By Karma Jurme
Rumors are that Jigme Khesar will marry within a few months
The question of new Queen of Bhutan has many citizens in anxious. This is because Bhutan too had a shared of her Imelda Marcos in her brief history. Fifth King, Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck is 29 years odl and there are rumors doing rounds in country about his imminent marriage within two or three months. The country has become constitutional monarchy and that the discussion on the character of Queen is no longer confined in the chambers of self proclaimed advisors. The upkeep of King and his family is the duty of state and therefore, majority of citizens are of opinion that when public exchequer is involved, the public must have their say especially concerning the number of queens. Until now, Bhutan had to bear the heavy financial burden put up by fourth king, who married four wives and bore ten children. What done is done and henceforth, Bhutanese public should never permit King to take more than one queen. This resolve must start with present King.
Unlike other countries, the gross disparity between man and woman in Bhutan were not so stark. A matriarch society prevails in west, while, in east, a mixture of patriarch and matriarch societies are common. Women in Bhutanese had always occupied special space in Bhutanese society. However, the historical defining role of women in the state of affairs was defined by Pema Choki, mother of first King Ugyen Wangchuck. Through treacherous design, she successfully plotted against her brother’s murderer, Singe Namgyal, the then Tongsa Penlop (He had usurped the Tongsa Penlop post after murdering treacherous Tshoki Dorji) and avenged his death in 1883. Her action enabled her son Ugeyn Wangchuk to become the Tongsa Penlop.
During the reign of third king, Yangki, a better known to Bhutanese public as mistress/concubine to Jigme Dorij Wangchuk took the country by storm. She was bestowed with unlimited power drawn through king. Even her relatives lived above laws. She was ubiquitous in every government functions while the members of the royal family were invisible to public. She gave birth to two sons and two daughters although king never bestowed the titles of prince and princess to them. Ambitious and cleverness deserted her. During the tumultuous time of 1964-1965, had she pushed the king towards second marriage, she would have her way. Ashi Kesang Choden was left with little support as most of her family members had fled Bhutan for Nepal, aftermath of the retribution exacted on the culprit of Lhyonchen Palden Dorji’s plotter. Ashi Kesang Choden, out of power equation was holed up in Dechenchholing palace praying hard to relieve her of humiliations.
After the demise of third king in 1972, Ashi Kesang Choden took the role from Yangki and usurped the power of her son, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who became the youngest monarch at tender age of 17. With state power firmly within her grasp, she schemed to oust her bête noire Yangki from Bhutan. In one pretext or other, she finally achieved her objectives to banish Yangki from Bhutan in 1974, when Yangki left for India due to perceived threat to her life. As soon as she heard that Yangki had left the country, she turned her lofty building, seen right from the Dechecholing palace in Thimphu, into ashes. Like her predecessors, her grip on power ended by early 1980s when her son married four sisters and took the helm of state affairs. In fact her place in power equation was taken over by better half of fourth king, notably Ashi Dorji Wangmo. Yangki however lives in India without any political ambitions whatsoever. Her sons live in US.
The fourth king with four queens
Unlike her predecessor, Ashi Dorji Wangmo, the eldest queen of fourth king was of different stock. She was gifted with higher intelligence and had perfected the tricks of trade that palace intrigues demanded. She is ambitious, scheming, cunning and even deceitful. However, she is so clever and excellent in maintaining the public relations and image of her that she always manages to find herself in good books. I am one of her great admirer and wonder how she could do it. She heads, the TARAYANA FOUNDATION, a non-governmental organization dedicated for helping the vulnerable sections of society. For these, she travels extensively the length and breath of country. Through these ventures and other, she manages to keep the watch over Bhutanese public. Though, the fifth king has taken the reign, but her power hasn’t diminished.
She is also an author. In one of her books, she writes, “her grand mother tackled people with mixture of diplomacy, command, accommodation and fearlessness to get her way. She not only managed to make people accept her point of view, but to end up thinking that it was originally their own as well.”
There is not an iota of doubts that she has failed to employ her grandmother wisdom into action. Most of Bhutan government’s policies reflected her signatures. Her father and relatives became millionaires overnight. The then economy of Bhutan was quota-license regime. Therefore, sole license to most of profitable enterprise were granted to her relatives. At present, one of the biggest business houses in Bhutan belongs to her father’s family members. She too has invested in many industries.
Bhutanese citizen doesn’t have ill-will against her relatives hoarding the wealth. They marry within Bhutanese society and the wealth is dispensed. Their unpopularity is merited due to their unwise interference in every aspect of socio-cultural affairs, which has angered ordinary citizens, and empowered with votes in democratic society, befittingly gave sound verdicts in last general election against the party headed by her brother, Sangay Nidup, who was trying to establish political hegemony in the democratic era.
With the institution of constitutional monarchy last year, we can perhaps assume that the power of queen is diminished. But at the same time, we must be cautious and never underestimate the ‘power’ ‘because under existing constitution, the king is still vested with boundless power’. Sadly, down the annals of Bhutanese history, king was found to be no longer the pilot in charge of the vessel of the state, but only the, “the man at the wheel”. In existing polity in Bhutan, the queen has greater responsibility. She not only must ensure the proper health of king but also must ensure the equity and impartial dispensation of crown welfare schemes to public. Bhutanese I guess, doesn’t care whether she belongs from Sharchop, Naglong or Lhotshampa Community as long as she performs these two vital duties with utmost honesty and integrity. I don’t know who that lucky girl will be but one thing I’m certain is that Bhutan has no further patient left to accommodate another scheming woman.
Our inability to stand someone results from our lack of cultivation.
Having a wider heart and mind is more important than having a larger house.
Happiness does not come from having much, but from being attached to little.
The universe that we inhabit and our shared perception of it are the results of a common karma. Likewise, the places that we will experience in future rebirths will be the outcome of the karma that we share with the other beings living there. The actions of each of us, human or nonhuman, have contributed to the world in which we live. We all have a common responsibility for our world and are connected with everything in it.
If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies
According to kanchaka “The failure of Jigme to marry the Nepalese princess may be the subordinate factor to behave in a hatrage manner otherwise he was bought up on the Nepalese society and understood the beauty and charm of it. Having not had the affinity to Nepalese society he wouldn’t have proposed the Nepali princess.” i dont think King Jigme proposed any nepali Princess. Should we have any Nepali(ppl from Nepal) as our queeen..Bhutan would not have been what it is now. It would have been a bloody maoist State by now.
While analysis any political situation, the democracy of Nepal no where fits in the good practices of it ,though people of Nepal are good, their goverment is not. I would like to bring out that we bhutanese living in Nepal have somehow got the neplese prospective of political ethics which i would say is totally wretched. We have to take our infact democracy to long way.
So, who marries King is not our question . It is the state Affairs. The constitution grants ammulments to the Royal Family so its not of any Tom, Dick or Kanchadaka’s bussiness.After all King is above all.
108000 so called refugees are the people of Nepal who came to Bhutan during the 70and early 80s. How? Very simple! Reasons below and please connect the dots.
1. After getting rid of the Ranas, the Shahs were grabbing everything they could and once again the poor people in Nepal were the sufferers. First the Ranas and then the Shahs. So the Nepalis were going to India and also looking for greener pastures.
2. During the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s Bhutanese parents were encouraged to send their kids to school by the King. To ease the burden and to make it worthwhile, the students were provided books, pencils, erasers, dress, shoes, socks, soaps, tooth brush, combs, underwears, sports uniforms and meal in the boarding schools. Initially they were sent to places like Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kuersong and when schools in Thimphu and Punakha and Phuentshling were opener they were then sent there. By 1987 these free bees were discontinued.
3. During the late 70 and 80 Bhutanese were going to Nepal because of religious reasons like the famous Boudha, Buddhanilkanta, Swayambunath and also some of the reincarnate Bhutanese Rinpoches also had followers in Nepal and offices there. We went there and the Nepalis were very kind and they provided us with free lodging for the nights. We said bye when it was time to leave. And we invited them over to visit Bhutan if they could. They did come and when they felt sick we took them to our hospital and they were amazed because health care was free. And by the by we told them about the schools and how the Government provided everything for free. They were sold. And some never left because they liked it.
So from the above I am sure you can draw your own conclusion.
My grandfather and grandmother came to India and near the Bhutanese border during the 1930s from Nepal and were recruited in the services of the Kazi of Bhutan (Agent of Bhutan). But because of the 108000 so called Bhutanese Refugees who came for a visit and prolonged their stay, our neighbours questioned us once in jest-I wonder. My grandfather and grandmother and parents broke their backs so that we the children could reap the benefit and along comes these so called “Bhutanese Refugees” from Nepal looking for free things and they got it and never left. In turn they destroyed the smooth flow of life and friendships that people like my grandfather and parents had cultivated for almost 9 decades. The trust that the Kings of Bhutan had in us Nepali speaking people have forever been shattered and it is going to take a while to earn that trust again.
You so called “Bhutanese Refugees” please stay in Nepal, US, New York or wherever and please don’t come back to destroy our lives that people like my grandfather tried so hard to build for us from a scratch. I can speak perfect Dzongkha because Dzongkha is my national language and Nepali is Nepal’s national language. I can also speak Nepali, Sharchopka, Bumtap kha.
who ever u r u dont know anything. FYI her majesty ashi kesang choden wangchuck is a reincarantion of a Khandum. and by the way who ever this mistress is she tried to kill her majesty and the 3rd kings real children. and her majesty is the most kind and intillegent queen. and there was never a building near dechencgoling palace which was yanki’s. and next time if u dont know shit plz dont talk about people like that……..
@Jack. Do you actually know Ashi Yangki, have you ever met her, do you know the truth? Well, on my stint to India, on demand from a BBC articulate, i was researching Buddhist and Indian Slokas. I had the opportunity to meet her and lets face it, historical facts are never accurate. From the time i met her, she had humility and was kind enough to extend me an invitation to dine with her and her family. From what i do know, she was kind, gentle and courteous, and i did speak to a few other members of her family, including her sons. There is no respite and as far as i know, there is nothing murderous about her. The fact is for better judgement, she is an elegant lady who holds no hatred about Bhutan, but is always passionate about speaking about Bhutan, the late King and stories about what Bhutan was like in the 60s and 70s and how the country first became a part of the U.N. I have never judged a book by a cover and always refrain from speaking ill will about other people, being a journalist in the field. I do know that after my meeting with Yangki in India, something like you just put in words out here just don’t seem to match and your comment on this site about Yangki is just unclassy. Next time try not to punch people under their belt. I sure do the term being humane when i come across a lot of people, and i sure do wish Yangki and her family well. – andrewpaul@bbcworld.uk