king for all times

30th birth anniversary of his majesty  jigme khesar

As we celebrate the 30th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, it is a good moment to reflect on what our King means to us – to the people and the nation.  And what the institution of the monarchy means to us, as we hesitantly embrace the parliamentary system and multi-party democracy as a part of our lives.

In his speeches and through his actions, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar has outlined the new role of his kingship.  It was best described in his coronation speech when he said: “Throughout my reign I will never rule you as a King. I will protect you as a parent, care for you as a brother and serve you as a son. I shall give you everything and keep nothing; I shall live such a life as a good human being that you may find it worthy to serve as an example for your children…”

In these words, a distinct feature is the element of selflessness portrayed which is an extension to the royal gesture of having gifted the power back to the people in the form of democracy. The altruistic character is at the heart of the new role His Majesty has assumed as the Peoples’ King.

The Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, builds a legal bracket within which the country has to function. The Monarch is the protector and upholder of that Constitution.  The Constitution also allows extra-constitutional authority to the King to “exercise power relating to matters which are not provided for under this constitution or other laws.”  Having gifted the Constitution and democracy, a provision such as this comes naturally to us as Bhutanese.  The institution of the Bhutanese monarchy transcends a system of governance.

Another unique and welcome feature of our democracy is that the King is a part of the parliament together with the National Assembly and the National Council. His Majesty also has the prerogative to “Command Bills and other measures to be introduced in Parliament”.

King Jigme Khesar also exercises the unique Bhutanese tradition of kidu, which in few years he has so effectively modernized.  In fact on people’s welfare he has said, “True welfare must be taken to the doorstep of the people. We must ensure that not even for a day longer should person suffer the pains of dire poverty, of injustice or of neglect and disability.”  His Majesty has already begun resolving land issues in the country for all the Bhutanese people and, so far, has granted land kidus of 9,287 acres to 7,947 households. The country is witnessing a promise being fulfilled, which he pledged during his first address to the National Assembly in 2007 to take care of the basic needs of housing and land ownership.  The kidu is a powerful economic tool to ensure the country moves forward without leaving the disadvantaged behind, which is what would have happened if we were left simply to a democratic and capitalistic society.

His Majesty has equated GNH to “a bridge between the fundamental values of kindness, equality, and humanity and the necessary pursuit of economic growth.”  The role of the kidu practically underpins the bridge metaphor used by His Majesty himself through which the throne ensures that no one is left behind.

Irrespective of the growing per capita income, ours is an agrarian society with simple peasants forming the majority of the total population.  If there is a silver lining on the dark clouds of the recent natural disasters, it is the fact that His Majesty the King was there for us and will be there for us when we need him the most.  The winds of reassurance are now blowing in the country that was dumbstruck when His Majesty the Fourth King announced abdication.  King Jigme Khesar walked on foot to affected areas and grant cash soelras and free timber and CGI sheets and commanded the army to build houses for the needy.  He is personally overseeing the rebuilding of the houses that were completely damaged.

His Majesty has said that it is his “sacred duty” to ensure the success of democracy and putting people in front of everything, he said that democracy has to always fulfill the aspirations of the people.

One common negative experience of democracies around the world is the divisive politics.  We have had a taste of that when, not long ago, the two Houses of Parliament were apparently engaged in a battle of wits to outdo each other and the people were worried.  Some even questioned again if we were ready for democracy.  His Majesty then spoke of reaching consensus through debates,  “I want to tell my people that when such disagreements arise, there is no need to worry. If the institutions in question can sit together, keeping national interest above all else, and resolve their problems, it will be an auspicious sign that democracy has a great future in Bhutan.”

With democracy still in infancy and a rising cynicism from different quarters on the new system, there is only one thing that unites all Bhutanese – the assurance that someone is there standing tall behind every transition, every debate and everything in the country – in the person of none other than His Majesty the King.  As the Constitution mandates in Article 2.1, His Majesty is the symbol of unity of the Kingdom and of the people of Bhutan. In other countries these would be mere words; here it is reality.

His Majesty is not only saying what our future is but also showing it.  Whenever he is on tour, one of his priorities is to meet school children and those who have excelled in studies.  It is always followed with hand-written letters of commendation to individual students. In remote schools, he has taken shy and giggling kindergarten students to nearby shops to buy Bata slippers. On quality of education, he was clear with, “ … if our Vision for the nation is not contained in the pages of the books that our young children hold, in the words of our teachers as they lead their classrooms, and in the education policies of our governments then let it be said – we have no Vision.”

His Majesty the King has taken it upon himself to inspire the youth and hardly ever misses an opportunity to associate with them. “A nation’s future will mirror the quality of her youth,” His Majesty asserted.  “A nation cannot fool herself into thinking of a bright future when she has not invested wisely in her children.”

And in a country in pursuit of gross national happiness, His Majesty summarizes in his Address to the nation during the National day 2009, “We have many national objectives and goals to be fulfilled.  But the most important for me is that you, my people, for all time to come, should be happy, safe and free from hardships.”

Source: businessbhutan