I Lived in and Left Bhutan
by A Community Member
PA, USA
I was born in a small village in the south of Bhutan. I don’t know what year I was born.
मेरो जन्म दक्षिण भुटानको एउटा सानो गाउँमा थियो। मलाई थाहा छैन मेरो जन्म कुन समयमा भएको थियो।
I have never been to school, because there was no school close to my house.
म विद्यालय गएको छैन किनभने मेरो घर नजिकै कुनै विद्यालय थिएन।
I worked as a farmer for years and grew many crops.
म किसानको रुपमा काम गर्थे र धेरै अन्नबाली लगाउथे।
When I was around 60 years old, I was forced to leave Bhutan along with other Nepali-Bhutanese people.
जब म साठी बर्षको भए, मलाई अरु नेपालीभाषी भुटानीहरुसँगै भुटान छोडन बाध्य बनायो।
There was a saying amongst the team of refugees; if we die, let’s die together. If we live, let’s live together. If we get food, let’s share and eat together.
भुटानी शरणार्थीहरुको कथन थियो यदि मर्नु परे सबै मर्ने,बाँचे सबै बाँच्नो र खानेकुरा पाउँदा एकअर्कामा बाडेर खाने।
With this saying in mind, we kept walking toward Nepal. The days were about how to survive and how to keep children safe.
यो भनाईलाई आत्मासाथ गर्दै,हामी नेपालतीर लाग्यौ। ती दिनहरु कसरी बाच्ने र आफना नानीहरुलाई सुरक्षित भन्ने मै निहित थियो।
With a heavy heart, I arrived in Nepal.
मन गह्रौ पार्दै म नेपाल पुगे।