King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of BhutanOp-Ed by Chanda Chhay
A hero could be simply defined as someone who sacrifices his/her own interests for the benefits of others. Last month, I received my subscribed issue of the National Geographic Magazine, which featured an article about a unique action taken by the king of Bhutan—abolish absolute monarchy in favor of democracy.
Without a drop of blood being spilled (which is usually the case for ushering in democracy), or a single voice of demand being heard, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan has made an unprecedented move to liberate his subjects from the grip of dictatorial leadership by giving them democracy and all the freedoms it espouses. In a world where political leaders would do anything to cling to power, King Wangchuk’s action is simply extraordinary. His rational for adapting democracy as a form of governance is based on a noble belief that people’s lives and their destiny are too precious to be left at the mercy of one man’s decisions. “What would happen…..if Bhutan fell into the hands of an evil or incompetent ruler?” he asked, rhetorically.
Never before in human history that a king willingly gives up his power to empower his subjects. This is a classic case of what Plato, a Greek philosopher, called philosopher king, or John Stuart Mills, an English political philosopher, referred to as an enlightened self-interest person—a person who put public interests before those of his/her own.
But King Wangchuk did not stop at enlightened self-interests; he went further to encourage Bhutanese politicians to form political parties and present to the people different political platforms or programs so that they (the people) could select which party or programs best represent their interests. The king also demanded that the state-control media be broken down so that freedom of the press and expression are maintained. And to top it off, King Wangchuk removed himself from politics by abdicating the throne in favor of his son, Oxford educated Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, who will be charged with creating a constitutional monarchy and ensuring that his father’s adopted son, Democracy, will survive and flourish.
Within a few months, Bhutanese people will go to the polls to cast their votes and, at the same time, celebrate the birth of their baby democracy. Whether this baby democracy will survive or not, only time can tell. But what is certain about Bhutan’s experiment with democracy is that a hero was born; and that his name, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, will be forever remembered by the people of Bhutan and the world.
Chanda Chhay
Without a drop of blood being spilled (which is usually the case for ushering in democracy), or a single voice of demand being heard, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan has made an unprecedented move to liberate his subjects from the grip of dictatorial leadership by giving them democracy and all the freedoms it espouses. In a world where political leaders would do anything to cling to power, King Wangchuk’s action is simply extraordinary. His rational for adapting democracy as a form of governance is based on a noble belief that people’s lives and their destiny are too precious to be left at the mercy of one man’s decisions. “What would happen…..if Bhutan fell into the hands of an evil or incompetent ruler?” he asked, rhetorically.
Never before in human history that a king willingly gives up his power to empower his subjects. This is a classic case of what Plato, a Greek philosopher, called philosopher king, or John Stuart Mills, an English political philosopher, referred to as an enlightened self-interest person—a person who put public interests before those of his/her own.
But King Wangchuk did not stop at enlightened self-interests; he went further to encourage Bhutanese politicians to form political parties and present to the people different political platforms or programs so that they (the people) could select which party or programs best represent their interests. The king also demanded that the state-control media be broken down so that freedom of the press and expression are maintained. And to top it off, King Wangchuk removed himself from politics by abdicating the throne in favor of his son, Oxford educated Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, who will be charged with creating a constitutional monarchy and ensuring that his father’s adopted son, Democracy, will survive and flourish.
Within a few months, Bhutanese people will go to the polls to cast their votes and, at the same time, celebrate the birth of their baby democracy. Whether this baby democracy will survive or not, only time can tell. But what is certain about Bhutan’s experiment with democracy is that a hero was born; and that his name, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, will be forever remembered by the people of Bhutan and the world.
Chanda Chhay
