Before we knew it, the Year of the Horse has galloped away. It was a fairly successful year.
Disasters were minimum, we enjoyed peace and prosperity, and even with a lot of hurdles on the economic front, the year sailed through smoothly.
But what do we do at the end of any year? We look ahead to a new year!
Bhutan this year has special reasons to do so. It is a year of celebrations. We are already in the mood. Celebrations to mark the 60th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo have kicked off. While major events are lined up to mark the special birth anniversary, every single event is dedicated to His Majesty the Drukgyal Zhipa. From now until November 11, we will be immersed in colour, joy and excitement. It is a year to anticipate and to remember, whatever the datho says.
It is a special year because we are celebrating the birth anniversary of a King of destiny. It is a befitting year to pay tribute to a great leader and to rededicate ourselves to the aspirations His Majesty the Drukgyal Zhipa had for this great country and its people.
We need not take part in every dance or programme to show our gratitude to our beloved Drugyal Zhipa. The simplest way each individual can contribute to fulfilling the aspirations of Drukgyal Zhipa is by being true to ourselves by fulfilling our responsibilities.
Whether we are a simple farmer, a driver, a teacher, a civil servant, an elected representative or a Dasho, all we have to do is keep in mind what His Majesty the King said during the 106th National Day address.
In his address to the nation in 2013, His Majesty said that we have become experts in crafting plans, exhibiting better intelligence, expounding ideas and never failing in words. The gap lies between commitment and output. In other words, we fail to deliver results, quality results within the stipulated time. There is no point in having the grand plans or programmes if the end result measures up to nothing.
The datho predicts a grim year ahead with warnings of natural disasters. We have now to prepare. Traditional belief has measures to avert disasters or misfortune by way of kurims and rimdos. This we trust the dratshang will do. But in today’s world, disasters can be political or economic. To avert these, we have our work hard.
If the datho predicts that it is inauspicious for construction or venturing into new business, we will see fewer investments, which in turn would result in lesser job creations and poor real economic growth. It is time for us to prepare and craft good policies and translate them into reality.
The Sheep is known for its calmness and gentleness. It is during times of calm and peace that a lot can be achieved. This gives us hope for a successful New Year.
Happy Losar!