Some 16,000 kilometers and a dozen time zones away, in a distant land called the United States of America—a country considered first among First World nations and populated, we are constantly reminded, by highly educated and knowledgeable people—the electorate chose a proven nutcase as their President. At our ostensibly safe remove, we watch gawk-eyed at the ludicrousness of the American people’s choice.
Closer to home, we are rattled by the news that India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, in retaliation for its role in the cowardly murder of 26 Indian and Nepalese tourists in Pahalgam, a town in the Indian state of Kashmir.
And now, as if we did not have enough to worry about, comes the shameful revelation that our beloved country’s press freedom ranking has plummeted a stupendous 119 places—in just four years!
The First Monkey and leader of the pack:
The footloose Dasho who thinks he has the power to supercede the Constitution and decide that he can interpret press freedom in a way that makes it convenient for him to cover up his own failings.
The Second Monkey:
The foot soldier and the custodian of the Fourth Estate who is so feeble that he allows himself to be trampled all over by the First Monkey—effectively surrendering editorial independence to rank outsiders with vested interest.
The Third Monkey:
The self-righteous Bhutanese who prefers to stay muted, under the mistaken belief that self-censorship is an act of patriotism and loyalty, and that remaining hushed is a sign of maturity and wisdom.
It is sad. We have so much potential, nature has been so bountiful to us, and our leadership toils tirelessly and with unflinching hope and faith. Yet we squander our good fortune through cowardice and aloofness, because being truthful is mistaken for being courageous. In today’s Bhutan, frankness—being forthright and speaking boldly—is considered dangerous.
I have been told repeatedly by readers that I am “brave” to write the things I do—a sentiment with which I completely disagree. To bite one’s tongue when one’s country is facing monumental challenges is unconscionable. The result of our free-floating and often baseless anxiety is that Bhutanese citizens are too afraid to claim the right to express themselves freely.
I myself have experienced unjust treatment in the hands of those who took upon themselves the role of moral guardian. In 2012, BBS TV silenced me because I was speaking the truth, on camera:
Years later, during a media gathering, Kuensel management urged me to contribute to their paper once in a while. I agreed, although I pointed out to them that since they are the mouthpiece of the government, they may not be able to handle my unvarnished views. They dismissed my worry as rubbish, assuring me that they could handle whatever I write. Within days, I contributed an article and, true to their word, they carried the piece in the print edition of Kuensel, dated June 29, 2024:
Two days later, however, a reader overseas wrote to tell me that my article had been removed from Kuensel’s website.
To this day, Kuensel has not told me why the article that they saw fit to be published in hard copy was scrubbed from their website. Personally, I don’t care. But it is heartbreaking to realize that after 60 years in the business, our national newspaper is clueless about the central role it plays as upholder of the nation’s conscience.
In my view, I do not believe that there is a need to feel petty indignation at our feeble press-freedom ranking. Instead, it’s time for serious introspection.
