His Majesty the King’s dream project in Gelephu extending all the way to Kalikhola is truly mind-boggling and mesmerizing. It is so complex, and the scale so colossal that it is beyond the comprehension of small minds such as those of us - the common men. Only a King is capable of abstracting a plan so monumental that it leaves you panting for sanity.
And it looks like the plan is already off the drawing boards and on to the ground - India just announced the allocation of US$10 million – to start work on the planned rail link between Gelephu and the neighboring town of Kokrajhar in the Indian state of Assam – slated to be completed by the year 2026 - spanning a total distance of 57.5 KMs.
Indo-Bhutan rail link: Shape of things to come
Certainly His Majesty is not planning for any failures. That is evident in the meticulous planning that has gone into the project, and the assemblage of world’s top corporate and financial brains - to work on the Gelephu initiative. For sure Plan B should kick in - should there be the slightest inkling that things are not going as planned.
For me personally, I was hugely nervous about the private land acquisition proposal that was rumored - that would have entailed enormous financial outlay - diverting precious resources needed by the Bhutanese people for other important developmental works. To my great relief, I have on good authority that the government is NOT EXPECTING to acquire any private property for the project - obviously because there is more than enough state land for the taking.
Also, I do not believe that the worry here is of whether the plan will work or that it will fail - it is just too big a deal for any such unfounded worries - every angle would have been looked into by the world’s very best planners and thinkers. If there is anything at all to marvel at the plan, it is that our Monarch has the courage to venture into this with determination and conviction!
Alas, this is not saying that I do not worry - I do have one worry that rattles me every time I think about it:
From all indications, His Majesty’s time and energy has been entirely taken up by the need for undivided attention and focus on the Gelephu initiative. Even worst, His attention would be totally diverted to the project - once it comes on full steam. That is where I believe we may be in trouble.
The Gelephu initiative represents less than ten percent of the country’s overall land mass and population. What is the danger that His other subjects could be subjected to neglect and abandonment? That thought gnaws me at the very core of my being. I fear that this could spell trouble for His other larger mass of subjects domiciled in the larger spaces of His Kingdom.
His subjects’ need for His leadership elsewhere is as urgent as, and no less than, that of the extraterritorial conclave that Gelephu is destined to become.
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