Thai Queen Sirikit at 84 :

Royal benefactress of subjects

by Kalakeerthi DR. Edwin Ariyadasa

People of Thailand joined many activities marking the seventh cycle, or 84th birthday anniversary celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, this year.

Among the reigning Royals of the modern world, the ruler of Thailand - King Bhumibol Adulyadej - occupies an eminently unique stature. He is the longest reigning monarch in today's world. King Bhumibol has been on the Thai throne, without interruption, for seventy long years.

Thai Queen Sirikit, has been by the side of the king as his Royal consort for sixty-six years, now.

This exemplary Royal partnership began officially, on April 28, 1950, when the Royal wedding ceremony took place at Sapathum Palace, in accordance with hallowed tradition.

This ceremony symbolized the glorious culmination of a classic Royal romance, the likes of which is quite rare in world's chronicles.

Queen Sirikit was born on August 12, 1932, as the eldest daughter and third child of Prince Chandaburi and Mom Luang Kitiyakara. The new born child was named Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara.

The name 'Sirikit' is quite akin to 'Shri Keerthi' - meaning glory and honour).

Her father served in Paris, as the Thai Ambassador in France. At this time, the young King Bhumiool Adulyadej, was pursuing his studies in Switzerland. The young King would occasionally visit the Thai Ambassador in Paris. It invariably led to the young King and the comely daughter of the Ambassador, meeting each other at the Ambassador's Residence. The 15-year-old Princess Sirikit, instantly won the heart of the 20-year-old King.

The Royal romance evolved into maturity, under strange circumstances. A car accident made it necessary for the king to enter Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland. At the request of her mother, Princess Sirikit stayed at the Hospital, helping the King's recuperation.

At the celebration of the 17th birthday, of the Princess, the engagement between the king and M.R. Sirikit, took place at the Ambassador's residence.

This event, is highly significant as the ushering in of the dawn of a Royal partnership, that substantially promoted, the well being of the Noble Kingdom of Thailand and of the spiritually-oriented people of the land.

From the beginning, Queen Sirikit, inspired her subjects as the glorious embodiment of Royal benevolence. Her serene, subdued and gracious charm, extensively enhanced by the built-in Royal dignity, which she projected effortlessly, won her wide-spread adoration, both, at home and abroad.

I remember how, a long time ago, a foreign writer, dazed by her compelling presence, described her as the personalized sound of a mandolin.

When the king was ordained a Buddhist monk, for a brief while, as a mandatory ritual, M.R. Sirikit was appointed Queen Regent. If Queen Sirikit was so included, she could very well have opted to spend her days in ultra-Royal luxury.

Assistance

But, sharing her Royal consort's deep concern, to be fully committed to the elimination of the difficulties and privations their subjects suffered, Queen Sirikit decided that bringing relief and assistance to those underprivileged masses should be her Royal mission.

Queen Sirikit's pioneering efforts, to illuminate the lives of these poverty-ridden rural folk of Thailand, possess an epic quality.

Immediately after the Royal wedding, the young King and his consort, set out on a train-tour through Thailand. The historic journey may have begun as a honeymoon trek.

The travels, revealed to the two young Royals, the wide-spread poverty of the farmers who formed the major segment of the Thai population.

While the King concentrated his attention on the improvement of all aspects of rural agriculture, Queen Sirikit explored the creative potential of the village folk whose crafts astonished her no end.

Her initial response was to dole out doses of relief, aid and assistance. But, Queen Sirikit soon discovered that these relief and aid efforts could only be a temporary palliative. The Queen observed that when the given aid or relief was exhausted, these underprivileged rural folk were back at square one. They were still in need.

Through this disturbing personal experience Queen Sirikit fully realized the concept of 'Sustainability' as the right solution in this context.

Some historians point out that Queen Sirikit introduced the strategy of 'sustainability' about 60 years ahead of world organizations that advocated this system, fairly recently.

With a keen discerning eye, Queen Sirikit began to scrutinize those rural products and village crafts that could command an extensive demand outside the few consumers within the rural sector. Queen Sirikit was alert to the urgent requirement.

Publicity

When the Queen became comprehensively aware of the potentiality of a given rural product she adopted the most result-oriented strategy. If the products were locally made textiles or silks, the Queen herself would wear those at important functions, both, in Thailand and abroad.

She thoughtfully institutionalized the assistance. The Queen would appoint teachers to train rural craftsmen to refine their products. Training facilities were provided. The Queen set up the foundation for the promotion of supplementary occupations and Related Techniques. (Support for short).

This was in 1976. Support outlets for fine arts and crafts are now extensively patronized. They flourish under the supervision of Queen Sirikit. At the start these initiatives were supported by the Queen's own funds.

The support training centre has now been upgraded into 'Queen Sirikit Institute'.

Queen Sirikit's 'sustainable Strategy' has now spread to a whole series of fields.

An outstanding instance is the movement towards the preservation of the traditional marked drama style described as khon.

Under the supervision and guidance of Queen Sirikit, the State has taken steps to arrest its deterioration and disappearance. To prevent environmental deterioration Queen Sirikit, has strengthened the eco-consciousness of the masses.

Queen Sirikit has directed her attention towards, endangered species - both animal and plant.

The Queen has declared: "All Thais have come to realize the various significances of forestland. Apart from the forests' ability, to absorb polluted air, to serve as the habitat of wild animals, and to store a wealth of medicines for human use, providing cures for thousands of diseases and illnesses, and a lot more under research, and their unfathomable value, in providing water for our consumption.

"Water is the essence of life on Earth, vital for agriculture, industry and all national development projects.

"We therefore have launched strong reforestation and tree planting campaigns to rehabilitate the environment which will in turn benefit the Thai people as a whole."

We could consider this a universally valid ecological manifesto, from Queen Sirikit .

The whole of humanity can adore Queen Sirikit, as a Royal, who is perpetually mindful of the destiny of the masses.