Editorial

Need more such inspections

The surprise inspection last week to find out the implementation status of the tobacco control rules and regulations was commendable. The officials involved in the inspection took a bold decision to barge into some offices despite the possible risk of inciting resentment among some people. Such inspections are not easy, particularly because some Bhutanese offices [...]

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Whither Bhutan’s freedom of expression?

The two-day media dialogue in Thimphu on the freedom of expression and the media’s service to society this week added more depth to Bhutan’s continued discourse on the media’s role in the democratic polity. The dialogue brought together local media practitioners, public servants and a few media experts from outside. The discussion not only brought [...]

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Government needs to be more honest

There’s something dubious about the functioning of the DPT government. It’s not quite how a democratic government ought to function. The taskforce set up to study the rupee crunch in the country, it is believed, has done a commendable job and made a number of recommendations for the government. But its report still remains a [...]

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Battle against the idiot box

At a discussion on rupee crunch in Bhutan a few weeks ago, someone remarked that Bhutan’s sovereignty meant more than having a king, a national flag and other national symbols. It was an insightful remark that summed up how vulnerable Bhutan is as a nation in modern times. Over the years, as a result of [...]

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Need to eat our own

Prime minister’s address to the nation last Thursday brought home many crucial reminders to the Bhutanese. Urbanisation and onset of consumerism in Bhutan has whetted the appetite of our people for imported goods. This has resulted in excessive expenses on unnecessary consumer goods, which in turn resulted in the outflow of our currency. The import [...]

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How ‘open’ is Bhutanese society?

Can we have democracy without an open society? This question brought a group of people together in a discussion forum in Thimphu last Friday. Among the participants were some members of civil society and the media, civil servants, politicians, students and a few visiting foreigners. The discussion mainly focused on the need for a vibrant [...]

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Bring down the GNH walls

This week’s GNH conference at the UN put Bhutan at the centre of global discourse on an alternative development paradigm. Small and poor as it is, Bhutan deservedly stole the global limelight and presented itself with confidence and pride. World leaders expressed their admiration for Bhutan’s leadership in showing a new way forward for the [...]

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Calling GNH home

Next week, Bhutan will host a high-level conference at the United Nations in New York. The conference is expected to be attended by some of the world’s leading economists, scholars and spiritual leaders. A press release from the prime minister’s office says that Bhutan is hoping to ‘inspire changes the world desperately needs today’. Some [...]

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Water and food security

Along with the international community, Bhutan yesterday observed the World Water Day (WWD) whose theme this year is Water and Food Security. The theme of this year’s water day was significant to Bhutan because we are increasingly talking about food security. Like countries across the world, Bhutan is facing increasing water-related challenges. As the population [...]

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Need to reduce rupee spending on food

The severe rupee shortage gives Bhutan food for thought on many national issues. One of them is food self-sufficiency. Although close to 70 percent of our population is engaged in agriculture, we are increasingly dependent on India for food. Let alone feeding the increasing urban population, our farmers cannot even feed themselves. According to a [...]

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