Round The World
New Delhi, 29 March 2024
PM Modi in Bhutan
SOLIDIFYING HISTORICAL TIES
By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn for Democratic Socialism)
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhutan on 21-22 March was significant for
more than one reason. It was to counter China which is aggressively penetrating
to India’s neighbourhood. Recently, through the border talks, Beijing sent
overtures to Bhutan in order to dilute New Delhi’s historic ties with Thimphu. Second,
despite the pressure of electioneering, Modi dashed to Bhutan underscoring the
importance New Delhi attaches to its neighbourhood first policy. Third,
conferring the Order of the Druk Gyalpo on Prime Minister Modi is an evidence
of reciprocal importance Thimphu places on its ties with India. This honour is
the highest award Bhutan gives to anyone including all orders, decorations and
medals. The honour is testimony of India’s commitment to Bhutan’s growth,
prosperity and security.
Political
observers have wondered how a small country like Bhutan could be friendly for
so many years with a much bigger country like India. Bhutan has a geographically
area of 38,394 sq kms and a population of about 7.7 lakh whereas India’s territory
consists of 3.28 million sq kms and population of 140 crore plus. The asymmetry
in size and population is huge. Yet both the countries have remained the
closest partners in the region for over last 50 years and more. This is because
India treats other countries with respect and as equals as it should be between
two sovereign countries irrespective of their size and resources. Bhutan has
been having the trust and confidence in India to help it grow. India in return,
has lived up to that expectation.
The
latest in the bilateral relations between Bhutan and India is the development
of Gelephu project which is being built as a special economic zone to attract
foreign investment and advance prosperity for the Bhutanese kingdom. At the
same time, this is being developed as a Mindfulness city with environmental
security and spiritual well-being as the foremost concerns. The project will
focus on all-round human well-being with practices of yoga, relaxation,
recreation and spa therapies etc.
The
visit of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in November 2023 was to
highlight the need and significance of such a project. The King spent quite a
bit of time both with Prime Minister Modi and President of India Draupadi
Murmu. Also, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay was in New Delhi just a
week before Modi’s visit. They had a lengthy discussion in Delhi. The
back-to-back visits by the Heads of governments of both countries signify the
attention placed on the relationship which manifests in their evolving
closeness.
Hydropower
cooperation is the main pillar of India’s relations with Bhutan. Several
hydropower joint projects have been commissioned and completed by both the
countries that supply clean electricity to India and Bhutan with a regular flow
of revenue. The delayed Punatsangchhu-II hydropower project is expected to be
completed in 2024. However, some rethinking is called for as several other
joint ventures on hydropower generation have not taken off.
The Government
of India has declared to double its development assistance from Rs 5,000 crore
in the 12th Five-Year Plan of Bhutan to Rs 10,000 crore. This is
quite a significant development. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated a women and
child hospital built with India’s support. Bilateralism with Bhutan in multiple
sectors has grown under the basic framework of India-Bhutan bilateral relations
in the form of Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 and revised
in 2007.
Prime
Minister Modi’s visit had at least three dividends. First, it gave strong
message that India is committed to Bhutan’s development particularly in terms
of support to the upcoming Gelephu project that would facilitate India’s
increase in financial support. Second, Bhutan is an integral part of India’s
massive infrastructure initiative and also for energy exchanges. Both these
sectors are pushing sub-regional trade and trade and travel between India,
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. Third, the message through the visit should be
loud and clear that India is wary of Bhutan’s increased engagement with China. New
Delhi may reconcile to Bhutan signing a boundary agreement with Beijing but
will not brook China’s incursion into trade and investment in Bhutan. Beijing
has done so with India’s other close neighbours.
Without
doubt, New Delhi is concerned about the ongoing talks between Bhutan and China
on boundary agreement. In fact, the possible swap of land at Doklam to Bhutan’s
west is a threat to India’s Siliguri Corridor and it could threaten India’s
border connectivity projects in Arunachal Pradesh. Note that, Bhutan-China
boundary talks focus only on areas to Bhutan’s west and north, but China’s new
claims to Bhutan’s East have raised fears that Beijing is using these claims to
put pressure on Bhutan to fast-track the boundary talks or risk broadening the
disputed areas.
As
Bhutan appeared to be lenient to Beijing, Modi’s visit underlined India’s
perspective on the border talks. Accepting the award, Modi said, “India-Bhutan
ties are unbreakable and urged that India and Bhutan should remain vigilant about
their ties in the face of challenges within their countries as well as in the
neighbourhood.
Modi’s
visit to Bhutan, after the elections were announced, has raised some eyebrows.
Some people commented that he could go as a caretaker Prime Minister but cannot
initiate or conclude any agreements. Such visits during the operation of Code
of Conduct are perhaps unusual. But given the strategic importance of visit,
new conventions could be created in the national interest. So, the gesture was
meant to denote India’s commitment to Bhutan in particular and to the
government’s “neighbourhood first” policy.
In order
to enhance the bilateral relations, in the immediate future, New Delhi could
perhaps think of commencing direct flights from Mumbai/Delhi and Gelephu which
will increase the tourist traffic to Bhutan. Indians are looking for
alternative tourist sites after a bad spat in social media with Maldivians. New
Delhi also could transfer the knowledge and technology in building the Mindful
city; encourage business to set up retail shops in the city. The success of
Gelephu project will have economic spill-over in West Bengal and Assam region.
New
Delhi will have to react swiftly whenever China seeks to open an entry point to
inch nearer India threatening her security. Remember, China’s so-called ‘String
of Pearls’ in the Indian Ocean region to encircle India. Also, India should
always remember Mao Zedong’s Five Fingers of Tibet. China considers Tibet to be
its right hand palm with five fingers in its periphery – Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim,
Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Modi has done well to visit Bhutan at this
juncture. New Delhi should keep up the momentum even after the elections.---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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