Bhutan, Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Madhya Pradesh – all have a Madhya Department for happiness! Madhya Pradesh is the first state in India to have a ‘Happiness Department’, inspired by neighboring Bhutan where Gross National Happiness is enshrined in its constitution: ‘The State shall strive to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross National Happiness.” In Bhutan, every person gets asked: “Are you happy?” as part of the census of the population.
On the field, children raced in gunny sacks. A dozen girls, hands tied to their back, sprinted to get their teeth into knotty jalebis, a popular sweet. Women, squealing with delight, competed in tug-of-war contests. Jaunty men from a dancing school vowed the crowd with hip-hop dance moves. A four-year-old girl provided a rousing finale with her Bollywood-style hip-swinging gyrations. At the end of it all, beaming participants received glossy certificates.
On the dais crowded with officials and village leaders, there was mirthful insistence that “happiness week” had kicked off well.
The fun and games were part of a week-long Happiness Festival, organized by the ruling BJP government in what is India’s second largest state, home to more than 70 million people. They also provided a glimpse of the rollout of what is the country’s first state-promoted project to “to put a smile on every face.
Picture Credit : Google