Advertising 'Happiness' did not yeild anything in Bhutan

Where the word ‘Happiness’ is much outspoken and advertised, there in Bhutan, World Happiness Report 2017 reflect no happiness.

 

21 March 17. Nederland. Summing the key factors to happiness, this year’s World Happiness Report disclosed that; people in those countries who could trust their governments and business establishments and find themselves free to make decisions for their life without any anxiety, and could say that they are having good social support are the happiest people in the world.

Map showing forced migration of Bhutanese refugees from the camps in Nepal. Foto UNHCR

Emphasizing the importance of such social foundations of happiness a group of independent experts dedicated on the auspices of the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network surveyed people in 156 countries and found Norway the happiest country in the World.

30^th March each year is observed as the International Day of Happiness proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in June 2012. The first World Happiness Report was published in the same year and continues to publish such research report every 5 years.

A Bhutanese refugee K.Adhikari in the Bhutanese
 refugee camps in Nepal still stranded

On the other side of the globe, the Buddhist nation Bhutan that has been broadcasting its development philosophy of Gross National Happiness in contrast to GDP as the measuring yardstick for happiness is far below in realizing the ‘happiness’.  Bhutan rung under 97^th in the World Happiness Index, ‘quite unhappy we are’ Bhutanese would say, though a little happier than Nepal (99) and Bangladesh (110).  This means for Bhutanese citizens that they do not have much trust on their young democracy and any establishments, that they cannot make decision for their own life without apprehension and do not have adequate social support. Bhutanese regime observed this World Happiness Day in a gathering of diplomats and officials by burning butter lamps at the National Memorial Stupa built in memory of the 3^rd monarch. There was no public function. Directly below the flames lies terrible darkness.

By the way it is exciting to mention that the exiled Bhutanese minority Lhotshampas are currently being settled in the countries which are much happier than Bhutan. There are more than 566 exiled Bhutanese in Norway, 874 in Denmark that secured 2^nd position of happiness and  more than 360 in The Netherlands that ranked 6^th followed by UK.  More than a 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are in the USA, which is about 83 times happier than the Kingdom of Bhutan in view of the social foundation for happiness.

by: nanda Gautam