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| Bhutanese National Dress (Ladies attires) |
Bhutan, the Land of Thunder Dragon is our motherland. It is landlocked
and small nation located between two giants –China in the north and India in
the south in Asian region is rich in cultures and traditions that are exceptionally
unique from rest of the world. Our country gained name and fame all over the
world owing to its extraordinary cultures and traditions that are preserved for
last numerous centuries. To preserve and promote our cultures and traditions, it
is concern and fundamental duties for all the Bhutanese individuals. Moreover,
the schools in the country are vital place to preserve and promote it, keep it
alive and enhance importance of the National dresses. The teachers in the
schools impart comprehensive knowledge on how good and unique our culture is,
but still something is missing in the schools all over the country. What is
that missing part in the schools?
The school plays an important role to create awareness in
the public regarding our true cultures, traditions, etiquettes, manners,
personal conducts, etc. Though, teachers taught good things to their school
children since inception of modern education system and schooling system in the
country. In the recent past, the schools are said to be best place to learn
good things. Today, the school administrations and the teachers in the schools
say preserving and promoting our traditional songs -Zhungdra and Boedra
for our upcoming younger generations are significant one. Indeed, preserving and
promoting our traditional songs is good task, but they sometimes forget to
preserve and promote our national dresses. The national dresses are equally
important for us. Owing to unique national dresses, our country is recognized
and become reputed in the world. The school children in the country are wearing
suite –Pant and Shirt during school hours. They are allowed to attend the
classes wearing suites. Forget about attending classes, but also attends
morning assembly wearing suites. It is good for our country? The school
administration and the teachers should not allow students to wear dresses like
pant and shirt in the schools. The schools should set ‘preservation and
promotion of our national dresses -gho and kira’ as priority in the schools.
The schools are bounded by Education Act and Rules and
Regulations of Education Ministry. The schools should follow it strictly to
keep rule of law active. The schools in Thimphu, Paro, Chukha and other
districts, already introduced suites (Pant and Shirt) during school hours. Why
do schools introduce suites? Why do they implement it? Is Ministry of Education
too lenient or fail to execute rules and regulations? Or the schools are taking
advantage of ministry? These questions are generated within the people like me
and others. I have been always observing such changes within very few years. It
is my concern for the country and its cultures and traditions that are well
preserved and passed down to us by our great, great grandparents. When our
ancestors could preserve it and passed on to us, why do we can’t? This shows
that, the younger generations like us, are not willing to accept our cultures
and traditions that are preserved for many centuries. It is our fundamental
duties to preserve and promote it and also educate our upcoming younger
generations regarding our authentic cultures and traditions.
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| Young school students in suites |
When schools are considered as place to learn new things,
which will be helpful and good for our young generation’s future, it is
feasible to implement suites in the schools? I, personally feel it’s not good
at all. Ministry should glance from pinnacle to the ground, what is happening
and what had already happened. The schools should be instructed or ordered or
notified stating that the schools are ‘Not allowed to use suites and other
related non-Bhutanese attires’. The values of our national dresses are going
beyond our reach. For example, have a glance to Our Beloved His Majesty the
Kings and Queens. They always wear our beautifully designed Bhutanese attires.
Why do they wear? This is because our dresses are unique and also comfortable
to wear it. I noticed the people in the streets are in pants, half-pants,
skirts with T-Shirts, and other foreign designed shirts, except few wearing Gho
and Kira. This is saddest part as being Bhutan born future citizen. I
am saddened because the people ignoring our exceptionally unique national
dresses which are comfortable to wear; presentable and well designed. Today,
it’s in the verge of vanishing and will vanish if we do not value it.
Some says that schools use suites only during weekends when
they engage in cleaning in the school campus. Now think our parents or farmers in
the villages, they are using Gho and Kira while they were working
in the fields. They felt comfortable in our national dresses. The cleaning
school campus is done only once a week. Before few years, when I was in the
school, I did the same. I had to clean school campus, but I could do it in our
school dresses. I never had time to change because I was day scholar. When the
students in the past could do social work in school dresses, why can’t today?
This shows that the teachers and the students are least interested in our
national dresses. What comes from their mouth and what they put in practical is
contradictory.
Every pros and cons should be judged from every perspective.
Good things should not let it vanish, rather try to bring up; preserve it and
promote it. The dresses can be seen by every visitor who visits the country. If
students are found in suites, they will get bad impressions regarding dresses. The
visitors visiting our country are eager to see our national dresses and the
other Bhutanese attires. They invest huge amount of money to come to our
country. They read books regarding our cultures and traditions, but when they
reach in the country, what they read is reverse, what do they felt for our
country? These things should have kept in mind before introducing suites in the
schools.
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| Foreigner in complete Bhutanese attires |
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| Foreigner in Bhutanese attires |
The tourists from around the world visit our country to see
our national dresses. They pay attentions to our dresses. Some visitors wear
our dresses paying huge amount of money, but why not we. So, when the people of
different tribes pay attention to our national dress, there is no concrete
reason for the schools introducing suites and the students wearing suites. The
issue wasn’t raised by anyone in the past, except Dzongkhag Tshoogdu in Tsirang
implemented compulsory national dress in Damphu town which failed. Before decades,
in Thimphu, the strict rule was implemented and finally it failed too. There is
Ministry of Home and Culture Affairs and Department of Culture in the country.
The roles and responsibilities of MoHCA and DoC are left behind when it comes
to national dresses. MoHCA is doing good job in renovating dzongs, temples, and
other religious sites because it is our culture and traditions passed by our
ancestors to us. Think that, Dzongs and temples are constructed by the people
of ancient times (our great, great grandparents). The people who constructed
dzongs and temples that time were not naked. They wore Gho and Kira. So, the
meaning here is that, our Gho and Kira or Bhutanese attires
are existed since inception of the live on the earth.
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| Young Bhutanese in western dresses |
The Gross National Happiness (GNH) was born in our country
and has four main pillars. One of the pillars of the GNH is Preservation and
Promotion of Culture and Traditions. The pillars are set to keep our cultures
and traditions alive as long as we live and pass to our younger generations.
The GNH is developmental philosophy that was initiated by His Majesty the
Fourth Dragon King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck aiming to create awareness
for the future generations and our developmental activities to carry out along
with GNH and its pillars. Coming to the point, when the schools and the students
allowed wearing suites during school hours, I am sure, that particular school(s)
is/are going against the pillars of the GNH.
The people can talk about GNH but can’t follow it. The
country’s developmental activities are carried based on GNH and its pillars and
domains. With this, in our country, we can see many developmental activities
are taking place based on GHN. However, it is stressful being Bhutanese when
our national dresses are in the verge of vanishing.
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| Bhutanese youth in pants and shirts |
Our cultures and traditions are our main pillar of the
country. So, therefore, preserve it, promote it and enhance information on its
importance. This is our true culture and tradition.
