Indo-Bhutan relations

Ashok B Sharma
The recent election in Bhutan has shown democracy taking firm roots and the experiment of constitutional monarchy in the country has been a success. This was the second poll in the country. The people voted for an alternate choice and brought the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to power, which bagged 32 seats in the National Assembly. The ruling Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) has been reduced to a minority with 15 seats.
In the last election in 2008, the DPT won a landslide victory, winning 45 out of 47 seats in the lower house of the National Assembly.
India has welcomed the change of regime and political analysts believe that the development, in which the Bhutanese people have shown their sense of maturity, is good for the relationship between the two countries.
The ruling DPT had planned to move away from India and establish close relations with China. The Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley from the DPT party met the then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil last year at the sidelines of an international conference and expressed such a gesture. However, the officiating president of DPT Yeshe Zimbe later ruled out any diplomatic relations between Bhutan and China, saying the meeting between the Bhutanese Prime Minister with his Chinese counterpart was just a “courtesy call”. He clarified that Bhutan has no intention of hosting missions of any permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Reacting to Bhutan’s move, India threatened to withdraw subsidy on its supplies of LPG and kerosene.
However, now with the change of regime in Bhutan, it is expected that the bonhomie between the two immediate and strategic neighbours would continue.
The future the geopolitics in Asia will depend much on the influence of two emerging contending powers namely China and India. The Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan placed in the midst of two rivals assumes strategic importance.
India’s relationship with Bhutan has been time-tested and harmonious. China is conscious of the fact that if it can woo Bhutan into its fold, it can keep India always on the tenterhooks and spread its influence all over South Asia.
But India needs to deal with Bhutan cautiously and take care not to rub it on the wrong side, as the Himalayan country is gradually upscaling its relationship with other countries and internal changes taking place inside it with the introduction of constitutional monarchy. The situation has changed with the revision in the treaty between the two countries, effected in 2007. India can no longer directly exercise its influence on Bhutan.
In 2007, at the insistence of Bhutan, the 1949 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty was revised. The Article-II of the original treaty, which obliged Bhutan to be guided by India, was amended. The revised Article-II says “both countries shall cooperate closely with each other on issues relating to their national interest. Neither Government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other.”
The revised treaty recognises Bhutan’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” which were absent in the original treaty.
India has rightly chosen the multi-polity approach in dealing with the situation in its neighbouring countries. It also needs carefully study the demographic politics. Bhutan’s population is divided among three main groups – Sharchops in eastern Bhutan, Lhotshampas in southern Bhutan and Ngalungs (or Drukpas) in western Bhutan. Ngalungs, who earlier migrated from Tibet, exercise influence over monarchy.
The young monarch of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel, is an alumnus of the National Defence College of India and is a friend of our country. India began extending its diplomatic gestures by inviting him to be the Chief Guest at the 64th Republic Day Parade this year. Though monarchy in Bhutan still enjoys some powers, India needs to extended similar gestures to the emerging democratic forces.
Bhutan has a burgeoning civil society with 16 NGOs covering a wide range of issues. There are about nine newspapers and magazines, 37 publishing houses, several radio stations and a public television channel. According to the Press Freedom Index 2010 of the Reporters Without Borders, Bhutan’s media ratings have improved to 64th rank from the low of 157th rank in 2003.
The national media in Bhutan has been expressing concerns over the domination of Indian construction companies and benefits that accrue from joint agreement on hydel power development. Some members of the National Assembly had expressed concern over the location of headquarters of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) in the historic Haa fort. IMTRAT trains and equips the Royal Bhutan Army and prepares its personnel for further training in military establishments in India.
The best way to integrate this landlocked country southwards is through the forum – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). The BIMSTEC consists of member countries like Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The cooperation in BIMSTEC should entail integrating the landlocked countries like Nepal and Bhutan and facilitate their exports and imports through the sea ports of other member countries. Countries like India and Bangladesh should give transit facilities for goods from and into Bhutan and Nepal.
The concept of Bhutan-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor will be much in the interest of China than India. BIMSTEC bypasses the hassles caused by Pakistan in integration of South Asia and also helps to keep China at bay while at the same time opens the markets of the landlocked northeast India to that of South East Asia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. (IPA)

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