Reminiscing the Royal Audience

On 22^nd January, 2013, His Majesty the King granted an audience to the twenty Dzongkhag Kidu Officers despite his hectic schedule. HM told us that he was even counting seconds as he was preparing for his trip to New Delhi the next day for the celebration of Republic Day. But he graciously spared more than 30 minutes of his precious time for us.

His Majesty explained us the reason why he was going as the Guest of Honor to India.

His Majesty cited several examples some of which he said deserved kidu and also that few of our Bhutanese were getting spoilt by the Kidu that His Majesty has been granting.

Amongst others, His Majesty focused on the following points:

• PR: His Majesty told us that public relations was very important and to accord a high regard for that. 
• Unpopularity: His Majesty told us not to be unpopular. His Majesty did not hear anything bad about us till date but in the event he comes to know about our unpopularity, he said that he would change us. HM highlighted that the public opinion was very important.
• Information: His Majesty also told us to keep abreast of the latest happenings in the Dzongkhags and to feed him with the news.
• 2013 Elections: His Majesty advised us not to associate with any of the parties. Rather, HM advised us to be alert and know what was going around.

His Majesty told us that he was very busy for the next two months; and that he would call all of us and orient us on every aspect of Kidu after two months.

His Majesty thanked us for the timely delivery of semsos and also for identifying the new lot of vulnerable individuals. HM told us that we were an important part of his work. His Majesty granted us a jacket each.

To have the highest authority saying, “You are an important part of my job” is not only inspirational, but also the most unforgettable remark a civil servant can ever think of being granted. I mean, what can be a greater remark?

Salvaging the Have Nots

Even as the people are looking for newer and fancier gadgets, there are other lot of people who have not equaled the same fate. There are people who go without food, clothes and shelter across the globe.

Narrowing down to the condition in Bhutan, our Monarchs have played a very vital role in alleviating poverty by way of granting different forms of Kidu and therefore, we can proudly say that the poverty in Bhutan is not as severe as the ones in the Third World Countries, befitting the title that Bhutan is tagged with- the country of Gross National Happiness.

Having said that, we cannot declare that poverty does not prevail in Bhutan. Poverty still exists because most of the poverty-stricken people dwell in the rural pockets of the country as they were either oblivious about the Kidu System or they did not know how to derive the benefit of the Kidu that our benevolent Monarchs have been tirelessly granting till date. 

Therefore, His Majesty the Fifth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Khaesar Namgyel Wangchuck professionalized the Welfare System and focused on ‘Taking Kidu to the People’, keeping in mind that the most vulnerable and the deserving ones would not be able to come to the Capital to avail Kidu.

For that very purpose, His Majesty opened Regional Office of His Majesty's Kidu Support Centre whereby Zimpon Wogms and Their Royal Highness were appointed as His Majesty's Representatives in the Regional Offices. In order to take Kidu to the threshold of the people, His Majesty has now appointed Kidu Officers in all the Dzongkhags in order to profile on the various Kidu disciplines.

Road, electricity, technology and other modern amenities may make a community more comfortable and less arduous. But it would benefit only the people who can reap its benefits. Whereas, the poverty-stricken people will not be benefited as they do not have the capacity and the know-how to capitalize on the developmental activities. If those kinds of people are not rescued with proper care, it will take ages to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty.

Thus, His Majesty's Kidu comes in handy to evacuate the poverty-stricken people to a realm of happiness, graduating them to a level, psychologically and economically at par with their fellow rural dwellers.