The Weekly Tab November 11 – A Date for Posterity

It is at once humbling yet enlightening to note that on November 11, the entire nation will partake in the celebration of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s 55^th birthday. And what an auspicious occasion indeed to celebrate not only the birthday of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo but the second anniversary of the Constitution of Bhutan - a Constitution that He begot, nursed and molded into the sacred sacrament that takes into account the wellbeing, safety and preservation of the Bhutanese and their way of life – for now and onto the future.

It would indeed be a vain exercise and nigh impossible to express the profound impact His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo has imprinted in not only navigating the country over an enlightened and benign reign of more than four decades of selfless service and the intimate rapport which He cultivated and nourished with the common citizenry – one of deep reverence, inspiration and gratitude.

He was the very incarnation of a Dharma King and a fortunate and grateful populace has enjoyed the fruits of His tireless labor. Thus it is befitting, on this occasion that we attempt to pay a humble tribute to the glory that is His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and find renewed motivation in that.

Under his compassionate kingship, the country made unprecedented progress and development without ever surrendering the importance of the Bhutanese heritage. Rather His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo reinforced the traditional and cultural bonds to a towering milestone that has now revolutionized the way modern development is seen, conceived, implemented and measured.

Among His many legacies is the groundbreaking introduction of Gross National Happiness – both as a philosophy and as a practical tool of development that is at once holistic, revolutionary and applicable on a national and personal level. The fact that today GNH finds welcome platforms and podiums around the world is testimony to that vision. That it is not only gaining grounds as a developmental philosophy but is also seriously being considered as a workable alternative approach to the prevalent practice of enrichment at all costs by an increasing number of governments around the world.

That was one of His many precious gifts to the country and to the world at large. Another watershed moment came when He initiated work on the Draft Constitution. At the time, His Majesty said “Bhutan must move with the times to ensure that the nation not only overcomes all internal and external threats, but continues to prosper in an atmosphere of peace and stability.”

The Draft Constitution was a labor of love worked out without exhaustion and in consultation with the people of Bhutan, to reassure and to safeguard their rights and that of the nation. The Draft Constitution toured the length and breadth of the kingdom with His Majesty himself paving the way in patiently explaining the magnitude and significance of the document, allaying fears and dispelling doubts of a people that trusted Him explicitly but were not quite willing to let go of the parental hand which He so readily extended for decades. But as with all things He did for the benefit of the people and the nation, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, on July 18, 2008, gave us a Constitution like no other with the heartfelt message that the Constitution must go beyond mere words and become the golden pillar which will support and enable the political system to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and the rights of the people.

And then He gifted us democracy – against the will of the people, for the benefit of the people and as a right of the people. His panoramic vision, compassionate persona and fearless action has brought us to where we are today – as a sovereign nation steeped in tradition following a development philosophy that has no parallel. In the end, He made us realize our identity as a people and as a nation and the paramount importance of maintaining both. Today, it is our great fortune that His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck now steers the nation just like His Father did.

If we followed suit in Their Majesties awakened examples, we would perhaps earn the right and the pride to call them our Druk Gyalpos and be worthy enough to pay our respects and demonstrate our gratitude, as responsible subjects of this blessed realm of the Dharma Kings.

Ps: YourLustForLifeStartsRightNow!

We might begin this tenth edition of DRUKPA by posing a specific query relevant to this particular issue, namely the question “what is a photograph?” Images are mental graphs, transporting one through time and space to precious places, moments and the context within which those particular events took place, evoking emotions ranging from ecstasy to despair, attraction to revolt. But one aspect remains crystal clear – there is no denying the power of imagery and no indignity in knowing that a photograph speaks a thousand words and brings about as many memories, both bitter and sweet. That and the innate fact that nothing quite captures change like the camera, from black cloth and big-bulb flashlights to the digital age, the images produced thanks to photography have shaped the hearts and minds of many through the decades, and none so boldly as the 20th century.

It was with this particular picture in mind that DRUKPA decided to do a photojournalism themed issue with ‘transformation’ as the narrative. It is nigh impossible to present every conceivable story through photographs, for the simple fact that taking on such an endeavor requires the patient perusal of literally thousands of photographs and then compiling them in such a way that the order and sequence in which they are presented is both balanced and weighed in with the right tone.

Just as every picture tells a story, every frame in which that picture appears and is placed in and displayed with also lends depth. One of the toughest tasks we faced was in trying to find out how and where to layout the images. When we finally rolled the films, there was only one way we could try telling that story and that was in terms of the layout and design, imparting, we hope, a sense of transformation and change.

Thus this edition, in a manner of speaking, is an attempt to tell the story behind the story. Together with the method we’d chosen, the other task awaiting us was the use of language in the form of the accompanying captions. If a photograph is the soul, then captions are like the physical characteristics; tools that help one navigate and understand the photograph one is looking at better and clearer. A friend helped. He sent in this memo one morning:

“Captions are short prose with a tall job: to address photographs in a brief, clear way while imparting information – without cannibalizing copy from the accompanying article. The motto is ‘Brevity, Clarity, Bight.’ It is the performing art of distilling the essence of every story into a few allotted lines appearing with the photo. The language is forceful and efficient.”

That is what we have aspired to do with the photographs presented here.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, a French photographer, considered to be the father of modern photojournalism, amongst many other things related to photography, also said “As time passes by and you look at portraits, the people come back to you like a silent echo. A photograph is a vestige of a face, a face in transit. Photography has something to do with death. It’s a trace.” He also added “In photojournalistic reporting, inevitably, you’re an outsider.”

We certainly hope that that was said with that positive attribute about reporting; ‘neutrality and without fear or favor’.
Enjoy it!