Bhutan, a small country located in the southern slopes of the great Himalayan ranges, is the smallest member of the South Asian fraternity. Yet, this country has its own unique history. It has the youngest monarchy, strong Buddhist traditions, a monarch who relinquished state powers, a country which declared its goal of ‘Gross National Happiness’, and its quest for preserving its cultural identity, all make Bhutan a unique country.
Bhutan occupies a strategic position in between the two giants – India and China – and it is of immense importance to India. Moreover, Bhutan’s limited economic resources, landlocked status, and the quest for modernisation, makes that country excessively dependent on India.
The bonds of friendship
India-Bhutan relations set an example of close and cooperative relations between two neighbouring countries. In fact, they are unparalleled in many ways in South Asia. Way back in the 1950’s, Bhutan faced acute resource scarcity, technological backwardness, and lack of access to difficult hilly terrains. India helped by investing in the country’s infrastructure. India has not only provided the highest amounts of foreign aid, but it has also tried to cater to the particular needs of Bhutan. India has helped Bhutan in building a number of hydro-power projects and this has been a continuous process. One may note that the Chukha hydro-power project has been able to contribute to more than 40 per cent of Bhutan’s national revenue. In fact, Bhutan’s prosperity lies in its willingness to exploit its mighty river water potential and India has helped Bhutan in this sector in a big way.
Education, health, telecommunication, and transportation are the other areas where India has played a significant role.
Bhutan’s transition to democracy
Bhutan is a country which has smoothly transitioned to democracy. The king of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, himself came forward to promote democratisation of the country. Initially, Bhutan tried to evolve a model of its own, where both the traditional and modern political forces could be accommodated. But it was towards the end of the last century that Bhutan began to express interest in adopting a western democratic model. Bhutan’s two general elections in 2008 and 2013 are a testimony of her peaceful march to democracy. India not only provided the necessary inputs in Constitution making, but also in making necessary infrastructural arrangements to conduct the two general elections. One can very well understand that for a country like Bhutan with its remote areas, logistics of connecting to that population could be a huge challenge and hence, India’s assistance was very important. A happier situation compared to Nepal, where democratisation and the constitution making process have been highly complicated, and is still very fragile. No doubt a democratic and stable neighbour is an asset to India, particularly in the context of building peaceful and stable frontiers. India has been a partner to Bhutan’s quest for democracy.
Minor irritants in the relationship
Bhutan is the only neighbour which has always stood by India, supported India in international and regional forums. The Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was invited to be the chief guest on the occasion of the 64th Republic day celebrations of India. This reflected the importance accorded by India to its trusted neighbour. However, the decision of the Indian government on 1 July 2013, to withdraw all subsidies on LPG and kerosene created some misunderstanding. It was the time when Bhutan was heading for general elections. India’s contention was that it was a general act and not intended at sending any message to Bhutan. Nevertheless, there were some reports to indicate that India was irritated due to Bhutan’s softer attitude towards China.
The Chinese context and India’s concerns
China has been equally interested in Bhutan, obviously for its geo-strategic and political interests. China has built a strong transport network on the other side of the border and has been very keen on resolving border issues with Bhutan. This causes some concern to India as Bhutan bears immense strategic importance for us.
Modi’s visit to Bhutan
The new government in India under Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi took immediate steps to build India’s relationship with the neighbouring countries, by inviting the heads of states of the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries on the occasion of the oath-taking ceremony of the PM. But what is important is that Modi decided to pay his first foreign visit as PM to Bhutan. Probably, it was a befitting recognition of the age-old friendship between the two countries. On the occasion, Modi laid the foundation of a 600 MW power station, apart from discussing a number of issues of bilateral interest.
To conclude, this is a new beginning to recognise and further consolidate India’s age-old intimate ties with Bhutan. A stable and developed Bhutan is in India’s best interests.