Thinley Namgay

The local government (LG) leaders called for stricter enforcement of the Prime Minister’s executive order that mandates all government meetings and official correspondences to be conducted in Dzongkha.

The LG leaders raised this issue during the ongoing 13th Plan coordination meeting in Thimphu on July 17. The gups also highlighted issues hindering the development of Dzongkha.

Thimphu’s Naro Gup Gyem Tshering said that while the Prime Minister’s executive order was timely, its implementation has been lacking. He emphasised that Dzongkha, a cornerstone of Bhutanese culture, requires strict adherence from all agencies.

“Despite the executive order, there is no implementation. Isn’t it the duty of the home affairs ministry, Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD), and the Dratshang Lhentshog to monitor?” he asked, adding that the even agendas for the coordination meeting were prepared in English.   

Gyem Tshering acknowledged the importance of English but stressed the need to prioritise Dzongkha unless there is an urgent need to use English. 

The Gup of Gasetsho Gom, Wangdue, Chado, raised concerns over the challenges schools are facing in teaching Dzongkha and the declining number of students securing pass percentage in Dzongkha subject.

He suggested that the home ministry should invest in producing Dzongkha resources, both in print and digital formats, and make it available to the public. “So far Dzongkha resources are negligible compared to English,” he said.

Gup Chado also proposed outsourcing Dzongkha development works to the private sector and increasing related activities in the 13th Plan.

Home Minister Tshering said that the development of Dzongkha requires the support of all citizens. “It is good to see that DCDD and many other agencies are using Dzongkha now.”

The Prime Minister has also ordered the provision of language translator devices for foreigners attending events in Bhutan, Lyonpo said.

Lyonpo admitted that the current status of Dzongkha is not promising and assured that the ministry would do its best to ensure full implementation of the Prime Minister’s order.

The DCDD has allocated Nu 20 million in the 13th Plan to create and develop digital Dzongkha literary resources.

Local leaders also highlighted the pivotal role parents play in teaching Dzongkha to their children at home, which would make the jobs of teachers much easier at school. However, on the contrary, educated parents usually communicate in English with their children.

Some suggestions to tackle these issues include increasing the number of Dzongkha subjects in schools, introducing basic grammar lessons from lower grades, and making Dzongkha teaching and learning sessions more engaging and interactive.