The Bhutanese Leading the way.
By Michael Rutland, O.B.E.
I hope His Majesty does not remember the time, back in 1971, when in my efforts to explain the Laws of Motion, I almost changed the course of Bhutanese history. Believing in active learning of Maths and Physics, I asked Dasho Jigme – as His Majesty was then known – to fire an arrow straight up into the air. As it rose gracefully to its zenith and began its downward path, I suddenly realised, with mounting alarm, what could happen! Fortunately, a well-timed gust of wind intervened, and what could have happened, thankfully, did not!
And so, more than fifty years later, with great joy and deep admiration, we celebrate His Majesty The Fourth King’s milestone Seventieth Birthday.
Teaching Science and Mathematics to Dasho Jigme and his fellow students was, for me, a time of great fun and lively discovery. In another experiment to demonstrate the equations of motion, Dasho Jigme rode enthusiastically up and down the road at Satsem Chorten on his new motorbike -the first in Bhutan – while we timed his progress with stop-watches to measure speed and acceleration. Those were remarkable days; full of curiosity, discovery, and youthful enthusiasm.
All too soon, the fun (I hope it was fun!) of learning Physics gave way to the great responsibility of leading a nation. His formal education ended, but that was not the end of his learning. His Majesty continued to study – not in classrooms, but through determination, reflection, experience, and his innate sense of duty to the People and the Nation of Bhutan. From his earliest years, guided by his parents’ example, he absorbed a deep understanding of responsibility, compassion, and service.
He was an avid reader, learning from books on economics, statecraft, and world affairs. Yet I believe his truest lessons came not from books’ pages, but from life itself. His own decisions, challenges, and accomplishments became his teachers. And life, as we know, is sometimes a hard teacher! But His Majesty dealt with his many and often unique life’s challenges with that strength and resilience which we all recognize still today.
Reflecting on the extraordinary changes that Bhutan has undergone during His Majesty’s reign, and on the challenges he has so wisely and steadfastly faced, I am filled with admiration for his humanity, intelligence, foresight, and strength. His imagination, too, is remarkable – the rare ability to see beyond the present, to anticipate difficulties before they arise, and to act decisively and compassionately when they do.
But above all, I wish to pay tribute to His Majesty’s warmth, kindness, and understanding. As both a person and a King, he has shown a rare empathy – a gift that has touched countless Bhutanese lives and the lives of those of us privileged to have known him over many years.
Over more than half a century, I have witnessed, and personally experienced, His Majesty’s generosity of spirit, his humility, and his unwavering dedication to the happiness and well-being of his people. Bhutan today – its stability, serenity, and unique balance between tradition and progress – bears the indelible mark of His Majesty’s vision. For all this, and much more, we offer our deepest gratitude.
Thank you, Your Majesty. Happy 70th Birthday – and Long Live the Kings!
