Bhutan is a small Himalayan country, between two powerful countries (India and China). Its 7,35,000 people and 14,824 square miles of territory (about the size of Kerala) are besieged by neighbors and have a population of more than one billion. This small, until recently, very backward fact that the country has managed to maintain independence and prosperity, which proves its unique culture and politics.
The writings of the country’s first opposition leader and current Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay are insiders’ views on personality and processes that have been established in 1907 as a kingdom in today’s multi-party democracy.
Judging from the author’s description of the political process in his country, it is clear that the country’s political system is deeply rooted in tradition and its monarchy, which remains a paternalistic guiding force. The country continues to seek inspiration in its financial Buddhism past, especially the three of Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava and Zhabdrung ngawang Namgyal, the founding father of Bhutan, who was the government failed to cultivate happiness for its people, and there was no reason to exist.
This belief continues to guide Bhutan’s leaders. If more rulers and politicians mimic the ideal situation, the world might be a better place.
In any case, what makes Bhutan unique is its concept of total national happiness (GNH), which shifts from economic growth and gross domestic product (GDP) to measure the development and progress of the country. The fourth king of Bhutan believed that it was necessary to eliminate the centrality of material progress and replace it with a more holistic digit, which would make people’s well-being the center of all policy making and governance.
According to the authors, this eliminates the potential harm of unrestricted development. The main result of this approach is a significant preservation of the fragile Himalayan ecology of Bhutan. Today, Bhutan is a global example of sustainability.
The author admits, however, nothing is not clumsy Dolly. What is particularly worrying is the external migration of young people to the Middle East, the United States, Canada and Australia.
“Our population is already small, and while the prospect of losing youth has been deeply concerned, more immigration may lead to empty space in Bhutan and pose a major threat to our future,” the author warned.
This leads us to a overwhelming question: Why, despite being declared the world’s Shangri-La, and having an unproven concept at the heart of governance, such as national happiness, do young people in Bhutan want to migrate? Is it the human condition that forces young people to always seek fresh pastures? Ultimately, what Bhutan may prove is that people everywhere want to be part of the larger mainstream, no matter how idyllic it may seem, cannot be confined to the edge.
Enlightened leadership: an inspiring transition from monarchy to democracy within Bhutan
Tshering Tobgay
penguin
Page 274; Rs 599
