Posted on May 28, 2008 - by Ujwal
Republic ? Nepal ? Gross National Happiness ?
Today Nepal becomes a Republic (or rather starts on its track.).
My main question is whether as a republic, we will have finally improve our Gross National Happiness, GNH ( and not our GDP, no not that our material wealth progress indicator.).
i.e material and mathematical analysis of GDP are just a small yet important indicator in the grand design of “Real Progress.”
“Happiness indicators” are a bigger analysis/process which needs to be factored in for “real worth-while and sustainable progress”.
I believe our “Gross National Happiness” indicator is going to define our success as a republic, in the coming years, decades.
Few indicators i would personally value to measure Gross National Happiness is:
a) respect ( am I going to respect you enough to not impose my thoughts upon you)
b) tolerance ( How am i going to treat you, if you don’t live the way i feel everyone should live.)
c) trust ( am i going to trust my daughter to my neighbor if i have to go run off to the next city to do an urgent errand)
d) love (will i value my life and be able to love myself.)
mundane points i have mentioned here, but holds deep significance for the new society that is to emerge.
call me wishful, but as a positive change seeker, i desire to go back to our basics, to our childhood, when all our relations were simple, positive and trust oriented.
Gross National Happiness = Simple way of life ( Simple means full, fun and un-attached–).
Simple is not hungry, poverty, dull mind, lack of progress, its just the opposite of that.
simple is hard to achieve, requires hard to achieve, quality to maintain it
enjoy, the republic of Nepal folks.
