Empirical data has no space in our case. This is understandable, but not forgivable. There is a need for a more logical approach to take essential items to the doorsteps of those in dire needs.

When a farmer cannot sell his potato even when the nation is in dire need of it, who is to blame? 

Poor market network, perhaps?

We have heard enough of such baseless arguments.

A farmer wants to contribute all he has stored for his self-consumption to the national effort to fight Covid-19 and the organisations rush in for the limelight. They have the gumption to tell us still that agriculture somehow is not a viable business.

We have the problem of rising youth unemployment and increasing dependence on food items. As an agrarian country, this fact has been a difficult one for us to reconcile with, but we aren’t even blaming anyone or organisation for shortsightedness.

Hopefully, there will be a guiding light to show us that we can feed ourselves one day. There is a clear link; one must be blind to miss it. Education must be based on the idea of innovation. Governments, chosen from among the best of many possibilities, must provide the vision.

There is the education and innovation, but we lack the drive. Who do we blame?

This nation needs a deep soul-searching today.

For Bhutan, the name of the game is agriculture. Imagine building a society based on its strengths in agriculture. We have nothing to lose but stand to gain everything. There is an idea called “Brand Bhutan” but branding has to happen now, in the truest sense of the word.

We are a mountainous country. We are also a country in between two powerful and fast-advancing countries, on all fronts. That means we have got to make a vital choice.

Forgetting the development of agriculture, education, and vision-shaping organisations of the country could be very costly for this small nation.

The Covid-19 and lockdowns have taught us many practical lessons. Why are we, a small agrarian nation, struggling to feed our own people?

This is not a small question. Lockdowns and the lessons learnt need to guide our development priorities. Are we there yet?