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The
Chhoetse Penlop - The Trongs Penlop - The Crown Prince
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Bhutan Politics |
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Bhutan Politics |
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| Crown
Prince reposes his faith in the youth of Bhutan |
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| His Royal Highness was addressing the 777 university graduates at the conclusion
of the graduates orientation programme in Thimphu |
| "We
must work hard, we must make our country stronger, more secure and richer
year after year," said His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuck.
His
Royal Highness reminded the graduates that as they embarked on their future
careers they must always bear in mind that the Bhutan of today was born
out of the hard work and sacrifices of many generations of Bhutanese.
Even
beyond this, it had taken immense hard work and the visionary leadership
of His Majesty the King since 1972, to bring Bhutan from a period of great
uncertainty to one of peace and prosperity. |
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Today Bhutan is not only a
strong and secure nation but one on the path to democracy. Such a country
with strong foundations was now being handed over to the people.
"The
time has come for us to think about our role and responsibilities and how
we will fulfill them. If we fail, then the future generations of Bhutanese,
while struggling to correct our mistakes, will not forgive us for squandering
the immense potential and opportunities made possible by an enlightened
King and the sacrifices of past generations of Bhutanese citizens," said
the Crown Prince.
His
Royal Highness told the graduates that he could only tell them what the
country needed from her youth, and it was up to them to live up to his
expectations. "Creativity, innovation and enterprise - if these were manifested
in the youth, then our own and the country's future is secure."
The
Trongsa Penlop said that at important gatherings such as this, it was always
best to be candid and frank. He said that past generations of Bhutanese,
through their hard work and dedication, had ensured that everything was
done for their youth.
This
might have led to the culture of complacency especially in certain sections
of the population. "Complacency is a weakness that many of us suffer from.
Some of us expect to be rewarded just for showing up in office. This is
not the way to serve the country. Serving the country is what the past
generations of Bhutanese did by bringing a country out of medieval times
into the modern era with so much success and yet preserving the Bhutanese
way of life."
The
Crown Prince expressed his confidence in the youth and said, "I am confident
that the younger generation will serve the country by not just showing
up to work but working with innovation and dynamism; by not just doing
business but creating new types of businesses and services; by not just
saying they love the country but showing it in action and deed and; by
not just speaking of Gross National happiness but showing how to implement
it."
To
achieve this, the Crown Prince said, the youth must understand the reality
of life. The reality is that they must always be prepared to compete and
succeed through hard work and skills. He encouraged the youth to be ambitious
and to work towards realising their ambitions. Wealth, spirituality or
senior positions in government were all worthy ambitions as long as they
were earned through hard work and excellence. "In Bhutan merit must be
the key word," said His Royal Highness.
"Bhutan
today is a strong nation in the unprecedented process of pursuing democracy
under a good King. It has a good government with a young educated population,
people's participation at all levels and the people love their country."
While these were immense achievements, the Trongsa Penlop said that we
must look at them as strong foundations on which to build an even brighter
future for Bhutan.
"Bhutan
has no economic or military might, only a special asset - the people. As
long as we are motivated and committed we will not only realise our own
individual aspirations, but it is assured that Bhutan will achieve anything
she aspires to."
HRH
congratulated the graduates and welcomed them as his own partners in serving
the country and people.
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| This
article was contributed by KKUENSEL, Bhutan's national newspaper 2006 |
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