Robin Datgiri, 51, lives in the last house on the border in Assam’s Hatisar village, which lies next to the town of Gelephu in Bhutan. As a child, he would cross the border daily to attend school in Gelephu, where he not only received an education, but also discounted meals (₹3 for Indians)—an opportunity that shaped his childhood. Proximity to Gelephu has been a gateway to a better life for the people of Hatisar, providing access to resources and opportunities that were otherwise scarce in their small village.
“We step into Gelephu for our daily needs even today as it is less than a kilometre away compared with the nearest Indian town, Bongaigaon, which is 60 kilometres away,” said Datgiri, who runs a pharmacy. “There is no general practitioner in Hatisar. Local doctors in Gelephu are our first call for any emergency.”
Gelephu, a town strategically situated on the Assam border, offers convenient access to other districts within Bhutan as well. It has long been a passage between Bhutan and India, serving as an important trading post and transit point for monks and traders moving between the Indian plains and Bhutanese highlands. Its long-standing role as a lifeline and strategic location on the fertile plains, in contrast to the mountainous terrain that dominates much of the Himalayan kingdom, has given shape to a new dream for King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is developing the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) as the first of its kind special administrative region (SAR) in Bhutan based on a “two systems, one country” policy.
“It is designed for Bhutan. But it is not just for Bhutan. It is going to benefit Assam and all of India,” said Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. “We see it as an economic gateway for the world to India and through India to southeast Asia.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 29, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 29, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Walking in pine forest can have the same effect as a prescription drug
INTERVIEW - KATHY WILLIS, professor of biodiversity, the University of Oxford, and author, Good Nature
MORE THAN A HELPING HAND
Maria Victoria Juan spent a lifetime healing wounded soldiers, and she can't think of anything she could have done better
Against all odds
Mohamed Raishan Ahmed was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which made him unable to sit, stand or walk. Recently, the Maldivian underwent a rare, complex surgery in India that now allows him to sit upright. At 23, the fact that he is alive is in itself an achievement. But he has gone beyond mere survival-with a pursuit of excellence
A pacemaker tale
From science fiction to reality, with a touch of southern Indian wisdom
Driving safe
Taxi drivers endure gruelling hours, cramped seats and relentless traffic, making them prime candidates for health issues like back pain, hypertension, diabetes and insomnia.
Good food, good life
From the moment of birth, we establish a relationship with food—a nourishing link that requires care and attention to stay healthy
POOR SLEEP IN MIDLIFE COULD AGE YOUR BRAIN FASTER
PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SLEEP ISSUES, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep in their 40s, may show more signs of brain ageing in late midlife. Poor sleep may accelerate brain atrophy that is associated with dementia.
BRAIN SCANS SHOW MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CAN REDUCE PAIN
CAN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION actually relieve pain, or is it just a placebo effect?
NON-SURGICAL OPTION TO EASE KNEE ARTHRITIS
A NEW, MINIMALLY INVASIVE procedure called genicular artery embolisation (GAE) can effectively reduce pain, improve quality of life and reduce progression of the disease and the need for knee replacement surgery in people with knee osteoarthritis.
EARLY ONSET DIABETES, BELLY FAT LINKED TO DEMENTIA
FACTORS SUCH AS DIABETES and belly fat in midlife can put you at risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life.
