In our convenience to decide?

Photo: www.art.com

I was little confused when one of my Uncles told me that this year for the first time Chukha Tshechu will be held in the month of October. Normally, it is held (almost) coinciding with Paro Tshechu. Chukha Tshechu was scheduled on March 25-27 this year on most calendars.

A website (a tourism to be specific) notifies its visitors that Chukha Tshechu this year was postponed to October 12-14 and it went on to say that it will be held in the newly inaugurated Chukha Dzong. But no official information or notification pertaining to decision in change of dates was provided anywhere. For once I thought maybe they wanted to do it in the new Dzong. However, the new Chukha Dzong was inaugurated on March 9, 2012.

Now this is surprising! Why did the Dzongkhag Administration postpone the Tshechu? A friend of mine thinks it might be due to the National Council elections that it was temporarily kept on hold. But again, Paro Tshechu went as scheduled on March 22- 27, 2013. Moreover, National Council election was conducted much later on April 23, 2013!

I am sure people behind the decision might have had the reasons. Was there a circular from the Home Ministry asking the Dzongkhag to postpone the Tshechu? But this is disturbing - how can we keep on changing our historical events like that? Certainly, our Tshechus are far more significant than a school fete. And interestingly, even such school events are held as per the schedule.

Same thing happened a few years ago - some officials thought we have so many public holidays. So, they removed Thruebab (Blessed Rainy Day) from the list. And when some "experts" made noise in the media, they reinstated Thruebab but attacked Ngenpaguzom (the Meeting of Nine Evils, a traditional public holiday). It was like replacing a broken tooth but knocking down new one in its stead!

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