"How Can I be a Good Citizen?"

This is an essay my brother wrote for a competition organized by Kuensel Corporation in the beginning of the year and I was so happy that he won in his category. This is his own words and I am glad he gifted me a soft copy and the right to reproduce it here for my readers. And since my blogging colleagues are posting their prize winning entries, I don't have any. Thus I take a little help from my brother. Please enjoy.

Being a good citizen is not different from being a good son, a good student, a good friend, a good neighbour and a good person. A good citizen also knows about our culture, national dress, language and our natural environment. A good citizen is kind and respects old people.

In order to be a good citizen, I shall be a good son. I shall obey my parents and follow their advice. I shall keep away from bad habits and demonstrate maturity every time I go home. I shall make my happy parents proud.

In order to be a good citizen, I shall be a good student. I shall work hard and obey my teachers. I shall abide my school rules and make good friends. I shall help keep my school surrounding clean and read good books to increase my knowledge of the world. I shall obey our seniors and guide our young friends. 

In order to be a good citizen, I shall be a good friend. Good friends make us good persons. They stop us from doing bad things. I shall be kind and understanding and good example to my friends.

In order to be a good citizen, I must be a good role model. As an educated person, I shall share my knowledge on environment, health, hygiene, causes and prevention of diseases in the village. I shall motivate children to go to schools. But to be a good citizen, it is important to be kind and caring person who respects old people and be kind to others.

Therefore, I shall be good son at home, good student at school, role model in the village, a valuable friend – a good person in general and be a good Bhutanese citizen. 

By Thinley Samdrup

Class IX