Children’s Trash Park!

I made my day out last weekend to the famous Ap Gengyen shrine at Dechenphug.  Well, mentioned by Ap Bokto in one of his add, “take only fruits or cash” as offerings and avoid offerings wrapped in plastics. This magic worked in me and I am proud to share this that henceforth I will continue to offer either cash or fruits. I frequent this shrine on a monthly basis. I also avoid auspicious days due to the crowd. Now the practice of offerings made is changing. 

I felt a heightened sense of being responsible. A good deed done perhaps! I also saw many students- all school going (maybe) doing what Ap Bokto advised us and I smiled faintly at the gesture our young people make on such visits. Television has at least made them do some good; otherwise you know how our kids are these days. But adults still hold unto their ritualistic attitude. Many had come with the all traditional-plastic offerings. The young learned and for the adults, how I wished if they could follow the young.

On my way to the shrine I also saw cars being parked on the sides and I worried for not being able to get a parking but to my amazement the parking lot was half empty and those cars beside the roads were for some family outings. I am sure some waste out there was being generated.

For the afternoon, I took my baby and wife to the famous centenary children’s park upon the invitation of my brother and my nephews. The sights and scenes at this park made me write this update. The famous park has now become a weekend destination for children and adults alike. We know our attitude, ‘if everyone is responsible, it’s nobody’s responsibility’. As Bhutanese, we know our infamous Doma habit. The place was littered with Doma wrappers-plastic and papers. If you don’t believe me take a look especially where hedges are grown.

This park is a public place meant for recreation and it was also used by some for family gatherings with lots of chairs and lavishly spread out dishes. But the worrying consequence was the trash they left behind. The gathering by its scale was meant for not less than fifty people. I was wondering if this public space can be used for private purposes.

The all-knowing people visiting the park cannot understand ‘Use Me’. I presume! That’s what I thought because the poor ‘Use Me’ bin was unbelievably clean on the inside. There was a canteen which catered to fast foods and ice creams. The wrappers were thrown all over and plates, cups and glasses were unattended. Empty mineral water bottles and tissue papers predominantly topped the list when it came to waste in the children’s park.

Please do share this post for the betterment of our places of recreation and city at large because ‘willful waste brings woeful wants’ and please don’t forget to spread the message that, ‘it is error alone that needs intervention, truth can stand all by itself’. The truth here is trash folks.

Let us clean our brains first and the drains later-Ap Bokto

Good day folks!