Gandhi’s ideas inspired our Gross National Happiness: Bhutan ex-PM

MADURAI: Former Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigmi Thinley, who’s universally recognised as the ‘Priest of Happiness’ and advocated ‘Gross National Happiness’ as a path towards development, paid a visit to Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai on Sunday. He paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, who is revered as the ‘Father of the Nation.’

Thinley said he is delighted to be in Madurai for a programme emphasising on Gandhian values. Talking to reporters, he said, in fact there is a great prospect for India, which would lead not only the country but, the entire world into what’s most necessary at this stage. People have become too materialistic and voracious consumers of goods that were not required and ultimately forgot to be human beings.

Mahatma Gandhi, who foresaw all these in 1930’s as early at a time when the gross national product idea emerged, he felt how it would destroy humanity and showed us (people) a way to stay away from the monstrous economic model that would consume this world.

Today in Madurai, “I have seen how the rural people have kept alive the good way of living in harmony, living for each other, producing and exchanging for each other, giving happiness and making enough for each other,” the former Bhutan PM said.

Further, he eulogised Gandhi as an inspiration, visionary leader and indeed as a great teacher. Indeed, many of the ideas that are taught by Gandhi, are the concepts which guided us into ‘Gross National Happiness,’ which’s basically the development model. Developments were taking place in Bhutan for sure, but not at the cost of the environment, Thinley added.

Earlier, he took stock of the products put up in stalls at ‘Ahimsa Santhai’ on the premises of Gandhi Museum.

Mani Shankar Aiyar, senior Congress leader, Nanda Rao, secretary, Gandhi Museum and others were present, sources said.