Lessons for the world …..Nitasha Kaul
Thimpu: Elections in the last Shangri-La, a democracy imposed from above in a tiny Himalayan kingdom, a king with four wives, traditionally dressed men and women, an isolated country emphasising Gross National Happiness all these cliches abound in the media reporting about the recent elections in Bhutan. These cliches provide a superficial and often unfair understanding of Bhutan.
Bhutan is unique. It is unique for the successive monarchs of the Wangchuck dynasty who have guided the country to peace and prosperity, for its unmatched dedication to environmental conservation, for its people who manage to blend tradition and modernity harmoniously, for raising meansand-ends questions about the process of economic growth. And now it is unique for its transition to parliamentary democracy and c o n s t i t u t i o n a l monarchy. It is a remarkable example of a country that has always sought to do things on its own terms and at its own pace.