, which is landlocked by its neighbours India and China, is also home to numerous worship places of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, and attracts many pilgrims as well.     A trip to Bhutan, regardless of the purpose of the visit, is capable of exhilarating anyone right from the point where the plane takes off.     Druk Air, the only airline that flies into Bhutan, offers no in-flight entertainment but this shortcoming is more than compensated by the spectacular views of the Himalayas, the Mount Everest and the Chomolhari during the flight.     Druk Air’s friendly pilots help the passengers identify the mountains and even offer brief background information on the respective mountains.     The spectacular flight views allow the passengers to remain fixated on the magnificent views outside, pretty much till the landing announcement is made.     For those arriving in the country for the first time, the descent can be daunting as the pilots skillfully maneuver the plane through the numerous mountains that fortify the country.    What adds to the anxiety is the fact that the Paro International Airport sits at an elevation of about 18,000 feet (about 6,000 metres) above the seal level, and is one of the world’s most challenging airports to land in and where pilots have to strictly follow all visual flight rules.     Once they are landed safely on terra firma, passengers are bound to heave a sigh of relief.             A COUNTRY OF NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS         Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan is located an hour away from the Paro International Airport, and the journey to the city takes you through long winding roads.     The chilly weather coupled with views of farmhouses and meadows dotting the landscape, provide a wonderful panorama throughout the journey.     Despite being the capital, Thimphu is surrounded by mountains that are 6,600 to 12,500 feet high, and is a quiet and laidback city with just a few hotels and shops.     Visitors from the developed world will be happy to note that Bhutan has no traffic lights, at least not yet, since traffic control is a non-issue for the city.     Bhutan, with its population of slightly over 700,000 people, remained isolated from the world until recently, as its residents guard their traditions and customs zealously.     Although, most locals and especially school going children are mostly clad in traditional garb, foreign influences in dress and culture seem to have permeated Bhutan.     "Five years ago, it was rare to see Bhutanese wearing western cloths, but now the majority of teenagers are shedding their traditional cloths for jeans and t-shirts, and western food such as their preference for pizza over Bhutanese food," said a local resident.      However, other than it being the capital city and a wonderful place to visit, there is nothing much to do or see in Thimphu, other than taking a peaceful evening stroll.             TAKTSHANG, DOCHULA AND PUNAKHA         Taktshang, a Budhist monastery built in 1692, which is commonly known as the ‘Tiger’s Nest’ is one of the main attractions in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.     Perched precariously on a precipitous cliff and at a height of 3,120 meters above the sea level, and towards the north of the town of Paro, a trip to this monastery serves as a test of physical endurance.     Horse rides that take you up to the monastery are available for Rs.900 (US$16.24), as the Bhutanese currency ‘Ngultrum’ is pegged with the Indian Rupee.     The guide will give you some basic lessons before starting the journey, such as ‘when the horse goes uphill you bend forward’ or ‘when it goes downhill you lean behind’, etc.     However, for a novice this ride can turn out to be a frightening experience, especially if your horse turns suddenly towards the edge of the cliff to graze on some grass.     The horse ride only covers the first half of the journey, as the second half, which is even more difficult, involves climbing around 750 narrow and steep steps.     It takes between three to five hours for the whole trip, but for those that do manage to reach the monastery, be prepared to be mesmerized by the breathtaking view.             THE PANORAMA OF DOCHULA PASS         The Dochula pass is located en route to Punakha from Thimphu. The pass is popular among tourists as its passage provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the Himalayan range on a clear day.     The beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyal Chortens, literally translated as the ‘108 stupas’, which were built by the eldest Queen Mother Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk.      The pass is also a popular spiritual destination both for locals and tourists, because an important place of worship is located on the crest of Dochula pass, and thanks to the easy access to this spot via a road that leads right up to the end, no hiking needed here, it is wonderful to walk around the place.     Punakha, where the Palace of Great Happiness or ‘Pungthang Dewachen Phodrang’ is situated, and where most of the major events take place.     While visiting Punakha, tourists are able to see medieval warriors dressed in their battle gear, retelling the stories of old wars with their enemies.      Although it is located only at a distance of 72 kilometers from Thimphu, the journey takes around three hours owing to the bumpy and narrow roads.     The Mask Dance of the Drums or ‘Drametse Ngacham,’ is a sacred, cultural and religious dance and should not to be missed. During the performance, dancers are fully clad in monastic robes and wooden masks, which feature real and mythical animals.     In November 2005, the UNESCO proclaimed the dance as a ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.’        HAPPINESS IS A PLACE         It is not surprising then, that out of a total of 65,756 visitors that came to Bhutan in 2011, a significant number were above 60 years old, as Bhutan is an expensive place to visit.      "We want rich old people to visit who will really want to appreciate and admire our country and also don’t have the capacity to do any real damage to our culture and environment," Prime Minister Jigme Y.Thinley told Bernama.     As far as tourism is concerned, Bhutan only wants high value and low impact tourism.     "We can’t see our environment suffering on account of various social issues," Jigme said, adding that Bhutan is striving to develop and maintain its culture and traditions at the same time.     To achieve that end, Bhutan has started a rating system for its hotels. Unless hotels have a certain score they are not allowed to book tourists and that is the only way to sustain high-end tourism, Jigme pointed out.     Bhutan has become famous in recent years for its economic growth yardstick, which is the Gross National Happiness Index. The Tourism Council of Bhutan also promotes the country with the tagline ‘Happiness Is A Place’.      Whether a traveler finds happiness in this tiny nation or not depends very much on what he or she is seeking, but Bhutan is sure to cast a spell on anyone with its pristine beauty and rich cultural legacy. -- END

A LESSON FROM INDIA'S WATER WOES

The scene of water tanker lorries coming by a housing area and  people chasing after them with their water containers has not changed much over the years in this country of more than a billion people.     With the monsoon shunning almost two thirds of India this year, the above  scene is more widespread as the lack of rainfall has reduced the availability of water to a chronic level.     Drought has already hit some states, namely, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan.     "But whether there is rain or not, water has always been an issue for us," said P.Manikam, 46, who lives at the Shiv Camp area in New Delhi.     This year's monsoon rain recorded a deficit of 22 per cent while rainfall over key agriculture areas in the northwestern, central, south peninsula, eastern and northeastern parts of India has been lower than 33 per cent.     A recent government data indicated that water level in India's main reservoirs was at 24 percent of capacity, down by 19 percentage points from a year ago.         LIMITED WATER SUPPLY         As for Manikam and more than 350 households in the Shiv Camp area, there was only one water supply pipe available and the tap would dry up after a few hours.     "Within a limited time all the 350 families here have to quickly store enough water for their daily use," he said, adding that this has been the routine for the past 25 years of his life.     Just like in some villages in India, people in the nation's capital of New Delhi too walk for miles to fetch water even today.     "Sometimes we have to cycle a few kilometers to fetch water for the family if there is no supply through the single tap or water tanker lorry," said a rather disappointed Manikam.     The residents, he said, had requested for an additional pipe but to no avail.          A THIRSTY SUMMER         During the peak summer months, "we go without water for days," V.Abhati, 36, told Bernama.     "We are the struggling lot. It is either too much water (from floods) or none (at all)," said another resident in the settlement who did not want her name published.     "Will our problems be solved tomorrow if I give you my name? People come and go, our problems remain as they are," said the disappointed woman.     She pointed out that except for three families in the settlement whose breadwinners work with the government, the rest are daily wage earners.     "So, we can’t afford to buy water," she said, referring to the common practice by rich locals and foreigners who purchase mineral water for their daily use.     "All we want is reliable water supply. Is that too much to ask for?" she asked angrily before walking away from the group of people being interviewed.     Over 21 per cent of transmissible diseases in India are related to unsafe water.     When contacted in Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Malaya’s senior research fellow Dr Marie Aimee Tourress said Water pollution is a national life-threatening problem.     She added that the Indian government should act fast especially after India’s water resources ministry revealed recently that groundwater in 158 out of 639 districts had turned saline.     In certain pockets across 267 districts the groundwater was reported to contain excess fluoride, in 385 districts the water contained nitrate beyond permissible levels, in 53 districts arsenic was recorded and a high level of iron was found in 270 districts.         UNDERGROUND WATER SOURCES         Nearly 80 percent of India’s rural drinking water comes from underground sources. The growing health crisis could be worse in rural India where facilities to even detect chronic health problems arising out of water contamination is not available.     In India, an estimated 1,600 children die every day due to diseases caused by lack of clean water, said Ratan Jalan, the founder and principal consultant at Medium Healthcare Consulting, in his recent presentation entitled, "Common Man Uncommon Problem".     "The New Delhi Jal Board supplies just over 30 million cubic metres of water per day, but only 17 million cubic metres actually reach consumers due to infrastructure problems such as leaking pipes," said Ratan.     Although there has been real improvement in India's water infrastructure since 2008, it was absolutely insufficient for such a huge population, noted Dr Marie.         IS THERE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL         The investments remain too low to face the increasing demand for drinking water and replacing the aging distribution infrastructure.     Today more than 25 per cent of New Delhi's population has access to only three hours of tap water a day, said Dr Marie.     "This can only grow worse if nothing is done. The government must involve the private sector to invest under partnership. To me, there is no other solution to overcome the weak public investment."     Dr Marie said such a partnership should be seen as a great business opportunity for the private sector as the investment required was estimated around US$30 billion, provided that tenders were awarded to companies with real water-related know-how.     "Not only in the water infrastructure per se but also in all the water-related sectors and industries such as the agriculture and residential sectors," she said.     A recent “State of the Environment” report by the Indian Government confirmed that more than a quarter of India’s harvest could be at risk as early as 2025 as its groundwater is depleted beyond recovery.     "Water is also a real geopolitical issue in the region where India is one of the key players," said Dr Marie.     "India is linked to many countries through its rivers (which also supplies water). The risk of polluting others is not an unrealistic scenario. If there is one conflict, which the region cannot afford, is a water conflict,” she said.     Against this backdrop, India needs to urgently address its domestic water woes as not doing so may bring about catastrophic problems. -- END

SAGUNI TAKES SWIPE AT PALM OIL

   NEW DELHI -- 'Saguni', a newly-released Tamil movie whose
title depicts a person who tactically plans moves to his or her advantage, has
also taken a swipe at palm oil, which has the highest share of consumption in
India's edible oil market.

    The politically satirical movie is directed by Shankar Dhayal and stars lead
actor Karthi Sivakumar and popular comedian Santhanam.

    One of the scenes in the movie shows Karthi intending to buy 'bajji', a
type of banana fritters, but Santhanam tries to dissuade him, saying, "Do you
want to buy that? That is fried in palm oil."

    Santhanam's facial expression also reflects a disdain for palm oil,
sometimes regarded as a "common man's oil" because the government uses palm oil
for its subsidised mid-day meals scheme and allocation of subsidised edible oil
to households below the poverty line.

    Palm oil is the highest selling oil in India, accounting for 42 per cent of
national consumption, especially in the "out-of-home" market segment.
    The plus-points of palm oil are its price in relation to other edible oils,
re-usability and high smoke point at 235 degrees Celsius, the temperature level
at which it breaks down to bluish smoke.

India consumes about 16 million tonnes of edible oil annually and 54 per
cent of this is imported.

    Palm oil is also the preferred oil in South India, accounting for about 70
per cent of consumption in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Kerala, and in coastal East India in states like West Bengal and Orissa.

    Malaysia and Indonesia are the only two main suppliers of palm oil and they
dominate 89 per cent of edible oil exports globally.

    Tamil movies are watched not only in Tamil Nadu, but in the other southern
states, as well.

    'Saguni', also dubbed in Malayalam and Telugu, was released globally on June
22.

    A number of Malaysian Tamil movie viewers who saw the scene on palm oil in
the movie, expressed shock over the negative portrayal of one of Malaysia's top
exports.

PROBABLY A HAPPINESS INDEX FOR MALAYSIA TOO

In recent times there has been growing interest in the international community in measuring happiness, a concept that was introduced in Bhutan, about 40 years ago by its fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

Instead of using the common Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, Bhutan uses Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) to measure quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms as compared with just economic growth.

The growing enthusiasm in GNH resulted in; Bhutan persuaded to propose a resolution on happiness at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last year, which was passed unanimously.

 The resolution required Bhutan to host a discussion, which it did in April 2012, but due to the huge interest the discussion was elevated to a high level meeting with participation from the government, civil servant, civil society, the academia, corporate world, Nobel Laureates and spiritual leaders. 

“There was a big success. We were rather intimidated with what rather transpired. It is huge responsibility now for us. It was scheduled as one-day meeting but it had lead to become a four-day event,” its Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley said recently.  

The aim is to present it to the UN General Assembly for a concrete proposal of a new economic paradigm that is sustainable, that is holistic and inclusive. 

“The reason why we ended up we the responsibility was because in the proposal that we made in the high level meeting is that the world has changed.

The business and individuals cannot grow and that we are living in an era that increasing threatened, that we have adopted a financial system or economic system that is self- destructive and not sustainable and there are enough evidence,” he said. 

In the same month, UN launched the First World Happiness Report. Malaysia was placed as the 51^st position the World Happiness ranking among the 156 countries surveyed.

In the report it stated that the happiest countries in the world are all in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Finland, Netherlands). Their average life evaluation score is 7.6 on a 0-to-10 scale.

The least happy countries are all poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone) with average life evaluation scores of 3.4.

“But it is not just wealth that makes people happy: Political freedom, strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together more important than income in explaining well-being differences between the top and bottom countries,” said the report.

At the individual level, good mental and physical health, someone to count on, job security and stable families are crucial.

The global community probably has realized something that Bhutan did four decades ago that GDP or wealth growth not necessarily a true reflection of people’s happiness.

Seriously, what does a 0.1 per cent or 9 per cent GDP growth mean to layman on the street. How many Malaysian out there actually wait for the figure to be released to measure their wealth and happiness?

Even for a journalist, at most time it is just a news report done at the end of every quarter.

ISIS Malaysia’s analyst, Alizan Mahadi said in his column recently that undeniably, the GDP has served Malaysia well and will continue to do so.

Malaysia has transformed itself since the 1970s by averaging impressive growth rates.

However, in what is termed the Easterlin Paradox, studies indicate that whilst societies tend to be happier with an increase in income to meet basic necessities, beyond a certain point, the relationship between happiness and income is only down to how your earnings compare with those around you, he explained.

So, probably a happiness index along with GDP would help reflect the real growth of the country and if that has kept 28 million people happy. – END

BHUTAN STRIVES TO GROW & KEEP PEOPLE HAPPY

    

    Bhutan, a landlocked country at the eastern Himalayas, is fast emerging as an attractive investment destination in South Asia. This is especially so with its strategic location between two big economies in the region, China and India.

    Although Bhutan was among the last few countries to open up after deliberately closing itself to foreigners until 1974, its leadership is now very focused and knows precisely what it wants to do and use this relatively late opening up to its advantage.

As such, it has lined up several plans to sustain its growth momentum, said Prime Minister, Jigme Y. Thinley.

      In an interview with Bernama, Thinley, who was clad in its national dress, called "gho", said: "We would like to become high quality medical service provider. We are looking at having specialised hospitals, for instance, a hospital focused on diabetes amid the high rate of diabetic patients in India.

       "With the ageing population in both India and China, promoting a healthy lifestyle and offering medical treatment would make very good business sense."

       In 2007, Bhutan, with a population of just over 700,000, was the second fastest growing economy in the world, with a growth rate of 22.4 per cent, mainly due to the commissioning of the gigantic Tala hydro-electricity project.

       The Himalayan kingdom's economy is based on agriculture, forestry, tourism and the sale of hydro-electric power to India. It is now keen to promote organic agriculture products, high-end education and tourism.

       Tourism appears to have the potential to emerge as the largest income earner for the government's coffers.

       The government realises the importance of good air links for a growing economy and its flag carrier, Druk Air, the only airline that is allowed to fly into the country, is expanding to Singapore, Hong Kong, and probably Japan in the near future.

       This expansion augurs well for Bhutan as some Japanese and Singapore firms have already shown interest in some niche projects.

        Interestingly, Bhutan's search for prosperity also has to be in consonance with its stringent requirement of a Gross National Happiness Index (GNH), protection of the environment and more importantly, its culture, Thinley stressed.

        "As far as tourism is concern, we want only high value, low impact tourism on our ecological system and culture. We can't accept our environment suffering from various kinds of social issues," he said.

        Hence, Bhutan has started rating its hotels. Unless hotels have a certain score, they cannot accommodate tourists, otherwise, it would be difficult to sustain high-end tourism, said Thinley.

      "We want rich old people, who really want to appreciate and admire our country and don’t have any capacity to do any real damage to our culture and environment," he said.

        Bhutan received 65,756 visitors in 2011, with a major portion above 60 years old. It was the highest recorded number of visitor arrivals in the country and this is 56.65 per cent more over 2010.

        Similarly, Bhutan's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy prohibits foreign investments in gambling, tobacco products, media and broadcasting, wholesale, retail and micro trade, mining for sale in raw form, hotel below three-stars and general health services.

       The country is already facing some of the common problems that any developing economies face like changes in lifestyle, rural-urban migration and a potential property bubble which may distort the very base of a balanced and inclusive growth that Bhutan seeks to attain.

        Adding to the woes is the recent drop in the Indian rupee, which is also pegged to Bhutan's currency, ngultrum, and this has also triggered balance of payment issues.

       Five years ago, it was rare to see Bhutanese wearing western clothes in their country but now the majority of teenagers here are shedding their traditional clothes for jeans and t-shirts, and they also have a preference for pizza as compared to Bhutanese food, said an observer.

        The government recently shot down a proposal for an international fried chicken outlet to be opened here, claiming that it is junk food, said a local, who also asked how long would such a situation last.

       Thinley said although there were concerns about the impact from exposure to the media, television, Internet and western culture, globalisation had also brought about considerable advantages to Bhutan, said Thinley.

       "Westernisation is something that we worry about. At the same time, we are comforted that these kinds of western influences are very brief, (happening) during adolescence, and sooner or later, we find Bhutanese going back to their (traditional) values," he said.

      Universiti Malaya's senior research fellow, Dr Marie Aimie Tourres, said the nature of modernisation strategy chosen by Bhutan would determine the extent the local population would get exposed to Western culture.

     "There is no doubt opening up will have consequences on local culture but static culture does not exist. Also, you cannot force people to resist changes  resulting from the globalisation process, especially in a democratic country like Bhutan," she said.

     In less than a decade, the price of land in the capital, Thimphu, had increased 10-fold, fuelled by unabated rural-urban migration, especially after the city boundaries were extended to Changtagang and Ngabirongchu.

      Thinley agreed that the government is worried of the rising migration problem, but was fast to point out that it is not as serious as some other nations.

      "Rural-urban migration is the bane of most developing countries. It is the biggest challenge. In Bhutan, it has not been as serious as some other countries, but we see it growing," he said when asked if the migration would have an impact on its agriculture sector.

       Thimphu has been growing at a rate of seven per cent annually, "so we are worried."

      "That is why the government aims to provide all services that are available in the cities such as road connectivity, access to electricity, safe drinking water supply and easy access to education, to the rural as well and we have been quite successful," he said.

       The government also plans to effect income supplementation by enhancing farm productivity, providing new kinds of seeds and helping farmers to mechanise more of their farming processes so that they would not become "back-breaking jobs."

       For this, Dr Marie said programmes like having extra incomes and better facilities in rural areas would probably reduce the need to move to cities.

       "Migration will happen no matter what. More so when the median age of the population is 24.8 years. Attractive agriculture policies cannot help much to retain this part of the population," she said.

     The transition that the country is going through right now is a normal process of opening up and from the impact of globalisation. But the difference with Bhutan is that it has to tackle two massive challenges all at once, unlike other countries, which took on a more progressive pace.

      By moving into a higher gear of development, Bhutan has to set an equilibrium between national interests, especially its core development philosophy through the Gross National Happiness Index, and integrating with the international community by using the best strategies possible.

       One has to wait and see how Bhutan will take on the challenges in the Bhutanese way.

JAMA MASJID, AN ANCIENT GEM OF OLD DELHI

Photo By Nishat Rehman

NEW DELHI – A mere mention of the word India would immediately take one’s mind to the much-admired Taj Mahal, but the white marble mausoleum is just one of the many finest Mughal architectures in the country and there are many more of such stature.

The Masjid Jahan Numa, which is now known as Jama Masjid, located in Old Delhi is one of them and was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. History has it that the Emperor himself laid the mosque’s foundation stone on the strong basement of a hillock in 1650AD.

About 6,000 workers completed the red sandstone mosque in 1656 AD, six years after the construction began, the Jama Masjid Delhi Advisory Council’s general secretary Syed Tariq Bukhari said.

It can accommodate up to 25,000 people at any one time.

The 356-year-old internationally acclaimed mosque is the largest Mosque in India and probably the only place of worship place in the country that has the Royal Imam leading the prayers continuously for the 13th generation, he said.

FORGOTTEN OVER TIME

Syed Tariq, who is the youngest brother of the current Shahi Imam, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said most people don’t know or have forgotten over time that the mosque has its own precious uniqueness and stories like many other historical monument.

The mosque houses some precious relics, such as the Holy Quran written on deerskin by the Prophet’s son in law, Hazrat Ali, which is 1,400 years old, its keeper Syed Zahoor al Haq Hussaini said.

“There is another Holy Quran written also on deerskin by the Prophet’s grandson. But this one, only one part is here, the other part is in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul,” said Syed Zahoor, who is the 14th generation of the keeper.

Both scripts are written in original Kufi language, he said.

The other important relics are footprint on marble, shoe made of camel skin and beard hair of the Prophet.

“Only three mosques in the world have the footprint and beard hair, in the Jama Masjid,  in the Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar and in the Blue Mosque of Istanbul.”

“The footprint miracle happened in Mecca when the Prophet was praying the marble became soft and his footprint emerged,” he said.

As for the shoe, one is in the Jama Masjid India, its pair is in the Blue Mosque.

Visitors are allowed to see the relics for themselves, he said.

Sharing some other insights, Syed Tariq said the chief architect of the mosque disappeared for two years after the foundation was laid.

“He came back after two years and informed the Emperor that it was a deliberate move to ensure that the foundation was able to face all the four seasons as the size of the monument requires a strong base,” he said.

Secondly, when the mosque was still under construction there were complaints of its slow progress, but when Shah Jahan came to know that it was because recital of the Holy Quran preceded the installation of every stone to consecrate it, the Emperor was pleased with it and ordered that it should be continued that way.

He said the mosque is actually located on a hill called Bhojla to ensure the stature above all, although the height that it was build on a hill is not visible now.

Special care was also taken to maintain the level of the pulpit of the mosque above that of the royal throne in the Red Fort, which is opposite the Jama Masjid. “Shah Jahan wanted his crown to be below the level of the mosque,” he said.

Similarly, the Emperor also wanted the Imam of the mosque to be a man noble by birth and direct descendent of the Prophet and requested one from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which was the hub of Islamic scholars then, he said.

Right from the beginning, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid enjoyed the honour to perform the coronation ceremony of the Mughal Emperor.

RESTORATION WORK AND FUTURE PLANS

There has been continuous restoration work since Independence Day as per the need of time fully funded by the government through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

He said to maintain the mosque for the next 50 years, restoration work needs to be done continuous for five years.

There have also been many plans to redevelop the whole area, which could make the mosque a bigger attraction for tourist as compared with what it is now, said Syed Tariq.

Currently, between 1,500 and 2,000 tourist visits the mosque daily.

However, the plans have been pending for years amid a lack of political will to implement them.

Asked about rumors that the mosque’s administration doesn’t want this place to be developed, he said: “We are very much ready with an open mind to redevelop the area with the cooperation of the government.”

Syed Tariq pointed out that the congestion at the road leading to the mosque is one of the crucial issues that need to be addressed.

He suggested the buildings along the streets leading to the mosque need to be restored according to the Mughal style architecture to bring back the Mughal feel to the surroundings as well.

“About 95 per cent of the tourist come by buses, we have made parking facilities but to expand the roads and clean up the surrounding is the government’s prerogative.”

The government should come up with inclusive plan, not only to make it easily accessible for tourist but also ensure that the business and livelihood of the people are sustained.

“Majority are too poor and they have to earn their living within the area. The government should accommodate this people in a planned way to keep the businesses alive. They are the daily wage. We don’t want them to be dislocated,” he said.

He said the government should give a real thought to the area’s redevelopment. “Our concern is the bureaucracy and the fact that a lot of departments involved in one work.”

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah had once offered Rs 3,000 million about (US$56 million) for the restoration work when he visited the mosque.

The Shahi Imam said it had to go through the Indian government as such huge funding need to be a government-to-government arrangement. Syed Tariq said unfortunately the offer was not taken by the Indian government and the money got diverted to other use.

As for salary and administrative expenses, he said they are handled by the trust led by the Shahi Imam.

CAUGHT IN BETWEEN

All historical monuments come under the complete care of ASI, but the Jama Masjid administration choose not have the mosque under ASI as it is a live monument.

The ASI has few strict rules, one of which is that the mosque can be opened from 10am to 5pm only.

“This is a live monument and it is not possible (to have) Fajr and Maghrib prayers if we had to follow the ASI’s time,” he said.

Besides, it has been traditional for worshipers, especially those who are too poor to find cheap accommodation to stay in the Mosque, this has been a concern from the government, especially after a twin blast in the mosque in 2006 and a shooting in 2010.

“So, we have to keep a strict vigil but we can’t stop them people from coming as far as security measures are concern,” he said.

“The rugs for prayers is also laid manually everyday as not modern machines can be fit into such historical monument,” he said, adding that besides security concern, there are also sanitary issues to be deal with.

These were among the challenges in looking after a mosque of such magnitude, where people of all walks of life come and go.

A TAKE OFF THE STREET

“It is not going to be positive,” was 30-year-old Slovak tourist Maca’s immediate reply when asked about the surroundings of the Jama Masjid.

The place definitely needs a lot of improvements in terms of cleanliness and more sanitary facilities that tourist can use, she said.

“It is a holy place and I respect it very much but it is very stressful to come here. The place is congested and there isn’t any proper place for us to buy drinks as well,” said Maca, who was leading a tour group of eight people.

“We don’t mind haggling with the rickshaw (on price) but the place needs much improvement,” a rather disappointed Maca said. 

Two other tourists met at the Mosque, Chen Shu Rong, 30, from Southern China, and Mohammad Jameel, 50, from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, also felt the same way as Maca.

“It is crowded everywhere. It was difficult to get to the Jama Masjid from the Red Fort,” said Chen.

Jameel felt that the traffic around the place makes it difficult for pedestrians to walk.

“This area has so much traffic. It is not easy for pedestrians to cross the road or walk around,” he said.

MORE THAN JUST A TOURIST ATTRACTION

The Jama Masjid’s location is truly a showcase of two cultures’ convergence, making it more then a just a tourist attraction, said Syed Tariq.

“Around the mosque is 100 per cent Muslim population, you walk across the street and it is 100 per cent Hindus. So, it is also an important monument as far as the culture and unity is concern.”

Similarly, at one end the tourist can indulge themselves with mouthwatering Mughal dishes and the other end with pure Hindu vegetarian food.

Hence, the mosque’s administration has a lot of plans but if it can be inducted in the government’s plan and be executed the result will be a gem.

Syed Tariq who loves to travel also opined that the government was not doing enough not only to make the Jama Masjid a better tourist attraction but also India in general.

“I have been to Malaysia as tourist and for business purpose. There are very minimal historical monuments as attraction but a lot of modern structures to attract tourists.”

Malaysia has managed to attract many Asian tourists with modern architectures, whilst in India there are a lot of natural attraction and yet it is not being fully utilized.

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