Skykingdom Adventures - Bhutan Traveler News - His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck becomes the Fifth Dragon King of Bhutan

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IN A WORLD WHERE POWER IS KING AN ENLIGHTENED LEADER'S LEGACY IS A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE FOR BHUTAN...

~ by Karma Dorji, Skykingdom Adventures

THE DAWN OF A BOLD NEW ERA FOR BHUTAN BEGINS WITH A BRIGHT YOUNG KING who epitomizes the fresh perspective, idealism and optimism of a cloistered nation emerging into the modern world.His Majesty the King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, fifth Dragon King or, Druk Gyalpo , is not new to the job. Oxford-educated, our 26 year old king is extremely well-versed in the responsibilities of statecraft, having received personal guidance from his illustrious father—the architect of modern Bhutan—His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Even as crown prince, the young king's work with farmers, educators and health professionals in the farthest reaches of Bhutan quickly made him a revered figure for the older generation of Bhutanese, while his active involvement in causes supporting Bhutan's future generations have enshrined him in the hearts of the young. Abroad, his innate politeness, dignity and integrity is making him a popular figure in his own right. On a recent state visit to Thailand he endeared himself to the Thai people, earning respect for his gracious ways in a land known for graciousness (a flurry of press articles in Thailand described him as one of the most popular state guests ever to visit the country). Bhutan is truly fortunate to have a new king who is not only intelligent and committed to serving his people but is a worthy global representative for a nation that aspires to be a model to the rest of the world for peaceful and participatory governance. And what of his Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, whom I still consider "my king", the leader of my generation?
Quite simply, there are no words to describe adequately the full extent of what he means to Bhutan. I suppose his credo these past 34 years of his rule, "Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product", will have to suffice.

Gross National Happiness not GNP
In an age when most countries measure national success by the ceaseless acquisition and production of material goods, His Majesty taught the Bhutanese people that the happiness of the people should be the true measure of success. That the pursuit of a materialistic economy should be secondary and used only as a means to achieve that optimum measure of happiness. For, embedded in the idea of Gross National Happiness, His Majesty also recognized that there is a point of diminishing returns beyond which the heedless pursuit of economic goals is counteractive to true and enduring happiness (similar to the fleeting thrill that might result from the purchase of a new car until the payment plan arrives at the end of the month.) His work of laying a solid foundation for Gross National Happiness in Bhutan deserves to be fully documented, chronicled and held up as an alternate model of leadership. But this is a job for others more worthy of the task. What I wish to offer on these pages is an attempt to express what he means to me personally,
if only to seek release for the swell of emotions I feel for the legacy he leaves for me as a Bhutanese person. Having had the rare privilege, as a young reporter, to cover His Majesty's travels across the country off and on between 1991 and 1995, I can say he is the embodiment of everything I personally hold dear about the Bhutanese way of life, a trailblazer for a life with meaning and true power and impact. Since I travel so much of the time between the west and Bhutan, in some ways two polar opposites of existence, I hold on to everything he represents to help me navigate an increasingly cynical and embittered world.

Personal Memories of the King
I was barely three when His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck came to the throne at the tender age of 16, a fate that was handed to him because of the early demise of his father, the late king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. One of my most cherished childhood memories is of walking with my mother in the late afternoon light through the long avenue of weeping willows to the Changlimithang National Stadium to watch His Majesty at our national sport of archery, or a basketball game in a court he had built nearby for youth in the capital. I must have been seven or eight at the time and His Majesty barely 21. I loved to watch the lithe figure of our handsome young ruler play pickup basketball with students and personnel from the services. He smiled a lot and he was always alert on the court and on the archery range. He played with skill and grace, but not aggressively. This was not your typical head of state who lived cordoned by security guards and detached from the general population by a slew of bureaucratic titles and offices. ...Read more » » » » » »