Compare the economic condition of Bhutan in
the early seventies and today. In the seventies Bhutan was the poorest country
amongst the South Asian countries. Today we are ahead of all; we are having the
highest per capital income amongst the south ASIAN nations.
This literally means an unprecedented
development has taken place within this short period of time. Just
go around the country and see, huge development has taken place and people are all
well off.
Who spearheaded all these development
activities?
Needless to say! It is the result of His
Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo who had worked selflessly for the welfare of
Bhutanese people without even thinking of his own comfort. Every Chetrum earned
and every grant received was put into good use. His Majesty did not even built
a palace for him. He continued to live in a simple house.
In Thimphu His Majesty the Fourth King
stays in a simple wooden bungalow at Samteling. (I happened to be there for
three months putting stainless steel boiler in the year 2000) and His Majesty
the Fifth King lives at Lingkana palace, another simple house near
Tashichhodzong. And there are none in other Dzongkhangs.
In Phuentsholing, His Majesty’s Royal Guest
house is an ordinary bungalow located above RBP head office. I saw this in
1985 when I first visited Phuentsholing. It is still in same condition.
(Royal Guesthouse in Phuentsholing)
His Majesty and their Majesties stays in
this Bungalow when visiting Phuentsholing or on transit to other dzongkhnags.
I wonder there is no proper connection of
water supply even. Whenever His Majesty is scheduled to visit Phuentsholing, we
see Phuentsholing City Corporation’s water tanker busy filling the Sentex
tanks kept above the Royal Guest House. Such is the plight. The location is
also not safe, it is between a road loop of Phuentsholing-Thimphu Highway.
(Tanker filling water)
Today, most of the rich Bhutanese live
in very expensive buildings where as our King continued to live in simple bungalows.
It is therefore our sincere wishes that the
new government allocate some budget and construct a palace both in Thimphu
and Phuentsholing for His Majesty the King. It is high time we pay our Kindness
to our Kings and make some comfort to our Majesties. They are our country’s precious GEM.
