By Bishnu Luitel (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

In 1990, while Bhutanese citizens expelled by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck were forced to live a hellish life in refugee camps in eastern Nepal, the Bhutanese king was calling on the wealthy and donor nations to invest in the development of a “Mega City” on the very lands cleared by expelling those refugees. This development project, initiated by the Bhutanese king, completely disregards the plight of his own citizens.

Citizens are not just inhabitants of a country; they are also its guardians, defending its borders. In the 1990s, unable to endure the injustice and atrocities perpetrated by the military under the king’s orders, more than 100,000 Bhutanese were forcibly evicted from their homeland. Among these expelled citizens, approximately 40,000 were rightful owners of the lands now designated for the so-called “Gelephu Mega City” or “Gelephu Mindfulness City.” These lands were once home to families who were driven away to make way for this new project.

Another deceptive tactic orchestrated by the Bhutanese government over the past forty years has been the systematic renaming of villages and Gewogs—groups of villages (previously called Blocks)—from which citizens were expelled. After forcibly emptying these areas, the names of the villages and blocks were altered. Now, forty years later, Bhutan has quietly unveiled the extensive “Gelephu Mega City” project in these areas.

The primary reason for waiting so long to announce this project is to ensure that the displaced citizens could no longer identify their ancestral lands under their changed names. Most of the older generation who were evicted from Bhutan have passed away. Those who remain have largely forgotten the past due to the physical and mental suffering endured in Bhutan and the hardships of life in refugee camps.

The Bhutanese king seems to have calculated that the older generation is now incapable of doing anything, and the younger generation is unaware of these past events. Based on this assumption, it is believed that the king made a widespread appeal to develop this project.

In an attempt to erase history and establish the Mega City as a legitimate project on new, “empty” land, Bhutan renamed the following blocks and villages:

-“SureyLakha” became
“Jigmichholing”

• “Bhur” became “Jigmiling”
• “Danabari” became “Chuzgang”
• “Lalai “ became “Umling”
• “Taklai”became “Tareythang”

In addition to these blocks, the names of smaller villages were also changed. This renaming is part of Bhutan’s effort to obscure the truth and rewrite the narrative of these lands.

Gelephu is the epicenter of the “Mega City” project.

According to special sources, construction is rapidly underway for an international airport located two kilometers north of Gelephu on the Sarbhang Highway. The airport features a five-kilometer runway. Plans detailed in e-Kuensel mention controlling the seasonal Ai Puwali stream by building a dam at the foothills and redirecting it to join the Paitha River. Similarly, seasonal streams like Dhola and Seti on the eastern side are to be controlled and bridged.

To facilitate the supply of construction materials for the Mega City, a 45-kilometer railway line is proposed to connect Gelephu Airport with Kokrajhar in Assam, India. The project also envisions extending the railway slightly south of the international airport to establish a dry port, enhancing the Mega City’s appeal and identity.

However, this land, cleared for the Mega City, witnessed the forced eviction of thousands of Bhutanese in 1990. Gelephu was the most densely populated Block in the region and is now central to the Mega City plan.

According to Bhaktiram Mishra, a former Karbari (local official)from Gelephu, “That Block had only about 700 SA-Tham ( registered)plots of land, but including subdivisions, around 850 households resided there. If we include those who lived in the central market and surrounding areas, the total number of families exceeded 1,200. Both Gelephu residents and Bhutanese from nearby southern, northern, and eastern regions had built large houses there. We worked tirelessly to make it a historic town, pouring our sweat and hard work into it. But in the end, we were the ones forced to leave.”

Mishra recalled the tragic events vividly, recounting how the Bhutanese military once fired indiscriminately at the house of a local leader, Mandal( head of the Block) Chandra Bahadur Tiwari. “Fortunately, they survived, but several villagers stationed at his house were jailed. Later, Mandal Tiwari himself was imprisoned and subjected to severe torture for a long time. Eventually, he passed away. These events remain fresh in my memory,” Mishra said.

Out of the approximately 850 families who once resided in Gelephu, fewer than 100 remain today, with over 700 families forcibly evicted.

Letting out a deep sigh, Mishra added, “Today, I live in Blacklick City, Ohio, USA, with my family, but the memories of Gelephu still haunt me.”

In Jigmiling or Bhur Block, structures built for quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and other ongoing constructions reportedly cover a total of 700 acres of land. This land, too, was cleared in the 1990s by evicting Bhutanese citizens. The area is now designated for facilities such as the Department of Information Technology (IT), various training centers, the engineering department, and the Human Resources (HR) division.

The village of Aipuwali, which falls under Bhur Block, has been renamed Phulari. Another village above it is called Edi, located at the upper edge of Aipuwali. In the 1990s, after expelling the Lhotshampas from the area, Bhutan settled residents from Edi village in the Semgang district to form a small settlement. The village was named Edi after these settlers.

Under Bhutan’s Mega City project, plans are underway to build grand Buddhist temples and monasteries in the heart of Aipuwali. Among these are the Tara Kulikuli and Chepameyi temple, as well as eight cremation grounds, a Vajrayana center, and a monastery comparable to Paro Rinpung Dzong, which is being constructed in Phulari. The land for all these projects, located just 15 minutes from Gelephu market, was forcibly cleared in 1990 by deploying the military to evict residents.

According to Bhanu Chandra Adhikari, an elder who served as a Karbari( assistant to Mandal) in Bhur Block for 20 years, the block was separated from Gelephu in 1976. He explained:
“When Gelephu and Bhur were one block, it was difficult to manage the large number of families and handle administrative tasks, so they were divided into two blocks. I took on the responsibility of overseeing affairs when Gelephu and Bhur were still one, and I continued to serve in the same role after Bhur became a separate block. Despite dedicating 20 years of service to the people and the government, I was not allowed to stay in my country. In the 1990s, I endured various tortures. The constant fear of the army and the relentless pressure and oppression from Gelephu Dzongda Daso Tobgay Chhirring forced me to leave. Clinging to my small children, I fled my homeland in the pouring rain to save our lives. Those days are too painful to even recall. The Bhutanese government accused me of crimes I never committed and ignored my pleas of innocence. They humiliated me and expelled me from the country.”

Adhikari now lives in Kentucky, USA. During his time in Bhur block, he resided with his family in Aipuwali, now renamed Phulari.

According to Padam Acharya, Gaubuda ( local official)from Jhupré village in Bhur block, “There were around 750 landowners in Bhur or Jigmiling block. Adding another 150 families who lived in subdivisions, there were about 900 households in total. More than half of these families were forced to leave the country due to the military’s atrocities in Bhur. The local leader, Mandal Yadbahadur Ghale, has since passed away. I barely escaped with my life. Thinking of Bhutan makes me want to cry. We worked so hard on development and construction projects, paid forced labor taxes, and endured endless suffering.” Acharya, who now resides in Blacklick, Ohio, shared his painful memories.

In Danabari or Chuzgang, there are now plans to construct structures reminiscent of Lord Gautam Buddha’s birthplace, Lumbini, according to unofficial sources. Like Bhur, the land for these projects, located a 15-minute drive from Gelephu market, was cleared in 1990 by deploying the military to forcibly evict residents.

Hari Kafle, the former Mandal Clerk of Danabari block, explained: “There were approximately 800 households in Danabari, including those living in subdivisions. Of these, around 50 families were Nepali-speaking or Dukpa. In the 1990s, martial law was imposed in the country, and the army began visiting homes daily, inflicting torture. Many citizens endured severe physical and mental abuse in prison. I, too, was imprisoned for 18 months and subjected to various forms of torture. Some of my friends were left disabled, others lost their lives, and many women were forced to suffer unspeakable indignities. Even now, some of our people are enduring harsh prison conditions, and many from our village disappeared without a trace. The atrocities of Bhutan’s government during the 1990s are indescribable.”

Kafle also recalled, “Danabari’s soil was extremely fertile. There were large farms, and betel nut and coconut farming thrived. The progress made by Nepali-speaking Lhotshampas was the very reason the Bhutanese government envied us. Despite committing no wrongdoing, we were the ones expelled from our homeland. This is the grave injustice the king inflicted upon us, and one day, he will have to face the consequences of his sins.”

Hari Kafle now resides in Blacklick, Ohio, with his family.

In 1990, the King of Bhutan deployed the military to Taklai (now Taraythang) block, subjecting its residents to indescribable physical and mental torture. Among the victims was the local leader, Mandal Purna Gurung, who endured severe abuse. Gurung recounted, “The chaos and desperation caused by the brutal behavior of the Bhutanese army cannot be put into words.”

Taklai block had approximately 500 main landowners and around 600 households when including family subdivisions. Gurung said, “All families from my block were completely displaced, leaving no one behind. I was also forced to flee. Some couldn’t even save their lives. Those of us who survived are grateful to have protected our families and made it this far.”

Purna Gurung served as Mandal of Taklai block from 1981 to 1990. He now resides in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his family.

It has been reported through local sources that land cleared of residents in Taklai has been used for the groundbreaking of new buildings spread across 30 acres under the Mega City project. These buildings will house the “National Security Department (NS)”, including a “Desu Training Center”(paramilitary training).

Additionally, an 800-meter-long bridge over the Mau River is planned to connect Gelephu, Umling (Danabari), and Taraythang (Taklai). This is crucial because during the monsoon season, the Mau River floods, cutting off eastern blocks from Gelephu, completely halting transportation. It currently takes over 1.5 hours to travel to Chisapani on the Gelephu-Tongsa road. The bridge is seen as vital for improving connectivity between Taklai and Gelephu.

Taklai block was initially settled around 1960 under the leadership of Mandal Ran Bahadur Gurung, known as Ghiuwala Mandal. He received a royal decree (Kasho) from King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to establish the settlement. Given this, a bridge over the Mau River should have been constructed long ago to benefit the approximately 3,000 households across these four blocks. However, during the reign of Bhutan’s third king, little attention was given to regions with a large Lhotshampa (Nepali-speaking) population.

Instead, strategic efforts were made to displace these citizens and strip them of their land. The construction of the “Mindfulness City” on land seized from evicted citizens highlights the cunning and ruthless tactics employed by the Bhutanese monarchy.

In the 1990s, a popular uprising began in Bhutan as citizens demanded human rights and fundamental freedoms. Due to the government’s discriminatory census policies, members of the same family were divided into seven different categories, leading to the forced eviction of many from the country. To suppress this movement, the Bhutanese king imposed martial law in southern Bhutan and deployed the military to villages.

As a result, citizens in southern Bhutan found it impossible to live in their homeland and were forced to flee for their lives. Many were killed, others endured horrific conditions in prisons, and numerous women became victims of sexual violence. The majority of the residents of southern Bhutan were Nepali-speaking people with strong ties to Nepali culture and traditions.

The lands left behind by Bhutanese citizens who fled to save their lives are now being used by the Bhutanese government to construct the “Gelephu Mega City”or “Gelephu Mindfulness City.”
The government claims this land is vacant, deceiving the international community about its origins. The king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, has been actively seeking financial support from donor nations, wealthy corporations, and influential individuals to fund his mega city project.

Since the 1990s, the Bhutanese king has not only torn apart his own citizens, rendering many stateless, but has also ignored the contributions made by southern Bhutanese citizens to the country’s development. Instead, he has treated these development-minded individuals like termites washed out of their habitat during monsoon floods.

The injustice inflicted upon the citizens by the king is undoubtedly unforgivable. A just king becomes a “Ram,” creating a “Ram Rajya” (an ideal state). However, an unjust king turns into a “Ravana”. It is up to the Bhutanese king to decide what kind of ruler he wants to be and what kind of state he wishes to establish. The Government orchestrated violence unleashed by the king, along with his labeling of his own citizens as “Ngolops” (anti-nationals), will one day be weighed on the scales of history. History will ultimately decide who bears the greater burden of guilt.

(To be continued in the next part…)

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