Grooming of the Father of Modern Bhutan

The third King in the line of succession of the Wangchuck

dynasty, His Late Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
was born to King Jigme Wangchuck and Ashi Phuntsho
Choden on 2 May 1928 at Thruepang palace in Trongsa.
Most of his childhood days were spent in Trongsa during
winter and Bumthang in summer. The grooming of the
Prince to succeed to the throne began from an early age. In
the court school at Wangduecholing, Bumthang along with
a group of selected students he learnt Buddhist literature,
English, and even Hindi among other subjects. Besides
school, he also had to attend to his father along with other
attendants and courtiers. This was a moment to learn the art
of statesman and be trained on Bhutanese tradition and
culture. At the age of eight in 1935, the Prince even
accompanied his father to Calcutta to attend an official
function. This was an exposure for the young Prince as it
enabled him to see at a very young age, the economic
progress that had been made in India.
The Third King of Bhutan
His father King Jigme Wangchuck was convinced that his
son should travel outside of Bhutan and see the world at
large if he was to bring in progress and positive changes in
the life of the Bhutanese when he succeeded to the throne.
Since the Prince had insight into the realms of the
functioning of the court and administrative mechanisms of
the country he was appointed the Chief of Protocol
(Dronyer) of Trongsa in 1945. In 1950 the Prince was sent
to Kalimpong for private studies before proceeding to the
United Kingdom accompanied by Jigme Palden Dorji to
live with the family of the King’s friend George Sherriff,
the well-known botanist of the British Museum who was
granted permission in 1933 to collect plants in Eastern
Bhutan. This visit was the first of its kind made by a
Bhutanese. The first two Kings had just been to India. The
trip to the United Kingdom enabled Prince Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck to gain insights into the economically
developed western world. The significance of the visit is
visible later when he ascended to the golden Throne.
After his return in 1950 from the six months trip to the
United Kingdom he was appointed as the Paro Penlop, a
post that had been vacant after the death of his cousin Paro
Penlop Tshering Penjor in 1949. When still serving as the
Paro Penlop, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck married Ashi Kesang
Choden, the daughter of Gongzim Sonam Tobgyel Dorji,
the King’s Chamberlain. It was 1951.
The royal couple spent the early days of their marriage in
Paro and Thimphu.
The young Prince was enthroned in 1952 as the third King
after the demise of Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck. By
then he had experienced life as an attendant and served as
the Trongsa Dronyer and as Paro Penlop. He had also seen
the outside world from whom he had greatly benefited. At
the time of his accession he inherited not only the statecraft
and wisdom of his father but also a stable Kingdom. Now,
it was in his hands to steer the course of Bhutan’s political
destiny.
Constitutional Reforms
The First Druk Gyalpo was fully engaged in restoring
peace and order in the newly carved out Kingdom. The
Second King was involved with its consolidation. Thus
their time was fully utilized investing all their energies in
establishing a stable Kingdom, ensuring its sovereignty and
preparing it for reforms that would benefit the Bhutanese.
Almost four and half decades down the line since the
establishment of a hereditary monarchy, when the third
Druk Gyaplo succeeded to the throne he saw that the time
was appropriate for the institution of socio-economic and
political reforms. One of the most historic reforms was the
establishment of the Tshogdu, National Assembly and the
Lodroe Tshogde, the Royal Advisory Council.
The first political reform taken by the third King was the
establishment of Tshogdu, National Assembly in 1953
creating a representative form of Government and making
Bhutan a Constitutional Monarchy. The National Assembly
aimed at involving the people in decision making and
eventually develop a politically consciousness society.
Thus, the membership to the National Assembly comprised
10 government representatives, 10 monastic representatives
and 110 people’s representatives. However, in 1960s the
number of government representative increased from 10 to
30 so that there would be representation from all the
different sectors. The Tshogdu met twice a year to discuss
the important matters relating to people and country. All
the decisions had to be passed by two-third majority to be
assented by the King before it became a law.
The members of Tshogdu held the office for the tenure of
three years. The members enjoyed freedom of speech and it
is a democratically designed body, which generates
national awareness. It served mainly as a legislative body
though at times it also had to undertake advisory role. In
1968, the rules and regulations of the National Assembly
were revised the King voluntarily surrendered his veto
power on the decisions of the Tshogdu. The King also
vested the Tshogdu with sovereign power. Further, the
power to pass the vote of no-confidence and remove the
ministers and the King himself was entrusted to the
National Assembly.
In 1965, the King instituted the Lodroe Tshogde, the Royal
Advisory Council. It consisted of eight members: five
representing the people, two representing the Monk Body
and one nominee of the king, who acted as a Kalyon
(Chairman). Later the member representing the people was
increased to six from five. The members held office for
three years initially. Though this body was not responsible
to the National Assembly, it served as the coordinating link
between the legislature and the executive. This Council
advised the king and his council of ministers on key issues
of policy and ensured the implementation of the resolutions
passed by the National Assembly.
The institution of the Tshogdu and Lodroe Tshogde
guaranteed that their voice was also heard through their
representatives. This was first initiative to decentralize the
decision making authority to the grassroots level
Visit of Nehru and Indira Gandhi
The starting point of formalizing relations with
Independent India came with the signing of the treaty of
1949. Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck continued to
further strengthen this relationship between the two
countries after his enthronement in 1952. Two years later in
the summer of 1954, Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
visited India where he was accorded a grand welcome. This
visit was reciprocated by the visit of Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958. The delegation stayed in Ugyen
Pelri Palace in Paro for a week. It was an epoch making
event in the relations between the two countries. In his
address to the Bhutanese public in Paro on 23 September
1958, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru ruled out any
pressure on Bhutan which might impair its independent
status. Nehru said: “Some may think that since India is a
great and powerful country and Bhutan a small one, the
former might wish to exercise pressure on Bhutan. It is
therefore, essential that I make it clear to you that our only
wish is that you should remain an independent country,
choosing your own way of life and taking the path of
progress according to your will. At the same time we two
should live with mutual goodwill. We are members of the
same Himalayan family and should live as friendly
neighbors helping each other. Freedom of both Bhutan and
India should be safeguarded so that none from outside can
do harm to it”.
His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (left) seen here
with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (right) in 1958.
Later, on 28 August 1959, Nehru stated in the Lok Sabha
(Lower House of the Indian Parliament) that the defense of
the territorial uprightness and frontiers of Bhutan was the
responsibility of the Government of India. Thus, India
committed itself towards ensuring the sovereignty of
Bhutan, a Kingdom that is just about 50 years old.
The visit of the Indian Prime Minister was noteworthy for it
reiterated the independent status of the Young Kingdom of
Bhutan. It also marked the first step towards the planned
economic development besides creating a new bond of
friendship between two independent neighbors.
His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (center) during
Indira Gandhi’s (right) visit to Bhutan in 1968.
A decade later in 1968, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
retracing her father’s footsteps visited Bhutan. In the same
year, Bhutan accepted the Indian proposal to set up an
envoy of the Indian Government in Thimphu. It was a
significant move on the part of Bhutan as for the first time
it permitted Resident Representative of another country on
its soil. This was a wise decision taken by the King as the
political, economic and cultural relations between the two
nations were steadily improving. Finally, it led to the
establishment of embassies in each other’s capital. Thus, in
May 1971 Lyonpo Pema Wangchuk presented his
credentials as the Ambassador of Bhutan to India while
B.S. Das did in July of the same year. This strong bond and
co-operation between the two nations was the seeds sown
by the visits made by the Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck to India and that of Prime Ministers Jawaharlal
Nehru and Indira Gandhi to Bhutan.
 Login to post comments
 Printer-friendly version
 Dzongkha
Launching Five Year Plans
Despite the efforts of the successive Kings, till the 1950s
Bhutan remained underdeveloped and a feudal society. The
late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was convinced that his
primary role as king should be to bring to the country and
its people the benefits of modernization and progess made
outside without losing the identity of the country and its
people. He beleived that progress could not be made in
isolation and a concerted national effort had to be put into
building the basic infrastructure to support modernization
of the economy and the society. The visit of the first Indian
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958 helped in the
realization of this dream and Bhutan launched its first Five
Year Plan in 1961 with a total outlay of Rs 174.7 million.
Understandably, the construction of roads took the highest
portion of the budget with 62 million followed by
education with 10 million. The other important areas of
investment were in transport, health, forest, agriculture,
power, animal husbandry, and industries.
The Five Year Plan
A unit of the Border Roads Organization of India was also
set up in Bhutan. This unit known as Dantak still continues
to build roads in Bhutan. The achievement in this sector
was 1770 kilometers of road network. Phuntsholing was
connected to Thimphu, Paro and Ha; Samdrup Jongkhar
was linked to Trashigang; Sarbang was connected to
Gelephug and Tsirang; and Gelephu to Zhemgang and
Trongsa. This was a great contribution as people as it
promoted trade and commerce with India as well as within
the country improving the living and economic conditions
of the people.
Significant progress was also made in the field of
education. By the end of the plan Bhutan had over 59
schools. The graduates from these schools provided the
human resource base who would shoulder the
responsibilities of taking Bhutan into the modern age.
Health care of his people also received important focus.
Thus, A Public Health Department was also set up in
Thimphu headed by a Chief Medical Officer. One of the
main projects was to eradicate malaria. By the end of the
plan period, Bhutan had 3 hospitals and 40 dispensaries in
different parts of the country.
A Department of Agriculture was established. It began with
projects on multiple model farms, agriculture research
stations, seeds production units, and extension work places.
Vegetable and fruit cultivation was given special attention.
Department of forest was also set up and measures were
taken in conserving forest and towards exploitation of
forest products.
A Hydel Directorate was also established and two 400 KW
Hydel stations were constructed to cater to the needs of
Thimphu and Paro.
Bhutan did not have a postal system prior to 1961. Thus, to
guarantee a better postal facility, a Postal Department was
also opened and the first Bhutanese postage stamp was
issued on 10 October 1962.
All these helping propel the country on the path of socio-
economic progress
Freedom of Serfs: A milestone in the social reform of
Bhutan
Serfs worked for the nobilities as well as rich families.
They were like properties of the families for whom they
worked. The third Druk Gyalpo, even before becoming a
member of the UNO saw this element in the society as
going against human decency. Thus, the King issued a
royal ordinance stating that the serfs should not be referred
to by the belittling terms such as khue, zaden, pongyer,
jaam, jou. A new term ‘nangzen’ was coined to refer to the
serfs. It was a milder term than the traditional
nomenclatures. This was the first move that would lead to
the ultimate freedom of serfs.
The Freedom of serfs
One year after issuing the royal declaration on the use of
term nangzen, the King proclaimed the complete freedom
of the serfs. They were offered the liberty to leave their
masters ‘without any fear of recrimination.’ However, they
were prohibited to take any of the properties and assets of
their masters. They also were commanded to settle in other
gewogs and not in the area where their masters lived. This
move was to avoid the tension and uneasy feeling that
might grow between the masters and the serfs, now at equal
footing. Thus, large number of serfs migrated to other parts
of Bhutan.
The serfs were also promised gifts of land to enable to
begin a new life as free citizens. Thus, serfs from western
regions of Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang and Paro flocked
at Dechencholing to receive the land gift from the Man who
had given them freedom. Many of them resettled in
Thimphu since its original population had declined, most
probably due to epidemic, flood or migrated to other places
to escape the burden of excessive tax. Others were resettled
in Punakha and other places throughout Bhutan.
Those who were resettled on land left vacant had to pay tax
that was reflected in the land record register. Thus, most of
the serfs preferred free land as it did not carry any tax with
it. This reform offered freedom to the people who had been
serving their masters for generations. They could now
enjoy the rights of citizens as well as the fruits of their own
toil and sweat. This milestone reform set the basis for an
equal society where happiness for all became the guiding
principle of development
Internal reforms: creating a stable society
The happiness and welfare of his people occupied an
important place in the mind of the Druk Gyalpo Jigme
Dorji Wangchuck. Towards this end, he invested an
enormous amount of his energy on the internal reforms of
the Kingdom.
Land reform was an area that drew the attention of the
King. The ceiling of land holding was fixed at 30 acres per
household. The families who had excess land were taken by
the Government and then redistributed to the landless
people. The land revenue was also reduced. The poor
farmers with small land holdings were totally exempted
from paying land tax. This was a step taken to alleviate
poverty and create a self reliant society.
Another change that the Druk Gyalpo introduced was the
abolition of capital punishment. As a Buddhist country the
move was in keeping with the principles of Buddhism.
The Executive and Judiciary were separated. A High Court
was built in Thimphu and the judicial systems were
reformed on modern lines. This separation empowered the
Judiciary and enabled it to provide effective and fair
service.
With the opening of door to the outside world, the King
also felt the need to preserve and promote its culture and
tradition. Thus, institutes of painting, dancing, singing and
sculpture were established. The Ta Dzong at Paro was also
converted to a National Museum.
The Druk Gyalpo also built up a regular army in 1955. He
was of the view that this would mainly ensure internal
security. Thus by 1964 there were about 9000 soldiers
trained by Indian military instructors.
Another significant move was the attempt to integrate the
Lhotshampas, Nepalese immigrants to Bhutan. Thus, in
1953 they were given representation in the National
Assembly. Later, they were also recruited in various civil
service, the army and police. The Druk Gyalpo dedicated a
lot of his time to bring the Nepalese immigrants to the
mainstream of the Bhutanese society.
The Druk Gyalpo besides ensuring the economic
development of the nation, the other reforms were also
given importance. Thus, Bhutan became a stable country
where people are treated equal and live happily
Bhutan and the United Nations Organization
The Druk Gyalpo knew the significance of Bhutan
becoming the member of the United Nations Organization
if its independent status was to be recognized by the
international community as well as receive support for its
socio-economic development programmes. Bhutan applied
for UNO membership and attended its General Assembly in
1970 as an observer. Bhutan was admitted as a member of
UNO on 21 September 1971. On the occasion of Bhutan’s
admission to the UNO, the country was represented by
Prince Namgay Wanghuck,Lyonpo Sangay Penjor and and
Lyonpo Dawa Tshering. The government of India played a
significant hand in helping secure Bhutan’s membership
into the UNO. B.S. Das, the first ambassador of India to
Bhutan, was first person to inform and felicitate the Druk
Gyalpo on Bhutan’s entry into the UNO.
Bhutan joins UN
Becoming a member of the UNO provided “a new gateway
to the world” for Bhutan. It facilitated Bhutan to have bi-
lateral and multi-lateral relationships with other countries.
It also allowed Bhutan to become partners of development
projects.
The membership of Bhutan to the UNO made Bhutan
eligible for technical and financial aid from the UN and
other developmental agencies. For instance, in 1973, an
agreement with the UNDP (United Nations Development
Programme) promised US$ 3.3 million to Bhutan over the
next three years. At the same time the UNICEF (United
Nations Children’s Fund), the World Food Programme
(WFP) and other UN organizations provided US$6 million
for development projects in Bhutan. Since then,other UN
agencies such as the FAO, WHO, UNESCO have all been
involved in the development projects of Bhutan.
Above all, by becoming a UNO member, Bhutan’s
sovereign status was validated by the global community.
As a member of UNO, Bhutan can also participate in
supporting the sovereignty and independence of other
states. For instance, Bhutan was the second country to
recognize the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. It also
shouldered the responsibility of maintaining international
peace and security by condemning, for instance, Nuclear
Test.
Thus, the efforts made by Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck in making Bhutan a member of the UNO is a
milestone in the history of the country as it ensured its
independent status.