The Bhutanese Leading the way.
It is interesting that the majority who commented on this papers interview with Dr David L. Luechauer agree with his critical assessment of GNH in its current form. There are of course those who agree with him only in parts or those that do not agree with him at all.
Dr David also made it clear that while he is not against the core GNH philosophy established by the Fourth King he is not in favor of its current interpretation, propagation and implementation.
Based on the feedback from readers running into hundreds of comments what has appealed too many is how the articles have successfully shown the yawning gap between the government’s GNH policy and its actual implementation.
The article also has appealed to many ordinary Bhutanese because David cuts through all the technical jargons of GNH and comes straight to everyday issues facing ordinary Bhutanese. He points out that Bhutan can do much more at home to strengthen GNH before preaching about it to the world.
There are also those who feel that Dr David has an unfair and overtly negative view of Bhutan based mainly on his bad experience at Gaeddu College of Business Studies.
However, this overwhelming support of Dr David’s critique of GNH comes at a time when the country is faced with a serious economic crisis, growing unemployment and governance issues. The government’s response so far has been barely adequate.
As the situation back home gets worse the government for some strange reason puts even more focus, time and resources in propagating GNH to the international world. If this tall goal wasn’t enough we have also set our time and resources on other ‘white elephant’ project of aiming for a highly unlikely Security Council seat.
It seems that Bhutanese citizens will have to ask the elected government for a short appointment from its jet setting international schedule to take care of the country. Bhutan’s elected leaders will have to realize that Bhutan is not a GNH club for international intellectuals but a developing country, with poor people and real pressing problems that cannot be solved through endless GNH conferences and toothless UN resolutions.
Given the various challenges facing the country this is a time for the government to drop everything else and form various crisis committees and groups to work on solving Bhutan’s ever growing economic woes.
The government may have not yet realized it but most Bhutanese have become 20-25% poorer since the rupee crisis due to the market devaluation of the Ngultrum, inflation including house rents are going through the roof, the largest employer which is the private sector is on the verge of collapse and the financial economy has come to a near standstill.
Despite the Ministry of Labor’s ever optimistic reports, graduates and the youth are finding it increasingly difficult to get jobs with many even unsure of holding the jobs they have in the current economic environment.
The youth are also facing systems that are increasingly becoming more nepotistic, corrupt and unaccountable where laws can be bent as long as a person has the right connections.
For the sake of Bhutan and the sake of GNH it is high time that Bhutan’s elected leaders turn their attention to the growing challenges facing the country. It will do well for the government to remember that Bhutanese voters will soon be exercising the power of the vote, which, if taken for granted, can bring down even the most powerful governments and leaders by simply pressing a button.
We must, at least for next decades, leave GNH where it belongs–as guiding principle. Nothing more and nothing less. The need of the hour is drinking water, enough food, quality health care, employment for educated youth, bridging yawning gap between rich and poor, filling pot holes ridden highways and expressway, disposing mounting garbage problem, building decent toilets in public facilities, solving human wild life conflicts, solving increasing vandalism and youth related crimes, etc. etc. Our leaders must stay at home and focus their energy in finding solutions to these pressing problems.
Cheers
And despite everything, no matter how much you try to influence my mind, myself and my family consisting of about 40 voters’ votes will go for DPT!
Myself tired of DPT autocratic rules. Family of 70 plus going to vote for the party that impresses me but No to DPT!
..and my wife’s family and extended family of 90 plus voting for DPT because DPT has already impressed me. I cannot afford to experiment with untested waters even if I am impressed by other parties’ manifestos because actions are still to be experimented… no time to play around!
You crabs can drag tentacles in the sand beach while we shall cruise through new wave s of breeze.
It is interesting that this paper also try to monopolize the statistics in its favor. The paper had concluded that majority of the comments written were in total agreement with Dr. David while I found equal number of comments with strong counter criticisms if not more. When will TL stop distorting the facts? DL’s subsequent articles did not give us any healthy arguments or critical analyses but mere arrogance (an imperialistic ego).
TL has even started to threaten the leaders of the current government – are you and this paper going to campaign hell against DPT? Good luck.
I think TL is forgetting that we are a young democracy, not even five years but he is trying to calculate the cumulative problems and progress altogether. He doesn’t seem to know the distinctions of then and now but keeps on creating chaos in the minds of the public especially youth. Thus feeling himself elated by the mere fact that these inexperienced youth look up to him as their hero? Savior perhaps?
TL points are accurate and valid: facts- poverty all over, rules procedures many without any value addition, existing rules outdated, roads with potholes good for wild hibernating animals; the fact can go on.
If you want to be a productive citizen, you need to acknowledge fact and realty.
These days being new or young in experience do not matter, ability and intelligence and smart work are the common factor movers.
DPT has unfinished business so in-spite of some of their short comings we need to give them another term. As for the other parties, nothing they have done has convinced me that they would do a better job than the DPT, on the contrary the Druk Chirwang Tsogpas statement that they would offer the OL a ministerial birth means that they have a lot to learn about politics. In regard to PDP and the other two parties, there is nothing to suggest that they would pose a serous threat to the DPTs position.
At the end of the day, despite being maligned by this paper in every issue, the PM will carry the DPT through as he did in the last elections, anyone who believes that the DPT won’t from the government in 2013 is backing the wrong horse. As a world leader, in Bhutan’s case, I don’t believe that a suitable substitute for the present PM is available.
My proposal would be to appoint current PM as the ambassador of GNH because he seems to be more interested in promoting GNH than governing a country and solving problems at home. So my single vote goes to any other party but not DPT.
I agree with Sonam here..
Its been a long time since anyone wrote about anything going wrong or some wrongdoings. As a citizen we should have the power to critique on issues that are going wrong. It does not mean that we are protesting and all (never intend to), we are just pointing things out. The Govt. needs to look at it and come up with a better idea.
We know that the Govt. can make everyone happy but if they try and achieve the goal of making say about 60-70% of the people happy with their decisions and actions, we all would be more than happy. This Govt. is very young but like ‘Kg’ pointed out earlier..the Govt. needs to act smart and intelligent. They all are well qualified to do so.
All they need to do at the moment is focus at things that are more important. Rest can wait.
And the present Government needs to remember this:
“You are what you do not what you say…”
As an ordinary Bhutanese, why am I getting the feeling of “The Bhutanese” as anti-government, anti-DPT, anti-GNH.? I am not a hardcore fan of DPT but I really appreciate that the sail was bitter smooth despite various storms as the first elected government to the youngest constitutional democratic nation.
We, rather than appreciating the commendable ride we took, we tend to make remarks on every part of the ship. If we look closely, we can even pass remarks on the moon too, but will that serve any purpose.
One Newspaper that has the guts to challenge the wrong doings of a government contributes more to the progress of our country than all other newspaper colluding with the government. Critical opposition is not anti-national but ‘patriotism”. A country is built more progressively by few who oppose the wrong system.
We have nothing against this paper reporting on anything under the sun, however, you must be blinded by your hatred for the PM not to see that this paper is hell bent on trying to belittle our HPM.
I am tired of listening to the people of accusing those pointing out the flaws of the present Government for the sake of better Bhutan of being anti Bhutan. This is about Democracy and people’s voice. In my view these people are nothing but hypocrites who want feudal system to continue because it works for them and their family. They want to rip the fruits while it lasts. They do’t care about poor people of Gyelpoishing losing their only land which they relied on for their living.
There is difference Madam. Point the flaws flaws of when? And of whom? If you are really concerned about the future of Bhutan and its people you would not create mistrusts and chaos. You would not deliberately distort the facts, you would deliberately not misinterpret the laws, you would not create rift between the Monarchs and elected leaders. I think there are ways to put your case, point the flaws, correct, caution and contribute to the government and democracy. Serving the interest of few people, taking things personal but professional, and always attacking the elected PM taking sides with opposition party is nothing is critical. There is nothing analytic when you distort and misinterpret the facts to suit your comprehension. I may be biased towards to the government and so you are against it. However I am open to hold the government and its leaders accountable for the failures post democratic era, but you on the other hand will never appreciate this government no matter what. And this is one of the big differences.
While I have nothing to comment for or against—–one thing I would like to clarify is that some of our forum friends have commented more than once saying that Druk Chirwang tshogpa has on their agenda to allot ministerial berth to our Opposition Leader should they be elected as the ruling Govt. in the next parliamentary election.
In this regard, as far as I know it is Bhutan Kuenyam Party(BKP) who had made this statement and not Chirwang Tshogpa which need correction.
Those of who think that GNH is the miracle and the the present government is the best. Grow up and look around you. Almost everyone I talk to wants a better salary, including MPs, drivers or directors, everyone wants to claim more DSA/TA after a tour, even our elders in the villages expect a solra/gift after a visit, samething with our monks and nuns too.
As has been pointed out couple of times, given an opportunity, majority of Bhutanese would leave Bhutan to get a US or Australian Visa and work there like donkeys! Is this what you call as GNH and simple, content Bhutanese?
Before we embark on teaching others, we need to sort our things. WE cannot go order the world either as a UN Security council member, when we have so many problems at home! And yes with limited fund!