Objectives, Manifesto and
Ideology
Introduction
Bhutan, popularly known to outsiders as “The Last of the Thunder
Dragon” or the ‘Last Shangri-La”, is a land locked Himalayan
Kingdom, wedged between the two Asian giants, Tibet (China) to
the north and India to the east, west and south, Bhutan is a
multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious
Himalayan nation. Its population figures at 700,000 plus. Bhutan
has emerged as a nation facing multiple challenges of which four
historical watersheds are significant: the visit of Guru
Padmasambhava, the advent of Buddhism in the 8th
century AD establishment of Drukpa Kargue Sect by Phojo Dragoum
Shigpo in the 13th century AD, the unification of
Bhutan under one central authority by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel
in the 17th century AD., and the establishment of a
hereditidatry monarch by Gongsar Ugyen Namgyel Wangchuk in
1970. Along with these momentous events, the social, economic
and religious factors developed in a most intrinsic pattern,
influenced by the monastic order and the political institutions
accompanying it.
Bhutan
comprises a land area of 46, 500 square kilometres. The land
lies between latitudes 26.45 N and 28.10 N and between
longitudes 88.45 E and 92.10 E. The country is relatively
compact with a maximum latitudinal distance of 170 kilometres
and the maximum longitudinal distance of 300 kilometres.
Bhutan began to step out from its imposed isolation in 1960,
when the five years plans were initiated and development
activities were launched. Obviously, Bhutan has made some
economic progress in the two decades of the historical
initiation. However, social, cultural and political progress lay
dormant in the absence of democratic rights. Bhutan has
augmented the power of the feudal system by enhancing political
prerogative of the rules. The people not have any say in the
decision that affects their lives and the rulers do not have
respect for any individual rights and freedoms. The strength of
this power, in many cases, is based on religious pretensions.
The rulers and oligarchy interfere with the lives of the people
as they see fit.
This strategy of consolidating power absolutism stems out of
the regime’s fear of losing power. The grand design to reduce,
by every unscrupulous mean, the population of the Lhotshampas
(southern population), and the speedy economic and social
upliftment of the ruling community in the north western Bhutan,
are key rulers imperative for survival. “One Nation One
People”, religious fundamentalism, arbitrary code of laws,
absence of competent & independent judiciary, absence of written
Constitution and the absence of popular representation to the
National Assembly are the major sources of discontentment and
the inspiration for mass movement in the country since 1985.
The consequences of growing encroachments by the ruler and
oligarchy upon the lives of the people have been impetuous.
Absolutism arrests human liberty halts economic progress and
impedes gross national happiness and peace. Bhutan cannot
afford to waste its limited natural, economic and human
resources to fulfil the vested interests of a few. No power is
sacrosanct when it is not in the larger interest of the people
and Bhutan’s absolute system cannot be considered an exception.
The Bhutanese people aspiring for political changes organized
themselves into Bhutan Peoples’ Party (BPP) on 2nd
June 1990. Today the Bhutan peoples' Party is mass based
political party, which has memberships from the various
Bhutanese communities. The BPP is the single largest political
Party of Bhutan which has successfully organized countrywide
democratic peaceful rallies and other programs. Bhutan Peoples’
Party is committed to achieving its ultimate goal of
Constitutional Monarchy, Parliamentary Democracy and Multi Party
system through peaceful means.
This paper elaborates the fundamental objectives, programmes
and ideology of the BPP. The party has adopted Democratic
Socialism and Mixed economy as its ideology, with the
aims of internal integration of economy and democratization of
the society at the grass-root level.
History
To
bring an end to the tyrannical rule, democratic peaceful
demonstrations were launched from September 19th to 4th
Oct. 1990, in Bhutan. The regime in desperation resorted to
brutal suppression and unleashed a reign of state-sponsored
terror. The security and the armed forces went on to carnage,
killing, raping and intimidating innocent people, demolishing
houses, confiscating valid documents of citizenship and coercing
the people to sign on documents prepared by the officials. These
documents are being used even today, to justify the government’s
allegation of the voluntary migrations. Schools, hospitals and
markets were closed; bank deposits frozen and the flow of
essential commodities stopped to inflict server starvation.
Thousands of people, fearing inhuman torture fled to west
Bengal, India from January 1991.
Despite several appeals, the government of India maintains its
passive stance and it was Nepal, the nearest alternate neighbor
that comes to the rescue of these political victims. There are
seven refugee camps today in eastern Nepal under the protections
of UNHCR, where more than 100,000 are registered and around
15,000 are dispersed in India and Nepal awaiting for an early
resolution of the crisis and their dignified repatriation.
Objectives
 The main objectives of the Bhutan Peoples' Party are to
achieve
democracy, a Parliamentary system of government,
constitutional
monarchy, multi-party system, rule of law, human
rights and
social justice.
Safeguard national sovereignty; respect the Royal Institution,
promote unity and prosperity of the country and the people.
Pursue a foreign policy based on the principles of Panchasheel, SAARC, NAM and the UN.
To
extend solidarity with the people and nations challenging the
despotic and military-ruled governments, defend human dignity,
call for an end to injustice, child labour exploitation, human
sufferings and demand for an end to the arms race, both
conventional and nuclear, as well as articulate the importance
of non-offensive defiance including the notion of peace zone.
Foster close relations with the member parties of the Socialist
International and maintain sustained membership of the august
body.
Ideology
The
BPP, as a Social Democratic Party, is committed to the ideals
and principles of freedom, equality, solidarity and justice.
Democracy ensures that every individual has free choice between
political alternatives in the framework of free and fair
elections, change of government is based on the free will of the
people, rights of every individual and minority are guaranteed,
an independent judiciary based on the rule of law applied
impartially to all citizens irrespective of gender, race, and
ethnicity, origin and other consideration.
Democracy is an
indispensable element of Democratic Socialism.
The principle of Democratic Socialism is to establish a
political and social order in which all the citizens enjoy
freedom in all spheres of life. The object of Democratic
Socialism is to transform the right of self-determination into
reality. Monopoly and hegemony are proved to be an obstacle to
progress. Equal rights and opportunities to determine one’s own
fate presupposes the fair distribution of commonly produced
goods and the rights of all citizens to have equal say in
matters of common concern.
The fundamental concerns we have today are not whether there
will be change in the future, but rather who is going to control
it and how. We have all seen that the regime which has
controlled now, functions for its own vested interests blatantly
violating rights and all accepted universal norms. The
Democratic Socialist answer is unequivocal. It is the people who
should exercise control by means of democracy and democratic
process in all aspects of life: political, social and economic.
Social democracy or Democratic Socialism is the pre-requisite
condition for other rights and liberties. Freedom, equality and
prosperity can be achieved and guaranteed only by a democratic
structure within a humane framework.
Democratic Socialism also means cultural democracy. There must
be equal rights and opportunities for all cultures within
society with equal access for everyone to national and
international cultural heritage. All development, whether
economic or social, must encompass the cultural diversity of the
nation.
Nature is the life-support system of human beings. Its
devastation automatically leads to the destruction of the human
race. Thus, Democratic Socialism, advocates joint international
efforts to protect the natural environment thus replacing all
environmentally damaging products and processes by alternative
mechanisms, which will enhance nature.
Economic rights aspired by Democratic Socialism genuinely
reflects on their fundamental values which when applied to the
economy’s social functions steadily of freedom for all,
equitable participation by all in economic output and benefit,
and freedom from the state of dependencies and economic
exploitation. Economic rights must be considered as a necessary
base from which to secure the active participation of all
citizens in building society and, not as benefits paid to
passive individuals lacking the initiative. Democratic Socialism
believes in the augmentation of a number of individual social
interests within its general concept of public welfare. Larger
measure of self-determination entirely depends on the active
participation of the majority, not passive resignation.
Today, the natural environment and all living beings face the
impending threat of annihilation by weapons of mass destruction,
created by them. Limited resources, which could be used to
uplift the human life, are being wasted on armament, creating
inequalities between nation and people. Disarmament could
release the armament expenditure for investment in economic and
social development. Democratic Socialism advocates disarmament
and nuclear non-proliferation to ensure the continuity of life
on earth.
Human Rights, for Democratic Socialism, includes Civil &
Political rights, Cultural, Economic and Social rights, the
right to form trade unions, the right to social security and
welfare for all including the protection of mothers and
children, the right to education, training and leisure, the
right to decent housing in a livable environment and the right
to economic security. Unemployment undermines the human dignity,
threatens social peace and wastes the most precious resource
required for poverty alleviation. Especially for young people,
unemployment have severe consequences. Democratic Socialism
seeks to establish common privileges and favors to support and
serve the interests of all those who desire equal rights.
The integral part of Democratic Socialism in a democratic state
capable of ensuring equality and freedom, which may not be
annulled by any law or by any act of the state, and protecting
the rights of the people for universal & equal suffrage.
Monarchy
Bhutan has an absolute monarchy. The Bhutanese people are
confirmed that too much power concentrated in one hand is too
dangerous. The present turmoil in Bhutan is the direct
consequence of this. Even the king Jigme Singey Wanchuk has
said, “The flaw in monarchy is that you reach that very high
and important position not due to merit but due to birth. There
is too much dependency on one individual”. Absolute monarchy
and feudalism are things of past. No civilized society accepts
the legitimacy of absolute monarchy.
Monarchy is hereditary, an inherited system, so neither elected
nor democratic and not even legitimate. Democracy requires
popular legitimacy, which is achieved through electoral process
only. But when the electoral democracy joins hand with
hereditary monarchy, this allows the new political system to get
the best of both systems - a Constitutional Monarchy. The
Constitutional Monarchy serves democracy as a symbol of national
unity of diverse socio- political forces, a political pluralism.
It also combines continuity. The constitutional monarch with a
long history of ruling experience can guide the new democratic
government and work as a force within the constitution al
framework for the betterment of democratic process, but it shall
not directly control and run the government.
National Integration
Modern States are based on the newer values of democracy, human
rights, equality and social justice. All the ethnic groups
shall be treated at par with each other. BPP denounces the
ill-conceived ethnocide concept of “One Nation One People” which
was basically conceived and implemented to strengthen the
project the vestiges of feudalism devoid of human control. The
slogan is blatantly communal. Communalism arrests the national
development and integration, and acts as a social inertia. We
believe the nation is the supreme point of loyalty and citizen’s
loyalty to his national cultures; language, dress, code of
conduct, religion, ethnicity etc. are contributory to this
nucleus.
BPP
shall achieve national integration by actually integrating
different ethnic identities fairly and evenly without
misinterpreting the true concept of national integration as it
has occurred in our nation-state. The marriage alliance, land
distribution and settlement reforms shall contribute to this
venture. The party believes in value-based politics defined by
human interest. Nationalism, national integration and
development can be achieved only by linking them to participate
in national political process.
The party believes that the electorate must be mobilized through
ideologically oriented party system built upwards from grass
roots level.
BPP encourages the members of all
the ethnic communities to join the party. The party shall
encourage inter-community harmony and tolerance. The integration
policy shall be based on common interests and destiny.
Religion
All religious observance must be voluntary. The relationship
between the State and the religious denominations must be
governed in accordance with the principles of democracy and
religious freedom.
As
all the religions will have to be managed by their
practitioners, the state will be kept out of religious affairs
of populace. The clergy shall not be allowed to circumscribe
the law making powers of the elected legislature. BPP believes
in secularism-“equal respects to all religious and non-
interference in the religious affairs of an individual.” The
religion shall confine itself to dealing exclusively with
relationship between man and god and not politics.
Language
The
Bhutan Peoples’ Party shall accept Dzongkha,
Tshangla and Nepali as national languages at per with each
other. The languages yet to be developed shall be developed.
English shall be respected as the international language and
continue to remain the medium of communication and instructions
in all Official matters and in Educational institutions. The
language of the Minority communities shall be respected and
developed accordingly. Be they of minority or majority every
language deserves the equal respect and treatment.
Culture, Traditions, Art and Literature.
Bhutan has a unique cultural value, which has survived
throughout the generations. The classical dance is reflected
by their religious mask-pageants and ritual dances. The
Bhutanese literatures mainly the Kargyur, Tengyur and Namthars
containing the philosophical and liturgical literary heritage of
Buddhism are not only voluminous but treasures of knowledge
containing annotations of the treasures on various sciences-
commentaries, grammars, logic, astrology, veterinary science,
medicines and historical legends of Bhutan.
Bhutanese art is symbolic, non-secular and rare. It derives its
inspiration from Bhuddistic doctrinal lore and Tantric
mythology. It is highly decorative, ornamental and centered in
all the monastic centers. The Bhutanese calligraphic art has a
richness and illustrative genius.
The BPP shall not interfere in the areas of traditions, Culture,
art and literature of any ethnic group. Efforts shall be made
to preserve the culture of all ethnic groups. No dresses shall
be made compulsory except for schools and security force. Gho
and Kira as a national dress shall remain an official dress. The
party likes to see the national costume being used honorably as
it is used in other nations.
The BPP while respecting the age-old literature, art and
architecture of the country conforms to its preservation,
development and promotion. For the diverse identities and
promotion of the country’s uniqueness, the BPP shall work to
safeguard and preserve the unique architectural magnificence of
Dzongs, Chortens, Lhakhangs, places of worship and the cultural
sentiments of the people.
Co-operation between professional artists and amateurs is
essential in order to respect both diversity and equality in
various cultural manifestations.
The cultural aspects of earlier periods pertaining to various
majority and minority communities shall be preserved and brought
to life. This will strengthen the links between generations and
give people a closer sense of identity with their local
community. In this way better prospects will be created for the
development of cultural tourism and conservation of the cultural
heritage.
The exchange of experience and ideas across linguistic
boundaries will be encouraged.
Cultural policy is an important means of developing and
enhancing freedom of expression. Diversity will be encouraged.
Public radio, television, newspapers, magazines and periodicals
shall be responsible for an independent development of culture.
It shall function economically independent and against the
influence of political parties. The mass media shall represent
all the diverse cultural groups in the service of the Bhutanese
general public.
Legal System
Bhutanese legal system is based on the theocratic principles of
medieval period. The judiciary in Bhutan is important in
projecting the omnipotence of the absolute monarch and
protection of the feudal interests.
BPP stands for the rule of law,
based on legal safeguards, free and independent courts of law,
and universal equality before the law and economic possibilities
for all people to assert their rights.
The administration of justice shall be based on public process
in all instances and provide the participation in the judicial
processes. Legislation must be founded on respect for the equal
and inviolable dignity of every individual.
Civil rights and liberties
Political Democracy presupposes freedom of expression and
religion, the right to personal integrity and privacy, and
freedom of opinion and the press. The society must be able to
safeguard the diversity of opinion formation, freedom of
association and peaceful assembly with the right to demonstrate
in the public for one's opinions and the right to trade union
organizations to resort to direct action. Similarly, political
democracy presupposes a ban on all kinds of discrimination.
Equal opportunities
The BPP wishes to achieve equality between women and men for
all human beings have equal value.
Women and men must have equal rights, obligations and
opportunities. This means aiming at right to work. Work will be
sufficiently well paid for each individual to become
economically self-supporting for the whole of his or her life.
It means sharing responsibility for the care of family members
at home. It means to take part in active politics, trade union
affairs and other matters of common concern at work and its
community. The promotion of equal opportunities must proceed
along the elimination of injustices between different groups in
society. It is the ultimate expression of the determination of
the BPP to establish a society of equality and solidarity.
Foreign policy
The foreign policy shall be to safeguard Bhutan's independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity. The BPP maintain both
"Continuity and change" in its foreign policy. Continuity in the
context of preserving the peace and age-old friendship with the
neighbors and to contribute towards an international order
characterized by well-being, liberty and the dignity of all
mankind. Change will be in the feudal attitude, towards
transparency, openness and initiatives.
To
this end, Bhutan shall pursue an active foreign policy of
non-alignment in regional an international relations ensuring
flexibility in the style and substance of its diplomacy.
The BPP is committed to safeguard the civil, political and
economic rights of all peoples enshrined in the Universal
Declarations and Conventions of the United Nation.
In
the context of emerging global scenario, regional cooperation,
especially among the developing countries has become a
precondition for their mutual development and prosperity. The
objectives of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) are yet to be internalized by its member
States. The BPP favors the increased cooperation and supports
its policies in harmonizing the diverse interests to encompass
area which have not yet received sufficient attention. The BPP
believes SAARC must identify common problems, work out
strategies for intensification of cooperation, and derive mutual
benefits.
The BPP shall foster peaceful co-existence, mutual trust and
confidence under Panchsheel among SAARC member countries and
develop favorable external conditions for the socio-economic
development of the country. The BPP shall maintain cordial and
friendly relationship with India under the bond of age old
friendship and mutual trust of the people and governments of
both the countries.
Defense
The BPP believes in having a non-offensive defensive mechanism
as a part of the security policy. For the preservation of world
peace and harmony, the BPP shall contribute in the "peace
keeping" under the UN Security Council. BPP views the efficient
civil defense is an important part of the total defense
establishment.
Distribution
Fairer
distribution of resources, opportunities must be achieved
through an equalization of incomes and wealth.
The BPP shall design an economic policy and labour market policy
with a view to secure the right to work, since universal
entitlement to work is fundamental to equality and to the
prospects of a fair distribution throughout the community. Equal
work must be equally paid.
A
second pre-requisite of this kind of fair distribution is a
collectively funded social security policy.
The taxation system shall be designed to equalize incomes and
wealth. The services and infrastructures shall be made available
to all members of the community according to needs, not
according to personal influence or interests.
The power of the owners of capital will be broken and influence
on enterprise shall be evenly distributed. Employees will be
given influence over their places of work.
Ownership
and Capital Formation
Society
requires, through legislation and statutory instruments, the
rights and obligation associated with ownership. This includes
the conducive and workable environment and employees
entitlements through their trade union organizations.
Bank, credit institutes and insurance companies shall come
under public supervision.
The BPP opposes the concentration of economic power and
oligopoly. It shall promote collective formation of capital,
which in our view is a vital means to invest in human capital.
All enterprises shall have democratic influence to enable the
investment capital to be re-allocated in a manner conducive to
balanced economic growth and the establishment of creative
enterprises. Stress shall be laid on enabling popular interests
share in the growth of corporate wealth. BPP believes that the
collectively owned capital helps in stabilizing the growth of
international mobility of private capital.
Natural assets, credit institutes, and individual enterprises
will be transferred to public ownership or control where
necessary for the sake of public interests.
Environment
Until
now, Bhutan has a sound environment with large areas under
forest cover. However to sustain the existing level of
environment the BPP shall formulate a successful environment
policy requiring every citizen, organization and authority to
assume its share of responsibility for a good environment, and
for the conservation of natural resources. Every society and
individual shall be made conscious of environmental ethics.
Society will define the necessary conditions to the management
of soil and water and will supervise the environmental impact of
industry, forestry and agriculture. Both administrative and
economic policy levers shall be cautioned to guide production in
an environmentally appropriate direction. Basic environment,
health- related, and safety stipulations for production will be
defined through legislation which shall be mandatory for
companies and will be for the manufacturer to show that the new
products or production processes meet the requirements of
environmental legislation. Whoever is responsible for pollution
or other environmental hazards shall be mandated to bear the
cost.
BPP
shall define through legislation the preservation of
bio-diversity. Agriculture and forestry shall be conducted with
due regard for the needs of nature and landscape conservation.
Regional
policy
A
country is made up of its diverse geographical or topographical
regions. All regions in several ways have contributed towards
the formation of Bhutan and will continue to do so in future. It
harmonizes development of the various regions which alone can
contribute to the national progress and happiness.
Development of this kind will provide everybody with employment,
social services, education, culture amenities and sound
environment to which they are entitled, no matter where they
live. One of the basic political task left for BPP, is to
correct the imbalances present between different parts of the
country. BPP’s policies are aimed at distributing enterprises
and infrastructures, job opportunities, social service, in a
decentralized way.
Regional policy shall be aimed at developing the economic
potential of the various regions. To this end, BPP prefers
properly developed educational institutions, an efficient system
of transport and communications, health services and social
services and proper measures for the distribution of technology.
Sustainability of development in Bhutan lies in laying greater
priority to the forestry and agricultural sectors.
Private enterprise should also be called upon to assume its fair
share of responsibility for bringing about such initiatives and
for co-coordinating the planning measures across the political
board.
The decentralization policy from the center to the grass-roots
level shall be introduced with extensive prerogative to plan
specific measures of local and regional policy within their own
boundaries.
Work environment
The
BPP aims to achieve a sound and safe working environment. New
legislations shall be enacted as a means of abolishing hazardous
jobs. Dangerous workplace and operations shall be abolished.
Special attention will be paid to the working environment for
women.
Youth
History
reveals that the youth by far have made significant
contributions in coordinating the struggle of social democrats
for social justice, human dignity and democracy. Idealism of
youth should be geared towards the emancipation of the needy and
the downtrodden by means of strengthening their struggle for
freedom, justice and solidarity. In the movement for
socio-economic changes and democratic socialist transformation,
the BPP counts upon youth to play a vital role. History affirms
that when the youth power asserts itself, the process of social
change is accelerated. The changes accomplished are also
sustained if youth is offered opportunities of participation in
consolidating the gains of change.
Youth are not generally burdened with the dead weight of
traditional outdated ideas, past prejudices, social taboos and
the lack of commitments but possess a more liberal mind and are
amendable to new concepts, values and outlooks. Their latent
qualities have been suppressed for long by the tyrannical rule
so far.
Today, BPP views that the education to which the youth is
exposed doesn’t aptly reflect their aspirations of life. Many
renowned and recognized institutions of higher education
particularly offering professional courses insulated by
protectionist walls of money power and social status. Many
talented students are deprived of the necessary opportunities
because of the lack of financial resources. In several
developing countries university degrees tend to become only
licenses for unemployment because the education system does not
adequately respond to the aspirations of the youth and students.
This is most frustrating in the absence of adequate job
opportunities.
The pangs of sufferings of the uneducated youth are still more
pronounced. Further, they are subjected to discrimination,
biases, and suppression leaving many poor and the uneducated
youth prone to various anti-social works and behaviors. Youths
who are an integral part of the society should be entrusted with
the potential thirst and commitments for the future.
With the onset of rapid political transformation, the BPP is
dedicated to emancipate the urges and the needs of the Bhutanese
youths and to constructively utilize their latent qualities and
services for the peace, solidarity, development, equality and
institutional cooperation.
Medical Care and Health Services
Every citizen shall be entitled to health care and medical
treatment according to the need regardless of income, and social
origin. This calls for the strengthening of public medical care.
Public hospitals shall be responsible for curative and
preventive health care measures, including health checkups and
health education. Medical receptions and health centers will be
responsible for the basic medical and health care, while the
care of more special nature will be provided by the qualified
hospitals located throughout the country. Patients are entitled
to inspection and regular intelligible information in the care
received, and therefore must be given the report of the
treatment and the progress.
Experience resulting from the health and medical care and from
medical research must be fed back into social planning. Data
concerning the effects on health of various working processes,
chemicals and pollution, building materials, and other technical
equipment must be continuously collected, analyzed, and used in
social developments and working life is as to create good
external health conditions for all the citizens.
The BPP shall call for regular personnel education and a system
of further education in promoting universal health care to all
the citizens.
Social Services
Social abuses and deficiencies of the living environment form a
breeding ground of social crisis which need to be handled
through coordinated measures in schools, in working life and in
urban areas. These activities are the concern of various public
agencies acting conjointly with each other and with the groups
which are particularly affected, together with the trade union
organizations and popular forces of various kinds. Basic
responsibility for measures to rectify social problems rests
with the health of society. Therefore, these problems cannot be
solved without civic participation.
The BPP shall design and ensure activities of the social
services to enhance voluntary and community participation and
ensure that people with social problems are not left unsupported
and unaided.
Drugs
The use of narcotic drugs and abuse of other habit forming
substances will be effectively controlled. Consumption of
alcohol, tobacco, drugs and other habit forming substances shall
be reduced through various ways and techniques for the
improvement of public health. The BPP shall formulate suitable
policy measures to eliminate these abuses in society. It shall
also disseminate knowledge on the harmful effects of alcohol and
other drugs and enact legislation to counteract the use of
drugs.
Crime
Crime in Bhutan is less heard of. However, in the absence of
equality, social justice, human rights and the rule of law the
crimes rate might surge ahead. Educational institutes, social
organizations and various non-governmental and human rights
groups have a central role to play here. Society must have civic
sense, discipline, highest regards and respect to every
individual in order to eliminate them.
The BPP is committed to foster the sense of brotherhood among
the citizens through legislations and voluntary integration
policies and to do away with the capital punishment.
Sports and Leisure
Sporting and open air life will be encouraged. Public support
shall be organized in such a way so as to give equal treatment
to the sporting activities of the women and men, children and
adult, rich & poor.
Everybody shall be entitled to move freely in the countryside
and undertake various activities in co-operation with local
residents. Fishing water will be preserved and kept available to
all under liberal legislations.
The BPP shall encourage inter-district sports and leisure
besides educational tours and competitions.
BPP believes that arts, sports, music and education foster a
culture of tolerance, friendship and harmony so necessary for
maintaining Bhutan’s national
unity.
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