GCRPPB Raised Awareness on Bhutanese Political Prisoners During Vishwa Shanti Gyan Mahayagya in Galion
By Bhanu Khanal, Youth Coordinator at GCRPPB
The Vishwa Shanti Gyan Mahayagya took place in Galion, Ohio, at the OM Center Divya Dham from July 16 to 23, 2025. It was organized by the Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization (GBHO), the largest religious organizations of the Bhutanese diaspora. The primary objective of this sacred gathering was to pray for global peace and wisdom. The event brought together thousands of devotees and Hindu spiritual leaders from across North America and around the world. Beyond its religious and spiritual significance, it also served as an important meeting point for the Bhutanese community.
It is estimated that over 50,000 people attended this week-long event.
Our organization, the Global Campaign to Release Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB), participated on Saturday, July 19, 2025, by setting up a booth to raise awareness about political prisoners in Bhutan. We firmly believe that spiritual gatherings like this are important platforms for spreading awareness, given the deeply moral and humanistic nature of our cause. The prisoners we advocate for have been detained simply for speaking up for dignity, identity, and the right to live peacefully in their homeland—rights inherent to all human beings.
Since the 1990s, the Bhutanese government has implemented policies aimed at removing large numbers of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese citizens, many of whom had lived in southern Bhutan for centuries. Some individuals remain imprisoned to this day—either for practicing their culture, language, religion, and traditions (due to cultural policies) or for asserting their right to citizenship and residency in their ancestral homeland (due to citizenship policies).
With the strong support of GBHO, we were able to set up an awareness booth that drew interest from many attendees. We explained our mission—to advocate for the release of Bhutan’s political prisoners through advocacy, lobbying, storytelling, and awareness campaigns. This booth was part of the awareness-building branch of our organization.
We were also hopeful that we might encounter former political prisoners at the event as part of our storytelling and documentation project, which aims to preserve and share the lived experiences of Bhutan’s political prisoners and torture survivors. We were fortunate to meet a few such individuals, who kindly agreed to be interviewed in the near future.
As part of our engagement efforts, we organized a ticket drawing activity where interested individuals could leave their name and phone number. A winner will be selected soon to receive a small gift, adding an interactive element to our booth. All participants were added to our contact list to receive future updates—especially if any political prisoners are released. Many attendees also followed our social media pages, shared our posts, and signed the petition—demonstrating genuine solidarity and support for the cause. Additionally, we made efforts to educate Bhutanese youth who showed a strong interest in Bhutan’s history and our mission.
Later in the day, Mr Bhuwan Pyakurel, Reynoldsburg City Council member and a prominent Bhutanese community leader in Ohio, interviewed our team via Facebook Live. His support helped amplify our message and allowed us to reach an even broader audience.
Overall, our participation in the Vishwa Shanti Gyan Mahayagya was a meaningful opportunity to connect with the community, raise awareness about political prisoners in Bhutan, and build new relationships rooted in shared values. We are grateful to GBHO for their support and to everyone who engaged with our mission. This event has strengthened our resolve to continue advocating for justice, freedom, and dignity for all.