| His
Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck |
| The 5th Druk Gyalpo |
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Bhutan Royal Family The King |
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Bhutan Royal Family |
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Translation
of His Majesty's address on National Day |
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the 5th Druk Gyalpo, HM Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck |
As
I stand before you today, on the auspicious occasion of the National Day
of Bhutan, I find myself at a loss for words. For 34 years His Majesty
the King has been the heart and essence of the nation, her King and guardian,
our parent and inspiration.
The
immense achievements of His Majesty, including the legacy of a sound democratic
constitutional monarchy, are milestones not only in the history of our
small kingdom but that of the world.
There
is a vast difference in the kingdom of the Pelden Drukpa today and that
of the past. The country that is before us, the country that we see and
know, the country that has been handed to us, is the country which His
Majesty built through his selfless service over the past 34 years. |
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I
believe this momentous occasion is a time for reflection. For deep in our
hearts, as Bhutanese citizens, we will be able to see beyond the pain of
His Majesty's selfless act and find that this special nation built by His
Majesty is left to none other than the people of Bhutan. Such devolution
is a source of great optimism for our future. I share His Majesty's complete
faith in the people and I believe that we will, as His Majesty has bestowed
today, leave to our own children such a gift in 30 years.
To
our parents, elders and many generations of Bhutanese I offer my deep gratitude
for your loyalty to His Majesty the King, my father.
To
our youth I say that, as the leaders of the future, you will find in His
Majesty's reign the inspiration, motivation and example for our own road
ahead. For, if you know the history of Bhutan you will understand what
His Majesty the King has achieved and how priceless the nation we have
is.
"Henceforth,
our responsibilities will always be first and foremost, the peace and tranquility
of the nation; the sovereignty and security of our country; the fulfilling
of the vision of Gross National Happiness and; the strengthening of this
new system of democracy."
"To
fulfill these aspirations, in this age, we must first build a strong and
dynamic economy. And in doing so we must remember, that as a landlocked
nation with a small population, it is vital that whatever we do, we work
harder and do it better than other nations. For our small kingdom, excellence
must be the only standard."
His
Majesty has placed his full trust in us and we the people must fulfill
his vision and our own duty to future generations of Bhutanese.
I
pray for the continued peace and prosperity of this nation of ours - blessed
by Guru Padmasambhava and our guardian deities and founded on the vision
and legacy of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and His Majesty the King Jigme
Singye Wangchuck.
| This
article was contributed by Kuensel, Bhutan's national newspaper, 2006 |
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Tashichhodzong |
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