(From left) Indian ambassador to Bhutan Pawan Verma, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck and chief minister Nitish Kumar in Thimpu on Thursday. (PTI)

Patna, May 5: If happiness is a state of mind in Bhutan, the people of Bihar are playing a part in it, starting at the very top.

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanchuck today apprised chief minister Nitish Kumar on how “Gross National Happiness” had emerged as an effective tool to improve the “body, speech and mind” of the people of the Himalayan country.

Further learning came Nitish’s way. The kingdom’s economic affairs minister, Khandu Wanchuck, informed Nitish that barbers from Bihar had opened several shops at Thimpu and other cities in the country and were a favourite with GenNext, who want to look cool with stylish hair-cuts.

Khandu said that even the 1980-born young king had a Bihar barber to “do his hair and get his mind refreshed”.

Nitish, who had been a keen listener until then, was quick with his repartee. “In a way, the people from Bihar are adding to the development of the mind in Bhutan apart from GNH,” he quipped.

Khandu acknowledged the contribution. “The experts and workers from Bihar have contributed a lot to the road and building construction boom in Bhutan,” he told his guest.

Before leaving for Bhutan on Wednesday, Nitish had revealed his keenness to learn about GNH. Jigme Khesar “taught” the chief minister at length on how the concept of happiness worked to improve the body, speech and mind. “The body is the indicator of health, while the speech is of democracy. The mind connotes the development of the education sector and building human resources,” the king explained to Nitish.

Jigme Khesar also elaborated on how GNH — envisioned by his predecessor, Jigme Singye Wanchuck in 1972 — had, over the years, been developed into an unifying vision for Bhutan’s five-year planning process to strengthen the health and well-being of its people, democratic values and human resources.

The chief minister also invited the king, who recently got married, to visit Bihar with his wife. “Your trip will serve two purposes: religious and promotion of tourism. It will be a pilgrimage for the royal couple to be in the land of Gautama Buddha. Second, it will promote tourism between Bhutan and India.”

Nitish has set his eyes on the 10,000MW hydel electric power projects being built in Bhutan with Indian assistance. He wants the government of India to ensure “adequate share” of electricity to power-starved Bihar from the India-assisted projects coming up in Bhutan.

The chief minister met Bhutan Prime Minister Jigme Yoser Thinley yesterday to discuss the power projects and also visit a few of them coming up there.

Today, he discussed the issue of electricity with Khandu Wanchuck too, apart from issues related to development of tourism between Bhutan and Bihar — the favoured destination of Buddhists from across the globe.

The two leaders agreed to work out a “joint package” to facilitate the movement and accommodation of tourists in their respective lands.

Apart from principal secretary, energy, Ajay V. Nayak, tourism secretary Deepak Kumar and Bihar information and public relations secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Indian ambassador to Bhutan Pawan Verma accompanied and aided the chief minister during his meeting with the Bhutan king and Bhutan’s economic affairs minister.