The 109th National Day this year will be a special one as it is the same year when His Majesty The King completed 10 years of reign.
The fact that the National Day is being held in Trongsa has a lot of symbolism, as it was here 12 years ago where His Majesty’s investiture ceremony as Trongsa Penlop took place.
Given the close association of National Day with our Monarchy, the Trongsa Dzong is also the seat from which the Wangchuk Dynasty united a fractured nation into one entity.
Apart from the historical significance, the National Day has always been an important occasion for our Monarch’s to speak directly with the nation. It is also time to remember, renew and strengthen our collective national spirit.
In that sense the value of the National Day has gained considerable strength and importance over the years.
His Majesty The King’s substantive speeches during the National Day creates a big impact on the collective psyche of the nation and the people.
Both the government and the people can quote almost every significant statement or phrase in the Royal addresses, and consciously or sub-consciously, people strive to achieve the important values and lessons in them.
The reason why people hang on to every word is not only due to the reverence for our Monarch but it also has to do with the depth and meaning of those words.
A study of His Majesty’s National Day addresses show that they have always pinpointed and addressed the important issues for the nation and also what we must work on to achieve our long term interests.
Political leaders have the unique drawback of thinking from one election to the next and that, more often than not, limits them.
In contrast His Majesty as the head of the State not only encompasses much broader and core national values, but is a source of stable and inspiration leadership guiding the nation in the longer run to a stronger and better future.
“Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation”.