The government’s decision to bring down the curtain on the Drayang business left both owners and employees in a state of uncertainty. They expected major changes but not this. The Prime Minister issued an Executive Order on Friday asking all Drayangs to cease operations with immediate effect.
Since its establishment in the 90s, Drayang has helped vulnerable women with poor education and humble family background to put food on the table. The industry was doing well until COVID-19 hit the country. To avoid gathering which might cause an outbreak of the virus, the government temporarily ordered the closure of all entertainment centres in March 2020. While the restriction was eased in October last year, Drayangs were asked to wait for a separate directive.
Living on the Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu, they stayed hopeful amid rumours of strict regulations that might be enforced. And then the executive order shattered all their hopes.
Twenty-six-year-old Choney Pelden from Trashi Yangtse could not believe that she will no more have a job to go to. Along with her husband, she has been working in a Drayang for more than five years now. The steady income helped the couple to support her family and siblings who are still studying.
“If there’s no Kidu, then we the Drayang girls have nowhere to go and seek help. Unlike other people, we cannot get government jobs as we don’t have proper education and most of us come from a humble family,” she said.
Like Choney, many women working in Drayang share similar stories. They say they have lost their livelihood and are hoping for the government to provide them with other avenues.
“I took a loan to establish a business, but it didn’t work out. I couldn’t repay, so I had no choice but to join Drayang. It was my major source of repayment for my debt, but after hearing the news, I am concerned about how I would pay back the loan. We are receiving the Royal Kidu, but there are still many issues,” said Tshering Zangmo, an employee of HighLanders Club in Thimphu.
“I am not stable financially, I have been supporting my family and siblings by working in the Drayang,” said Yeshi Tshomo from Trongsa, a Drayang worker in Paro.
“Due to my lack of education, I believe I will have difficulty finding another work since graduates are also struggling to get jobs. It would be difficult to work in the fields if we go to the village since we have been away for so long. I even worked on a construction site during the last two years of lockdown, but we lack the required strength,” said Karma Wangmo, also a Drayang worker in HighLanders Club.
“Most of the girls who work in Drayangs, like me, were probably worried when they heard the news. We currently have work experience with Drayang and are unsure of what type of work we will do in the future. We are having difficulty finding other jobs because of our lack of education. We are hoping for the government’s support,” added Jigme Zangmo, also from HighLanders Club.
According to the executive order from the Prime Minister, the decision to close the Drayangs in the country was reached after a series of reviews and consultations for over a year. The executive order states that women working in Drayangs are ‘sexually objectified, subjected to stereotypes’ and looked down on in the communities.
But Drayang owners claim that they have been waiting for the government’s directives to amend the system in the operation of Drayang. They said they were ready to accept the proposed changes the government has announced in the past- one of the changes is the removal of the request system, where women working in Drayangs go around asking patrons to request songs or dance for a certain amount of money.
“We have lost all faith after the Drayang closure order. I couldn’t even eat or sleep well. We lived hoping that Drayangs would be allowed to reopen under some conditions agreeable to everyone. However, in the end, the decision was made to close down. That was really discouraging because first and foremost, we are losing our primary source of income, and secondly, around 20 youth who work here with us will lose their jobs. It concerns me as to how they will live after this,” said Kencho Dorji, the owner of HighLanders Club.
“When we received the order to shut down Drayangs, I was not surprised because we had been requesting the government to give us a concrete answer for a long time. I could not understand the closure order as Drayangs have remained closed until now. However, we had a discussion with the government and if the Drayangs get closed the government promised to give us compensation and Kidu,” said Kelzang Phuntsho, the President of Drayang Association of Bhutan.
As per the Executive order, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources are directed to collaborate and render necessary support to Drayang operators and workers as they venture into new opportunities.
Kelzang Choden
Edited by Sonam
