Bhutan - Green & Happy

By Meera

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 As I traveled across the mountainous royal kingdom of Bhutan, the one thing that left its imprint in my mind was how these people were happy with what they had and did not crave for the moon. Leading a simple life, people across the kingdom were either involved in farming or forestry while others were into meditation and prayers. Since most parts of the country are woodlands, it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits. 

On the outskirts of Thimphu, I came across a group of farmers tilling their fields. Most of them own and work on their small farms. But they have no complaints. They still use the traditional and organic methods of farming. For these farming communities, it is a hard day’s work for the entire family but they grow sufficiently for their needs as well as for their country. 

The elders attired in their traditional Bhutanese dress can be seen in monasteries either praying or relaxing. And, they look content and nobody seems to be running or glued to their mobiles. People can be seen offering food to monks as also the poor. There is no rush or any kind of jostling for food – one finds them sitting in one corner of the spiritual centers – eating, resting, and praying. 

When I go visiting a house in Paro, I find a farming family growing maize, sugarcane as well as vegetables. They have a small holding with no power connection for their house. But when you talk to them, they say they don’t mind and can live without power. It is easy to communicate as many people can speak Hindi. 

Although the country has surplus power, most households at higher reaches have no power connection. Their entire power is hydroelectric and generated from mountain rivers and they also export it to their neighbors. But not many people complain and seem content with what little they have. It is not for nothing that this tiny Himalayan Kingdom has been declared as the first Carbon Negative country in the world. 

If India, China, the US, Europe, and the Middle East run after GDP and destroy their natural landscapes, the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan runs after its citizens’ happiness in every sense. Their development philosophy as coined by King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the fourth (in 1972), is gross national happiness rather than gross development product. It is no surprise that the Bhutanese are called one of the happiest people in this part of the world compared. The less said the better about others who are mutilating their happiness in the name of development.

Leading a simple life like this in the salubrious yet harsh mountain terrains of many remote villages, people seemed to be surrounded by an aura of spirituality. The dzongs, chortens, monasteries, and their dwellings provide a clear insight into the life of the people and their lifestyle. A local hotel manager said the concept of happiness is providing socio-economic security to its people, imparting cultural values and telling the youth how to protect their environment.
 

To anybody visiting this mountainous kingdom, Bhutan may seem like a precious relic from a lost civilization. But it is a happy nation. Further, this country regulates tourism and does not entertain hordes of tourists as they would like to protect their people and the fragile Himalayan landscape. As I roamed around the countryside, I hardly saw people, it is very less populated - some estimates are as low as only 6-7 lakhs. Most of the places I visited are heavily forested with minimal human presence. If you get lost in the remote mountains, there will not be a soul in sight to guide or help you back.

 

With massive tree cover dotting the country from west to east, it is not surprising that they absorb whatever little Carbon dioxide is produced. One of our tour guides at Thimpu told us their constitution has ensured that their forest cover does not go below 60 percent. Also, as a Bhutanese youth informed us, electric vehicles will replace all petrol and diesel guzzling transport in the next 10 years. Well, three cheers for this tiny kingdom with its Carbon Negative tag while the rest of the world seems to be happy with more GDP and climate disasters.

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