- Saturday, April 27, 2024
The ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ award was in recognition of the Indian PM’s ‘outstanding contribution to the growth of India-Bhutan relations and for his distinguished service to the Bhutanese nation and people’.
By: Twinkle Roy
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi was on Friday (22) honoured with the highest civilian award of the neighbouring Himalayan nation of Bhutan — the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ — by its king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk. The award was in recognition of the Indian PM’s “outstanding contribution to the growth of India-Bhutan relations and for his distinguished service to the Bhutanese nation and people”.
It was the first time that a head of another government received the Bhutanese honour.
Modi, who is on a two-day state visit to Bhutan which was deferred by a day due to inclement weather conditions, acknowledged the honour to say on X, “Honoured to be conferred with the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ Award by Bhutan. I dedicate it to 140 crore Indians.”
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Modi received the award during his two-day visit to the Himalayan nation. It is the third time that he is visiting the country since he was first elected as the prime minister in 2014.
The announcement stating the decision to confer Modi with the award was made during Bhutan’s National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021.
Then, a statement from the Indian embassy in Thimphu said, “As per ranking and precedence established, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted as the decoration for lifetime achievement and is the pinnacle of the honor system in Bhutan, taking precedence over all orders, decorations and medals.”
In 2020, Modi received the ‘Legion of Merit’ Award from the US while in 2019, Russia conferred on him its highest civilian honour, the ‘Order of St. Andrew the Apostle’.
Earlier in the day, Modi said he was grateful to the Bhutanese people for giving him a “memorable welcome” to their beautiful country and hoped that India-Bhutan friendship “keeps scaling new heights.”
Modi’s visit seeks to further cement India’s unique and enduring relations with Bhutan as part of the country’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
(With PTI inputs)
