Bhutan: Modern literature
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Bhutan Echoes Literature Festival
2024
August 16, 2024: The Times of India
Bhutan’s queen mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck dons many hats. Despite her many royal duties, she is passionate about social causes and an accomplished author. As patron of Bhutan Echoes, she is helping put the Himalayan kingdom’s literature and arts on the global map. In an interview with Anandita De, the 69-year old spoke about her work and why gross domestic happiness is a ‘ruling’ priority
The Bhutan Echoes Literature Festival celebrates literature as well as the arts. What are your future plans for this event?
When I started Bhutan Echoes (it was called Mountain Echoes back then) in collaboration with then Indian ambassador Pavan Kumar Varma, there was hardly anyone who wrote in English. Content was only written in our own language, so I wanted to broaden the scope of the event to more writers and readers, more lovers of words, which has happened in the course of these last 13 years. Today, what I envision for Bhutan Echoes is for it to go international, so that we can showcase our local talents on a global level. This is my dream and endeavour.
How do you stay connected with the people of Bhutan?
I feel it’s my moral duty. I’ve been blessed to be in this (royal) position and I can’t just let it go to waste. I have to understand the people — their aspirations, their dreams, their ground realities. That’s why, over 20 years ago, I walked into many villages on foot. Some of those journeys — crossing mountain passes and braving inclement weather — took me three weeks. I used to sometimes walk for over 10-11 hours a day. I’ve lost toenails, had blisters but I would go meet people, live with villagers, eat with them.
Most of your time is invested in improving lives through the Tarayana Foundation, for which you won the Pope Francis charity and leadership award. Tell us about the work it does.
At the Tarayana Foundation, we have been helping those experiencing financial difficulties through housing schemes, scholarships, training, production, marketing of rural products and financial support, as well as raising awareness of global warming and working extensively to preserve national parks and wildlife corridors. We are also into water preser- vation because water has become a huge and precious commodity not only in Bhutan but the world over. We make micro finance available to villagers in remote areas to help them improve their livelihoods. We are also looking into poverty in urban areas since the hopes of people who come into the city aren’t totally fulfilled. And therein lies the need for Tarayana Foundation to address these challenges in the future. Currently, we are working in over 600 villages in Bhutan. Our motto is service from the heart and respecting the people that serve.
You have authored three books. Each work is distinct in nature yet has a co-relation to Bhutan’s development. What drives you to write and which one did you enjoy writing the most?
The first ‘Rainbows and Clouds’ was a biography of my father, Yab Ugen Dorji. He was turning 70 and I wanted to record his memories. It’s an ode to him and I’m glad I did it because I captured his way of life in Bhutan which is lost now. I really enjoyed writing this book and capturing the essence of ‘his’ Bhutan. The second book (‘Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan’) is part-travelogue and part-memoir, and aims to introduce Bhutan to the world. It comes through all my experiences and all my journaling as I travelled from village to village. The third/ last book (‘Dochula: A Spiritual Abode in SBhutan’), is very special for me because it talks about the 108 stupas in Dochula Pass and that was when His Majesty (former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck) led his army into a war in 2003. I wrote the book so that he comes home victorious, and then I also built a temple and established a festival. It is to say thank you to the King and honour his work and sacrifices.
How important is a festival like Bhutan Echoes for today’s youth, especially in this age of social media and AI?
Books are different from AI as there’s a feeling of connection and getting to know one another — they come from the heart. We celebrate all forms of art and literature as we experience it together.
Bhutan is known for its high happiness index worldwide. And as honorary president of Sherubtse College, Bhutan’s oldest and most respected institution of higher learning, you take a keen interest in youth and gender-related discussions. What are the measures to deal with next-gen struggles in Bhutan?
There is a great need to fulfil aspirations of our youth, and we have to make sure that the youth stay and serve in Bhutan. This initiative has been initiated by His Majesty, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. He has started something called the Desuung project and now, he’s starting the Gyalsung programme. Youth who turn 18 have to join the Gyalsung and get trained in different arts and skills. They’re also trained to be tough, almost like a militia, in order to make them aware of who they are and where they’re going. Another project is the mindfulness city in Gelephu that is going to take us into a new realm of prosperity.
