In recent years, there has been new trend of women playing khuru in Bhutan, a game traditionally played only by men. However, as expected, in a country where culture and tradition form integral part of every day life of people, this trend has been repudiated as not being in line with our age old tradition and culture. This trend has been assailed with plethora of unfounded criticisms in many online forums discrediting the fact that women in Bhutan too have fundamental rights. Therefore, it is high time that we start asking serious questions about our culture and tradition and our fundamental rights.
We can't hold on to the tradition for the sake of tradition and patriotism; we have to study what is good and what is bad for everyone. We should love our country intelligently, as HM says. I have highest regard for Bhutanese tradition and culture like respect for parents, teachers, and elders. I also believe in our traditions like helping each other in communities because these traditions have undying values and merits in them: they keep our society strong and happy. But, traditions like not allowing women to play games like khuru is not worthy of preserving at all.
What about women's fundamental right? Can we deny women of Bhutan the right to joy and sefl-fulfillment provided by playing a game of Khuru. I don't think it's a profanity in anyway for a women to play a game of Khuru.They are playing because it is an enjoyable game. Why should only men have access to this beautiful game of Khuru? Can't women have the liberty to play this game if they wish and desire to do so? Can we restrict their access to game in the name of tradition turning a blind their rights?
Another question asked by those you oppose women playing khuru is: who is going to dance during the matches? Well, to answer this question, I don’t think all the women in Bhutan will play Khuru en masse. About half the population of Bhutan is women; so, those women who do not play khuru can participate in dancing and singing if they desire to do so. But I have one reservation about this tradition of women dancing during the games of archery and khuru: my hunch is that it was an ingenious trick set up in the past by exploitive powerful men to lure women into something bad-readers will know it. In fact, this tradition of making women to dance during private ceremonies of powerful people, and during the traditional khuru and archery matches is an outright exploitation of women in Bhutan. Therefore, it is important that we change our mind set and be wary of things going on under the veil of tradition-exploitation of women is happening!
Other assertion made by people opposing the trend of women play khuru is that it is not a Bhutanese tradition. Going by this argument, then Bhutanese men should not be working in kitchens? This is because traditionally women were those who did the cooking and cleaning in the kitchens. But this is not the case now: there are many top male chefs working in hotels in Bhutan earning handsome salary. So, should we ban male chef in kitchens from Bhutanese hotel? Are men ready to give way to women because it is not our tradition for men to work in the kitchen? I am sure the answer will be flat NO. What?! Are you kidding me? Have Bhutanese men forgotten our precious culture and tradition in the face of money and glamour of working in a posh hotel? Tradition is important-but not if we can earn money and fame?!
So, the fundamental questions boils down to this: can we deny women of Bhutan their right to do what they desire, just because these things were not done in the past. Don’t the apostles of the orthodoxy that women should not play khuru have any other worthy justification other than tradition and culture to restrict our women from playing the game they enjoy? This to me sounds totally rubbish!
All citizens in Bhutan have fundamental right to freedom of expression which is a constitutional right. These freedoms are restricted only if exercising of the right is a threat to security and sovereignty of a nation. Letting women to exercise their right of freedom to play simple game of Khuru is not even a threat to our security. Therefore, it is very unseemly to assail our women with criticism for enjoying their constitutional and god-given rights.
So, let us not worry about women playing khuru or any other damn game played by men, but let’s worry about domestic violence, and about some husband playing archery day and night not tending to their kids and wifes even after office hours. Let’s not preserve the culture of beating women because of their inherent physical weakness; let us not create a culture where husbands stay all weekends playing archery and dice in neighour's lounge. Lastly, let us break up this social menace of denying our women their fundamental rights to liberty, justice and freedom in the name of preserving our culture and tradition.
