PM Modi’s visit created glee in people of Bhutan

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi

PM of India landed in Paro International Airport

Flying from the great plains of Republic of India to the Mountainous topography of Royal Kingdom of Bhutan was historic and overwhelming and happy situation for the people of Bhutan. We the Bhutanese people are blessed and sanctified with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s first foreign visit to our country after assuming the office. His visit to our country came on the invitation of His Majesty the King and the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB). He was elected as the New Prime Minister of India after the landslide victory in General election. He was the Prime Ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP). He also served as Chief Minister of Gujarat for 13 years.

“Bound by common interests and shared prosperity, India and Bhutan enjoy a unique and special relationship, which has been forged by ties of geography, history and culture.  Therefore, Bhutan as the destination for my first visit abroad as Prime Minister is a natural choice.  Relations with Bhutan will be a key foreign policy priority of my government.” Shri Modi said in statement prior to his departure for Bhutan.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to our country, according to him is “Natural Choice”. With his visit to our country, the King, country and its people had good and reassuring time to see and pay tribute to His Excellency in the soil of Bhutan with high level delegations team.

Our country is small and underprivileged, yet it is gracious that Prime Minister Modi’s visit shows that India have love and care for our tiny nation. His visit to Bhutan as first foreign tour will hopefully enhance our strong friendship which was existed prior to will become stronger henceforth. Hope development in the country boost yearly. This is what India and Bhutan have since many years.

Bhutan being one of the small and tiny nations in the world and good friend of India, our country was said to be first country to congratulate Indian Independence in 1947. This is crystal clear that our two nations have good bilateral relation ever since India gain independence from British. Prior to that, two countries had good relation in terms of trade and commerce, culture and traditions and many more.

The Prime Minister was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay

Guard of honor was paid to the Prime Minister of India

The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi boarded in special Aircraft, arrived at Paro International Airport with his delegation team. As soon as plane was landed, the Prime Minister of Bhutan and the students paid homage offering Khadhar (Auspicious Scarf) and the welcoming flowers by the students. He was then paid guard of honour in the premises of the International Airport.

Then the journey to the capital was started from Airport, where hundreds and thousands of government officials, the students, the villagers and many others, welcomed Shri Narendra Modi, the 15^th Prime Minister of Republic of India. The Prime Minister was escorted in his BMW manufactured, special car brought from New Delhi to the Capital of Bhutan, along with Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, the cabinet ministers and other senior government officials.

The Prime Minister on walk interacting with people of Bhutan

On the way, the Prime Minister was welcomed by thousands of people lined up along two side of the road which shows that the people of Bhutan have faith and devotion in him. On the way to Thimphu from Paro, the Prime Minister waved the hands and smiled at the lined up people of different types. The Prime Minister was greeted and welcomed by singing songs by the students lined up for the reception.

The Prime Minister in Courtyard of Tashichodzong with His Majesty the King of Bhutan

Upon reaching the Capital City of Bhutan, Thimphu, the Prime Minister was escorted to the courtyard of Tashichodzong in Chipdrel ceremony. He received an audience with His Majesty the King at the Golden Throne room in Tashichodzong along with Her Majesty the Gyeltshuen Jitsuen Pema Wangchuck. The Prime Minister then received audience with His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

After formally unveiling the Supreme Court of Bhutan

Later in the evening, the Prime Minister was escorted to the new Supreme Court complex at Hejo to formally make public. The Supreme Court Complex was constructed with fund from Government of India (GoI), of more than Nu. 705.50m.

Banquet hosted by the Prime Minister, Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay. Read artilce in italic below

In the late evening, The Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a banquet hosted by Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay in Convention Centre. In his speech there, the Prime Minister described the relationship between India and Bhutan as “made for each other”. “India is committed to Bhutan’s happiness and progress.” said PM Shri Modi.

Following are the news archive of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s website, www.narendramodi.in:

In a speech at the banquet hosted by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Tshering Tobgay, he said this was his first visit to Bhutan, and the tremendous enthusiasm with which the people had greeted and welcomed him, right from the airport, and on the way to Thimphu, and throughout the day – would remain etched in his memory forever.

Talking of the India-Bhutan relationship, Shri Modi said that the two countries share not just land boundaries, but a common glorious cultural tradition. Our passports may have a different colour, but our values and thinking are the same. We may wear different clothes and speak different languages, but our feelings are one. 

The Prime Minister said while the world talks of GDP, Bhutan talks of National Happiness. He said there could be many parameters to measure happiness, but he wished to suggest a new one – how is your neighbour. Among the many parameters on which Bhutan measures happiness, having a good friend like India should be one of them, Shri Modi said.

The Prime Minister also said the way Bhutan has progressed despite natural constraints is commendable. The Government may have changed in India, but we will continue to build on our shared cultural values and make our relationship stronger, he said. He said the relationship should develop in a multi-faceted way, beyond just financial consideration.

Shri Modi raised a toast to the long life of the royal family, the well-being and prosperity of the people of Bhutan, and the everlasting friendship between India and Bhutan.

On 16^th June, the Prime Minister attended the joint session of Parliament. He was received by National Assembly Speaker, Jigme Zangpo and National Council Chairman, Dasho (Dr.) Sonam Kinga. His Excellency was escorted to the Assembly hall. The Assembly Speaker saluted the Prime Minister in his welcome speech. After Speaker’s welcome speech, the Prime Minister addressed the joint session of the Parliament. His address was overwhelming and tear-jerking for the people of Bhutan.

The Prime Minister said to the joint session of Parliament, “The relationship between India and Bhutan is historic. The new government is committed to make this even stronger.”

Address in Parliament of Bhutan

When the Prime Minister mentioned such in joint session of Parliament, I felt we are lucky enough to have good friends or neighbor like India and especially, brilliant Prime Minister like him. It was good news for Bhutan which will lead to enhancement of our good relation which was existed many centuries. He spoke in Hindi, the national language of India.

“If you walk a few steps, we too feel like walking those steps and supporting you,” said Indian Prime Minister, adding that our hearts are always open for friendly relations with neighbours. A change in government will not change that.

With these words, our good friend, India tied the knot of strengthening good relation hereafter. The people watching television live, around the country felt excited and contended to be good friends of India. The social Medias were flourished by the news. The Bhutanese people living in other parts of the world streamed the Prime Minister’s Address to the Parliament live.

“Strength of a democracy is very important for that region and its people. The stronger India will be, the better it is for Bhutan and other SAARC nations. A strong and stable India is needed to make sure that we can help our neighbours with their problems,” the Prime Minister said.

He pinpoints that how much India become stronger in terms of anything, our country and the SAARC nations will be benefited equally. He stressed on improving science and technology and promised to help our country in such fields.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister said, “India’s satellite technology can be used for Bhutan’s development. Our space technology can bring both countries closer. We have decided to form an E-library network for Bhutan.”

The sports are core thing to keep our relations good and strengthen it. The Prime Minister proposed a sport meet of all Himalayan states and Bhutan. He said, “I thought: can’t we do a special sports meet on a regular basis for all Himalayan states and Bhutan? Sportsman’s spirit brings happiness.”

The Prime Minister Shri Modi also pays tribute to our Royal Family for escorting smooth transition of democracy in our country. “Bhutan’s smooth transition from political monarchy to a successful democracy is admirable. Bhutan has worked tirelessly in establishing democratic values. The prime quality for maintaining democracy is self-reliance. Bhutan has established democracy among its people through awareness and strong democratic traditions. I congratulate Bhutan’s political family for securing development and protection of traditions and environment,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also praised for the allocation of 2014 to 2015 budget outlay. “When a country provides for teachers to educate its society, it strengthens democracy. I am delighted that in the 2014 budget, Bhutan has devoted a lot of resources towards education. They are looking at future generations,” he said.

As and when he goes on speaking in the parliament, he reiterated the word Himalaya time and again. He says that the Himalayas bring us together always. “We must be very proud of the Himalayas. They are our strength. The Himalayas are India and Bhutan’s common heritage,” Prime Minister stressed.

Our country situated on the Himalayas share same culture and traditions. The international territory of more than thousands kilometers are shared with India in the south, west and eastern part of the country. The Prime Minister said, “India and Bhutan sharing culture and traditions will be beneficial for the youth.”

Bhutan is one of the countries in Asia visited by the tourists from around the world. The Prime Minister says that if Bhutan and North-East part of India work together to harness tourists, it would be good for our development and that would bring us together. “Terrorism divides and tourism unites. Bhutan has rich potential for tourism to grow,” he said, adding that tourism will unite two countries together and tie our friendship knots tighter than before.

The Prime Minister says that Government of India will double up the scholarships that were provided for the Bhutanese students. It was good news for the students of Bhutan and good for human resource development in the country. It would help enhance aptitude of Bhutan’s future leader.

The Prime Minister says that Bhutan-India’s joint venture Hydro Electricity projects will be supported and work hard on achieving it. He also talked on many other issues and promised to help Bhutan’s developmental activities.

The Prime Minister was then escorted to the courtyard of National Assembly hall to lay down the foundation stone of 600MW Kholongchu Hydro Electric Project, in eastern Bhutan, after paying vote of thanks by Chairman of National Council.

The foundation stone was laid down in the courtyard of National Assembly hall with his counterpart, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay. Then Prime Minister was called on audience with Opposition Leader, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho.

With this the time for the Prime Minister came almost to an end. After audience with Opposition Leader, he was escorted to courtyard of Tashichodzong. There, the His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Fourth King gave audience. The cultural programs were staged for the Prime Minister and his delegations. The students of Thimphu sung a song composed on the name of Indian Prime Minister Shri Modi. Some traditional songs and dances and mask dances are performed in the courtyard of Tashichodzong in the presence of the Prime Minister.

From left: Fourth King of Bhutan, PM Shri Modi and His Majesty the King of Bhutan

His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Fourth King hosted the lunch for the Prime Minister Shri Modi in Kuenray of Tashichodzong along with Royal family members, Prime Minister of Bhutan, Cabinet ministers, his delegation teams and high level government officials.

Then the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set off by His Majesty the King, His Majesty the Fourth King, Royal Family members, and other senior government officials at Tashichodzong. The Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, the Cabinet Ministers, and other senior government officials accompanied the Indian Prime Minister until Paro International Airport.

The Prime Minister Shri Modi was set off by the Prime Minister, Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay

On the way back to Delhi, the Prime Minister was set off by various people along the way from Thimphu to Paro. It was really amazing time for the people of Bhutan. The students lined up along the road in order to have glimpse Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India.

With the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s two day visit to country will enhance our bilateral relation. The people of Bhutan jointly expressed prayers of LONG LIVE THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA SHRI NARENDRA MODI and INDIA-BHUTAN FRIENDSHIP. The people lined along the road side waved off the goodbye flags. The students sung songs dedicated for the Indian Prime Minister.

Reaching back to Delhi, the capital of India, the Prime Minister updated on his official page on facebook, “Touched by welcome song sung by primary school students during the luncheon hosted by His Majesty the King of Bhutan”.

“This Bhutan trip will remain etched in my memory. It was a very satisfying and productive visit,” said Prime Minister, adding that addressed Bhutan’s Parliament.

“When Bhutan moves ahead, India too feels like taking steps ahead to support Bhutan. In a short span of time, Bhutan has developed immense faith in democratic institutions. This is wonderful for Bhutan’s development journey,” he tweeted on facebook.

 

May Indo-Bhutan Friendship become stronger than before

Thank you, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. Long Live, the Prime Minister; may our friendship become stronger and stronger.

Buddha Dordenma statue

Buddha Dordenma Statue (Front Elevation)

Kuensel Phodrang is the ruin palace of 13^th Druk Desi, Sherab Wangchuk and now it is altered into the palace of Buddha Dordenma statue, facing south Thimphu valley. The Buddha statue is stands as one of the world’s largest statues situated in Bhutan with a height of 169 feet or 51.5 meters. The world’s largest statue will house more than one lakh of Toenpa Dordenma statue painted gold. The statue is constructed on the hill of Changbangdo facing south Thimphu valley and it’s visible from any places in Thimphu. Today, this site has been much visited sites in Thimphu for recreation purposes or for viewing the entire Thimphu city.

Kuenselphodrang Nature Park

Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park was inaugurated in 2011 and opened for the public in order to recreate their tiredness and exhausts of working hard. The Park surrounds the Buddha statue. Every day, more than hundreds of visitors visit the place along with their families, relatives, friends, and loved ones. Tens and hundreds of vehicles ply to the place to offer prayers for all sorts of blessings for the future, to rejoice the outcome of their hard work, enjoy the crystal clear view of Capital City, to celebrate meeting with friends after long time, to treat loved ones with beautiful vicinity of the park under the eyes of Buddha, make commitment and promises for the near future, and other reasons too.

In the evening, after the office hours and before nightfall, the people drive in their own utility cars and reserve cabs to ply to the place. The visitor ranging from high officials and low level officials, old aged and youngsters, rich and poor, and other classes of people calmly and serenely visit the place. The students after the long hours of tiring classes for a week or two, visits the place to recreate their exhausted mind. Some few students silently go into the forest with books and study there for whole day during weekends and holidays.

Back elevation

During Duezang or auspicious days, the family and relatives, friends and loved ones trips to the site to offer their prayers to benefit themselves and all the sentient beings as a whole. Coming to the couples, they take excursion to the spot to make promises under the nostril of Buddha Dordenma statue. They also hold each other’s hands and circumambulate or walk around the statue. When the couples make promises and offer prayers for the future to come, some people offer butter lamps and feasts.

Apart from local visitors, today the site has been one of the tourist attraction places in Thimphu valley. The tourist visiting the country by any means, visit the place to view the scene of Thimphu city and also offer prayers. Most of the tourists snap the photo along with Toenpa Dordenma statue. The tourists staying in hotels and resorts in Thimphu voyage to the place to vision the night view of Bhutan’s capital city.

Side Elevation

Over the year, the place has been much cherished and exciting place in Thimphu to view the capital city. Prior to this place, the Sangaygang above Motithang has been tourist spot and local visiting place to view capital city. The people staying in Thimphu visit the place every day. The people coming from other districts in the country has keen interest to journey to the place in order to take photographs either with Capital city or Buddha statue.

There is no other option to ply to the site, except if we take walk from Changbangdo. Our journey starts from lower Chang-gaydaphu which is commonly known as Kalabazar right above Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). It is ten minute drive from main town. The road heading to the site is wide enough and black topped which make our journey comfortable and contended.

Bird Eye view of Thimphu City from Kuenselphodrang

Road heading to Kuenselphodrang

When we reach to the site, we can glimpse the fully furnished statue seated on the three storied building visage the South Thimphu valley. The work is still under process. Though, the construction of Buddha Statue is completed but the three storied temple beneath the statue where Buddha is seated is not yet completed. The one lakh statue of Toenpa Dordenma is installing in the temple along with other thousands of statues.

Visit the place to rejoice the life under the eyes of Toenpa Dordenma. 

Complete Buddha Dordenma

Welcome PM Shri Modi to Bhutan

Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

I on behalf of the people of Bhutan and on my own behalf cordially welcome Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to Bhutan -the land of Thunder Dragon. We the people of Bhutan pay esteemed thanks for the Prime Minister’s visit after assuming as the Prime Minister of the great nation in the world –INDIA. Prime Minister’s visit will enhance Indo-Bhutan Friendship, which was strongly tied for last many years, stronger than before.

The Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) will host the Prime Minister Modi’s visit as highest state guest in the country. It is good time for the Bhutanese people since two Nation’s friendship and inter-linkage between two people in border areas are respectfully attached forever. The Indian Prime Minister’s visit will enhance our respectful attach become more attached.

Narendra Modi

Narendra Damodardas Modi was born on 17th September, 1950 is the 15th and current Prime Minister of India. Modi, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001–14. He is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Varanasi constituency.

Modi was a key strategist for the BJP in the successful 1995 and 1998 Gujarat state election campaigns. He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001 and served longer in that position than anyone else to date. Modi was a major campaign figure in the 2009 general election, which the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance lost to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). He led the BJP in the 2014 general election, which resulted in an outright majority for the BJP in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian parliament) – the last time that any party had secured an outright majority in the Lok Sabha was in 1984.

Modi is a Hindu Nationalist and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He is a controversial figure both within India as well as internationally as his administration has been criticized for the incidents surrounding the 2002 Gujarat riots. Modi has been praised for his economic policies, which are credited with creating an environment for a high rate of economic growth in Gujarat. However, his administration has also been criticized for failing to make a significant positive impact upon the human development of the state. 

Modi was born on 17 September 1950 to a family of grocers belonging to the backward Ghanchi-Teli (oil-presser) community, in Vadnagar in Mehsana district of erstwhile Bombay State (present-day Gujarat), India. He was the third of four children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife, Heeraben. He helped his father sell tea at Vadnagar railway station. As a child and as a teenager, he ran a tea stall with his brother near a bus terminus. In 1967, he completed his schooling in Vadnagar, where a teacher described him as being an average student, but a keen debater who had an interest in theatre.

That interest has influenced how he now projects himself in politics. At the age of eight, Modi came in contact with RSS and he began attending its local shakhas where he came in contact with Lakshmanrao Inamdar, popularly known as Vakil Saheb, who is known as his political guru and mentor. Inamdar inducted Modi as a balswayamsevak, a junior cadet in RSS. During his morning exercise session at the keri pitha shakha of RSS, he also came in contact with Vasant Gajendragadkar and Nathalal Jaghda, leaders of the Jan Sangh who later founded the BJP's Gujarat state unit in 1980. 

Modi's parents arranged his marriage as a child, in keeping with the traditions of the Ghanchi caste. He was engaged at the age of 13 to Jashodaben Chimanlal and the couple was married by the time he was 18. They spent very little time together and were soon estranged because Modi decided to pursue an itinerant life. However as per Modi’s biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, the marriage was never consummated. Having remained silent on his marital status, during declarations related to candidature during four state elections since 2002 and having claimed that his status as a single person meant that he had no reason to be corrupt, Modi acknowledged Jashodaben as his legal spouse when filling in his nomination form for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

As per Modi in Kishore Makwana's Common Man Narendra Modi, published in 2014, after leaving home at 17, he went to Ramakrishna Mission ashram in Rajkot and then to the Belur Math near Kolkata. Then he went to Guwahati and later joined another ashram set up by Swami Vivekananda in Almora, in the Himalayan foothills. Two years after, he returned to Vadnagar and after a brief halt at his house, Modi left again for Ahmedabad, where he lived and worked in a tea stall run by his uncle where he again came in contact with Lakshmanrao Inamdar who was then based at Hedgewar Bhavan, the RSS headquarters in the city. He then worked in the staff canteen of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation until he became a full–time pracharak (campaigner) of the RSS in 1970. In 1978, Modi graduated with an extramural degree through Distance Education in political science from Delhi University. In 1983, while remaining as a pracharak in the RSS, completed his Master's degree in political science from Gujarat University. He still continues to visit Belur Math occasionally and talks about his reverence for the Ramakrishna Mission.

Early political career

Modi formally joined the RSS after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. After Modi had received some RSS training in Nagpur, which was a prerequisite for taking up an official position in the Sangh Parivar, he was given charge of Sangh's student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in Gujarat. During 1975–1977, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of the emergency, political opponents were jailed and political organizations including RSS were banned. Modi went underground in Gujarat and to evade arrest was occasionally disguised as a Sikh, saint, elderly man etc. and printed and sent booklets against the central government to Delhi. He also organised agitations and covert distribution of the Sangh’s pamphlets.

He also participated in the movement against the Emergency under Jayaprakash Narayan. He was made the general secretary of the Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti and his primary role was to co-ordinate between activists in the state. During this period he wrote a book titled Sangharsh ma Gujarat (Gujarat's struggle) in Gujarati which chronicles events, anecdotes as well as his personal experiences. The RSS assigned Modi to the BJP in 1985.  While Shankersinh Vaghela and Keshubhai Patel were the established names in the Gujarat BJP at that time, Modi rose to prominence after organising Murli Manohar Joshi's Kanyakumari-Srinagar Ekta yatra (Journey for Unity) in 1991. In 1988, Modi was elected as organising secretary of BJP's Gujarat unit, marking his formal entry into mainstream politics. As secretary, his electoral strategy was central to BJP's victory in the 1995 state elections. 

In November 1995, Modi was elected National Secretary of BJP and was transferred to New Delhi where he was assigned responsibility for the party's activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Vaghela defected from the BJP after he lost the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, having previously threatened to do so in 1995. Modi was promoted to the post of general secretary (Organisation) of the BJP in May 1998. While on the selection committee for the 1998 Assembly elections in Gujarat, Modi favoured supporters of Patel over those loyal to Vaghela, in an attempt to put an end to the factional divisions within the party. His strategies were credited as being a key to winning the 1998 elections.

The article courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi