The Life and Times of a King
Immortal Lines
Speeches of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck
A Bhutan Times Publication (Hardcover-195 pages)
BOOK REVIEW – BY Gopilal Acharya
August 12, 2007 – Thimphu: “There is no such thing as Palestinians.” The world shook when Golda Meir, the erstwhile prime minister of Israel, ‘the only man in the cabinet’ made this statement in 1969. There were voices of resistance, but inaudible in the ‘world according to Golda Meir.’
Her formidable presence was too tough to be opposed. The mighty powers kept quiet. Even after her resignation in 1974, she repeatedly shocked the world with her refusal to flaunt her position on the ‘Palastine Question’ as the world called it.
Two years later, on August 16, a young King stood up to speak at the fifth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Colombo. From a country, where only a handful of them had heard of Palestine, the King spoke for the ‘nationless’ people of the Middle East.
Heads of states, grey haired, seasoned old chaps, watched in awe inspiring curiosity as he spoke. “The situation in the Middle East continues to pose a grave threat to international peace and security,” continued Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 20-year old King in a firm and commanding baritone far beyond his years, “…that the Palestinian question is at the heart of the problem, and there can be no just and durable peace in the region unless Israel withdraws from all Arab territories occupied by her since 1967, and unless the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people are fully restored, including the right to return to their homeland and establish an independent State in Palestine.”
The same message resonated in all the NAM summits where His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo stood to speak. Two years later in Havana, the capital of Communist Cuba, he said in a prophetic tone, “Efforts made by the great powers towards relaxation of international tension have yet to contribute to the security and stability of the developing countries…the practice of interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states continues abated. Increasingly, recourse is being taken to political and economic pressures, threats of force and subversion.” What His Majesty voiced almost two decades ago still holds true. In Palestine, in Afghanistan, in Iran – the developing nations are forced to bend before the mighty; those unwilling are threatened with economic sanctions and threats of aggression.
Note the venue of the speech, the land of Fidel Castro. It was at a time when the United States of America was yearning to get rid of the little red threat. Here is a question for a quiz competition. Remove the name of the speaker and ask the competitors to identify the speaker. His Majesty the king can be easily mistaken for a revolutionary spirit with an undying passion for justice and liberty.
Come to the end of the speech mentioned above, you can see the Buddha in him, “Never in this world does hatred cease by hatred; it ceases only by love.” This message has echoed in all his speeches made inside and outside Bhutan, giving our little nation a big space in the say of international affairs. Neither our snow capped mountains nor the majestic Dzongs, but it is His Majesty who is our face before the world. His speeches are streaks of light, unerring ethical positions and the wisdom of the middle path. It reminds a world that is running out of control, to slow down, stand for a moment, to look first inside before continuing its pursuit.
The book, Immortal Lines, Speeches of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck, published by the Research Unit, Bhutan Times, is therefore a pilgrimage worth pursuing. As claimed rightly in the title of the book, His Majesty’s words are immortal. For a novice into the life and times of His Majesty this book serves as a good starting point.
It is a rare episode in the history of the modern world, where a ruler grew up with the ruled. His Majesty took the reins of this kingdom as a teenager, the journey was challenging, in the fullness of time he hands it over to his son to carry on the dreams that he has shaped.
We Bhutanese consider our Kings as the epitome of perfection. Here is where this book throws new light into his life. All his speeches are dialogues, humbly acknowledging the listener as a stakeholder in his conversation. His speeches do not present him as an ‘all knowing God.’ His words are pitched in the realities of the times he faced. There is sorrow, loss, loneliness, anger, happiness, concerns, and compassion in his words.
In times of challenges, he shared it with his people, which is evident in his Address to the Nation on December 17, 2000, at Trashigang. Referring to the militant camps in Bhutan he says, “However, in view of the security threat facing our country today, it would be better for us to complete the Eighth Plan programs as soon as possible…it is very important for our people to understand that if we send our security forces to make them leave it will result in conflict which will lead to war with the Assamese militants. If such a situation arises, it will seriously disrupt the implementation of the development plans and programs throughout the country.”
He does not mince words as he shares his concerns, he takes his people into trust. The trust he puts in his people shines in all the speeches. We see the Machiavellian Prince, who takes his nation into confidence and takes them along in the journey forward.
His speeches do not steep to verbose, it’s simple and direct. He always said what he wanted to say, and what his listeners were eager to know. For any Bhutanese this book would serve the purpose of a hundred other books on Bhutan, as the man who steered the nation speaks to you directly from development plans to projects implemented; from dreams cherished to dreams accomplished.
This book is an honest testimony of a young King who rose above all in stature and wisdom. Immortal Lines is in fact a fitting tribute to the institution of monarchy and the nation. It is my pride to have this book in my personal library. I would flip through it again, sometimes to get into the heart of a nation in progress, sometimes to delve into the heart of the man who did it all.
Source: Bhutan Times