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Remembering great Kings

20 December 2009

On the 102nd National Day of Bhutan, Pol Prasad Chapagai pays tributes to the Kings of Bhutan for their selfless
service to the nation and farsighted leadership.

On the 102nd National Day of Bhutan, I would like to pay my humble prayers and Tashi Lekmein to His Majesty’s long and prosperous life. I would like to briefly dwell on His Majesty fourth Druk Gyalpo’s achievements and contribution to the building of modern Bhutan.

As history comes alive, His Majesty was always benevolent to his subjects and gave new meaning to the role of monarchy with constitutional reforms. From a very early age, His Majesty had to forgo his youthful life and assume the heavy responsibility of the state.

Since his enthronement, His Majesty emphasised modern education, decentralisation of governance, the development of hydro-electricity, and rural development. His Majesty directed the kingdom’s cautious opening to the outside world while focusing on sustainable development. He propounded Bhutan’s overarching development philosophy of Gross National Happiness, which became our approach to development.

Under His Majesty’s enlightened reign, the most remarkable developments took place in the field of health and education. All health facilities, including medical treatments outside the country, were provided free of cost. It is the desire of His Majesty that every citizen of Bhutan should be educated to take charge of its destiny as a productive citizen.

His Majesty was deeply concerned about the quality of life of the rural people, who formed over 90 percent of Bhutan’s population. Therefore, he continued the tradition of providing land kidu to the landless people so that they could raise their living standard.

His Majesty attached great importance to conserve Bhutan’s pristine environment and rich bio-diversity. Thus, Bhutan was able to maintain 72 percent of forest cover, which is one of the highest in the world. And Bhutan has been declared one of the ten global hotspots for biological diversity. Under His Majesty’s leadership, there was tremendous progress in the area of communication.

Construction of motor roads, provision of telephone facilities and installation of wireless station and a radio station helped speed up modern development and realize balanced and equitable development. Bhutan is today linked with the rest of the world by satellite. The establishment of Druk Air further helped open Bhutan’s door to the outside world.

One of the most far-reaching decisions taken by His Majesty was the decentralization of governance in the 5th five-year plan. With the creation of Dzongkhag Yargye Tshogdu in 1981and Gewog Yargye Tshogchungs in 1991, greater participation of the people in the decision-making and implementation of the developmental activities were encouraged at the grassroots level.

When the country was undergoing sea change, His Majesty’s leadership in preservation and promotion of our rich culture and national heritage strengthened our national identity, especially among younger generations. Beyond our borders, His Majesty improved Bhutan’s ties with the international community. His Majesty described the Indo-Bhutan relationship as a shining example of how two nations could live in perfect peace and harmony with mutual trust and understanding.

Bhutan and India collaborated in many projects to establish the infrastructure of Bhutan’s economy. Some of the most significant achievements include the establishment of 336 MW Chhukha hydro power project, 1020 MW Tala hydro power project, and 60 MW Kurichu hydro power project, which make a significant contribution to the national revenue.

The development in industry and power enabled Bhutan to increase it exports and improve the balance of payments leading to substantial earning of hard currency. It was under the dynamic and farsighted leadership of His Majesty that Bhutan achieved the fastest imaginable pace of development and enhanced its status as a proud and sovereign member of the international comity of nations.

Through this, His Majesty attracted generous foreign development assistance. His Majesty King Khesar, like his father, has always said that the future of Bhutan lies in the hands of its people. He constantly reminds us that our forefathers have handed over to us a nation whose security they had safeguarded against serious odds and grave threats, even at the cost of their lives.

We, the people of Bhutan, are most fortunate to have sovereign Kings with such dedication, wisdom and farsightedness to guide our destiny into the 21st century.

May the 102nd National Day mark the beginning of a brighter future for Bhutan. Long live His Majesty. Long live Palden Drukpa. Long live Tsawasum.

By Pol Prasad Chapagai
Assistant librarian
Samtse College of Education
pps_niesamtse@yahoo. com

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