It was on December 15, 2003, when tears were shed, and voices choked and cracked. It was on this date when most Bhutanese heard for the first time that their beloved King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was in the south, leading the troops in the combat zone to flush out militants after having exhausted all possible peaceful means.
The nation was besieged with disbelief and sadness, not because we were forced to take up arms against the stubborn militants with whom we had no enmity, but at the thought of anything happening to our beloved great Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the Nation’s Gem, who was at the forefront facing those heavily armed and deadly militants in the thick forests.
While many may not have envisaged the gravity of the external threat then, a few may have thought that a peace loving and small country like ours would not dare to face the well trained militants, armed with sophisticated weapons. But our enlightened Druk Gyalpo had a clear vision of what was at stake for the country’s sovereignty.
So when the security and sovereignty of Drukyul was at stake, the world witnessed the Bhutanese mettle led by our King that left many dazed when within two days the militants were flushed out and the camps destroyed. The monk body’s special prayers and the country’s main Guardian Deities, are also believed to have played a vital part in the victory.
While this happened thirteen years ago today, we Bhutanese cannot, and should not forget the enormous risks taken by our Dharma King to His Personal life, both during the planning phase and the actual conduct of the operation, to regain peace for Drukyul.
Further, the conflict cost us eleven precious lives of our soldiers and several were wounded. We owe our peace today to them.
Therefore, as we continue to enjoy peace, security and prosperity of the past endeavours, it’s only natural to reminisce and pay homage; and, have a sense of gratitude. This is expected of every Bhutanese, without exceptions, enjoying the comfort and prosperity of the land. Further, such deeds must be made known to our children and their children for eternity.
We thank our Druk Gyalpos, the armed forces and the volunteers, the monk body, and the local deities for always safeguarding Drukyul at all times.