WESTERN CULTURE IN BHUTAN

The Oxford dictionary defines culture as the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society. Though The Constitution of Bhutan doesn’t define the word culture, it illustrates that culture and heritage would include monuments, places and objects of artistic or historic interest, Dzongs, Lhakhangs, Goendeys, Ten-sum, Nyes, language, literature, music, visual arts and religion.[1] Preservation and promotion of culture and values is also one of the pillars of GNH propounded by the His Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, 4^th King of Bhutan. So we the citizens of Bhutan really got responsibility to  take proper and utmost care of our own culture which has been handed down from generation to generation and when time comes we should be able to hand it down to our children and grand children without any affect or harm done to it. But Westernization or influence by the Western culture has become very rapid and every eastern nations looks up to western culture. To cite an example, first there is American idol going on, later Indian too started their idol and finally we Bhutanese too managed to start up with Bhutanese idol too.

Before 1959, Bhutan did not have any inclination towards the outside cultural influence because of its geographical location but most importantly it had deliberate foreign policy of isolation. Before 1960s, Bhutan had no telephones, schools, hospitals, postal service, tourists, or television. It was only during reign of 3^rd King of Bhutan that such facilities are later established or made available.  Process of modernization and interaction with international community started not until in 1959 when potential threat of Chinese towards Bhutan was observed when China captured Tibet.[2] There is dilemma when Bhutan showed its desire to share and be open to global community vis-à-vis retaining its traditional cultural identity. However, the evolution of more socially and environmentally oriented progressive development policies makes western values even more beguiling. Culture can be influence by tourism. “Apart from influences of foreign travelers in Bhutan or tourism, the mass media like TV, newspaper and internet is perhaps one of the greatest sources of external influence and values. But westernization cannot be totally kept out of track. It too should be given importance to address the issues of changing needs with chining time. While western culture influence is rampant, Bhutan still can manage to keep its indigenous culture intact along with some benefits drawn by getting inspired by western culture as well. ”Global warming, terrorism, cyber attack, etc which is modern concern needs to be resolved internationally.  So my submission is that, to preserve and promote culture we have to show to outside world our own culture, its features and existence. In order to represent to the outside world, remaining in isolation will definitely not help. Once your culture and identity is recognized your culture becomes even more secure.  As we further proceed we shall look into firstly nature and then extend of influence of western culture towards Bhutanese culture.

The cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.[3] This is to invent dynamism within the culture. For example ancient feudal system was good but it gave lots of trouble between landlord and workers, former always having autonomy over later and subjugating the later in many different instances. Thus western concepts of communalism or socialism will play important role to replace it. Yet at present Bhutan’s economic structure just changed from feudal and is at the verge of moving towards capitalist economy but will take some time. If capitalism gets inoculated in our country it will be only workers and haves not who will have to suffer against the capitalist (haves) class.

Tourism was not introduced until the 1970s and remains regulated. This helped our culture to remain what it was before hundred years and continue as it is in future too.[4] Tourism also has impact on our indigenous culture because they desecrate our culture and try to influence people of Bhutan. People too get influenced since foreigners are considered rich and important by almost every Bhutanese.  

As a follower of Mahayana Buddhism, almost every people were deeply religious in the past but nowadays with publishing of books written by western authors/scholars, who are atheist or theist falsifying Buddhism in particular and attacking religion in general, has made formerly pious Bhutanese less religious. Even television, movies, magazines and press did the same as well.  Moreover advancement in science and technology at very advanced rate made religion much less important. As a simple example, religious text will say earth is flat but scientist scientifically proved it is round making people disbelief in religion.

Many people from rural area die to come towards urban area for job or other business and rural areas are also getting transformed into urban fashion. Way the buildings are build resembles western design. Education system has also evolved, students in the class read textbooks written by western authors who would have written it from western point of view which is ultimately degrading our culture directly or indirectly. Yet it is easy to comprehend Dzongkha still by most Bhutanese than English.

Media also has advanced in much more than recent past. Our system of government too got transformed. Western concept of democracy is being brought and implemented in our country. Rule of law, Bills of right (fundamental rights), adult franchise, free rights to elect and represent, presence of strong media etc. which is part and parcel of democratic nation is also present in Bhutan. It has given up dual system of rule and Absolute monarchial system. While even coming to law, only some traditional laws are intact as Acts whereas the rest all other Acts/legislations are result of evolution of society that warranted adoption of western legal system and judiciary. For example in the past we had religious laws, little later we had customary laws and laws made by local rulers, laws of the monarch and now we have common law system. Common law has its origin in purely western society. [5] Lessandro Simoni and Richard W. Whitecross have written that American legal system will prevail over Asian and African legal system. Mediation as a sort of indigenous method of solving dispute is being replaced by court system and precedential system.  

Until 1999 television and internet are illegal in Bhutan. In 1999 television and Internet were legalized and the Bhutan Broadcasting Service was given birth then.[6] With brining of TV, news and internet in Bhutan it has posed huge threats to our culture. For example children who have access to different channels in TV and living in urban areas like Thimphu; they prefer wearing western fancy dress to our traditional dresses. Some ignore traditional dances and songs and were influenced by western free style, hip-hop, break dance and western songs. Now tunes and ways of singing too have switched on to either Indian style or mostly English style excepting in rural areas where they do not have much interaction with happenings of the outside world.  But gradually every where people will start admiring western culture as TV and internet facilities are reaching almost every nook and cranny of Bhutan. By looking at happenings and movies in television people even started dancing in bars and discotheque. Wearing of pants and shirts while circumambulating choetens (Gongzog in Thimphu) can also be a result of western influence on Bhutanese society indirectly. Smoking, drugging, gang fights and bending towards western sports and games also shed light on our culture status vis-à-vis western influence. People started preferring everything modern than traditional (songs, education, culture, games etc.).  Even social media called Facebook has made individual more individualistic; there is no time to have food or be together with friends and family.

We can very confidently say that it is because of western influence most of the subjects we learn are in English and we have English as subject in curriculum of every educational institution in Bhutan. Even in monasteries now monks too are being taught English as one their subjects. While debating in parliament MPs face difficulty in reading and comprehending in Dzongkha since many of them had English background during schoolings. Looking at this it is quiet embarrassing to see that our own cultural value and importance has diminished and there should be some remedial measures taken to make Dzongkha as equally important as English. Barter system was there in the past but got replaced by currency system.

While coming to the extent of influence of western culture in Bhutan, we can say in past years rate of influence was bit slower and gradual but now rate has increased considerably but not much as compared to influence it had on other Asian and African countries.  Economically and politically our country, I feel seem to move bit slower towards western influences than other powerful and developed nation due to size of the nation and drawbacks we have in terms of economy and technology.

If western culture is not institutionalized it at least has to be given certain importance to fulfilling changing needs. And there are instances in this day and age where we can use our culture but will not be as effective as use of other western culture.  Legal system, democracy, concepts and ideas of freedom of press, speech and expression, liberty of life, bills of right, etc. will not be available if not contacted with western culture. To give concrete example, laws drafted with international assistance must be translated into Dzongkha before being passed by the National Assembly.[7] This shows some importance needs to be given to western system and education. And to get global protection and security from other nations and agencies we ought to be influenced and implement some of the western cultures. But on the other hand, when we give importance to western culture our own indigenous culture too should be kept maintained, preserved and promoted. Most importantly our culture should be made dynamic and contemporary to make it relevant and applicable in present generation.

Thus according to nature and extend of influence of western culture towards Bhutanese culture as mentioned above I would submit that western culture apart from contravene with indigenous culture it too does have positive impacts where more than harming it does help in uplifting of nation towards development. There are many means to preserve our own culture by giving importance. While being able to preserve and promote our own culture, ability to accommodate western culture will make our nation more developed since in nowadays western cultures and practices are perfect examples every nations are striving to achieve and look up to. To not accommodate western culture will make our nation as it was before or development activities will take longer period than in presence of western ideas and culture. After all economically, territorially and militarily our country is very small or backwards. Thus to get support from outside country westernization has to be given importance along with promotion of our own culture too.   

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[1] Section 1 of Article 4 of the Constitution of Bhutan

[2] Gross National Happiness and the Heavenly Stream of Justice: Modernization and Dispute Resolution in  the Kingdom of Bhutan, Lessandro Simoni and Richard W. Whitecross, The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 55, No. 1 (Winter, 2007), pp. 165-195, available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454568, (last visited on 14/10/13)

[3] Intangible cultural heritage in a modernizing Bhutan: the question of remaining viable and dynamic, Emma Lees,  International Journal of Cultural Property, available at http://login.westlawindia.com/maf/wlin/app/document?&srguid=ia744cc6400000141b1964d3f88752ca5&docguid=I3E45E19126EC11E1BB76F07AD9140430&hitguid=I3E45E19126EC11E1BB76F07AD9140430&rank=1&spos=1&epos=1&td=1&crumb-action=append&context=24&resolvein=true, (last visited on 14/10/13)

[4] Controlled v. Uncontrolled tourism: Bhutan and Nepal, Valene L. Smith, : Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, : available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3032199, (last visited on 14/10/13)

[5] Gross National Happiness and the Heavenly Stream of Justice: Modernization and Dispute Resolution in  the Kingdom of Bhutan, Lessandro Simoni and Richard W. Whitecross, The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 55, No. 1 (Winter, 2007), pp. 165-195, available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454568, (last visited on 14/10/13)

[6] Journey to the hidden kingdom, frontline world, available at http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bhutan/journey.html, (last visited on 14/10/13)

[7] Gross National Happiness and the Heavenly Stream of Justice: Modernization and Dispute Resolution in  the Kingdom of Bhutan, Lessandro Simoni and Richard W. Whitecross, The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 55, No. 1 (Winter, 2007), pp. 165-195, available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/20454568, last visited on 14/10/13