Bhutan, which is sandwiched between the two most
populous nations and aspiring global economic powers of the world, is in a
situation of a guy who has to report to two bosses and direction of one boss
goes against other very frequently. So, for peaceful coexistence Bhutan will
have to manage with both of them very diplomatically without erring anyone, as
those poor guys are managing on their job.
Democracy:
Which China hates
Bhutan became a parliamentary democracy in 2008. The
transition from monarchy to democracy was very different in two ways from what
has happened historically (except U.K.) and is happening today or will happen
in future. (Examples: Historically-United States of America, France, India
etc. Present- Countries facing the heat
of Arab Spring like Tunisia, Egypt etc. Future-China where voices for democracy
are being usurped)
1.
Process was peaceful.
2.
And it was initiated and completed by the kings
themselves voluntarily.
King
|
Name
|
Changes he brought
|
Third
|
Jigme
Dorgi Wangchuk
|
set
up a 130-member National Assembly
|
Fourth
|
Jigme
Singye Wangchuk
|
a) Put into place a
written constitution in 2001
b) Set up Election
Commission and allowed the formation of
political parties
c) Created 25 Member
National Council (Upper House) and a National Assembly (Lower House) of 47
members. The country is run by a Prime Minister in Cabinet with a two-party
Parliament
|
Fifth
|
Jigme
Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk
|
Encouraging
youth to participate in democratic exercises in the country
|
In 2008, the then prime
minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Bhutan and supported the
country's progress towards democracy.
Power Equations
Power is an important sector of Bhutanese economy. It contributes 12% to the GDP and 32% to Bhutan's total exports. Druk Green Power Corporation, which controls all electricity generation plants of the country, is the highest tax payer of the country. Three hydro-electric projects (HEPs) totaling 1416 MW, (336 MW Chukha HEP, the 60 MW Kurichu HEP, and the 1020 MW Tala HEP), are already exporting electricity to India. The revenues so earned by Bhutan has made it the country with highest per capita income in South Asia and helped it reduce its budgetary dependence to India.
In 2008 the Royal Government of Bhutan and the
Government of India agreed to further develop a minimum of 10,000 MW hydropower
generation capacities by 2020 and identified ten more projects.India is in the dire need of such neighbor which can save its hard earned dollars and help stabilize the rupee. With uncertainty in global oil prices due to conflict in West Asia and North Africa (WANA), hydropower is boon for Indian economy and solution for power equations. Though contribution of Bhutan is much less for power hungry and behemoth economy of India, its importance cannot be ignored. Cooperation in the hydropower sector is a true example of mutually beneficial relationship.
Economic dependence on India
Bhutan is highly dependent on India’s aid for its development
projects. Its five year plan is funded by India.
Co-operation in Defense
India has been maintaining an Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan which trains the Royal Bhutan Army. It has cooperated with India in clearing out the bases of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Bodo groups from its territory in 2003 as it is believed that these groups posed a security threat to Bhutan and India both.
Bhutan backed India's stand on the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which
were accused as discriminatory de-nuclearisation programmes and also supporting
India's claim for a permanent seat in
the UN Security Council.
Internationalization of Bhutan
India has helped Bhutan getting development
assistance from multilateral and bilateral aid donors. Bhutan has also become
member of SAARC(South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC(The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Earlier, Bhutan had a bilateral diplomatic
mission only in India, but it has gradually opened resident diplomatic Missions
in other neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Thailand, and at the
UN office in New York and Geneva.
China-Bhutan Axis
Border demarcation is long standing between People’s Republic of China and Bhutan.
Both sides have held many rounds of talks on the issue, but issue could not be
resolved. Chinese territorial claims in western Bhutan are close to Siliguri
Corridor. Beijing is also interested in establishing formal ties with Thimphu, where it does not yet have a diplomatic mission despite they are sharing
approx. 470 KM long border. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Bhutan’s Prime Minister Jigme
Y. Thinley met at the sidelines of the Rio
+20 summit on 21 June 2012. This meet brought one of the most sensitive and
contentious issues of Bhutanese foreign policy back into the limelight. They
expressed willingness to establish formal diplomatic ties between their
countries, which made India uncomfortable.
HUNGAMA
during election in Bhutan
PDP (People’s Democratic Party) won election. It was
said and volume was raised by China that India’s decision to end a subsidy,
though temporarily, came in the light of Jigme Y. Thinley’s (of Druk Phuensum Tshogpa ) government’s overtures to
China. India’s step pushed up the price cooking gas and kerosene, and it led to
failure of DPT’s govt. to win election.
India and Bhutan signed the
Treaty of Peace and Friendship on August 8, 1949, in Darjeeling. This treaty was
signed by the representatives of the Government of India and the Government of
His Highness, the Druk Gyalpo (the King of Bhutan). This treaty was a
continuation of the Anglo-Bhutanese
treaty of 1910. It was declared that that India would not interfere in
Bhutan's administrative affairs and the Bhutan would be guided by the India’s
advice in its external relations.
Pro-Chinese elements have
criticized India over this article, accusing it of forcing its small neighbor
into submission. Therefore, India negotiated a new treaty with Bhutan in 2007
whereby the provision requiring Thimphu to seek India's guidance in foreign
policy was replaced with broader sovereignty and no longer formally requires
Bhutan to be guided by India in foreign policy.
Nepal-Bhutan Axis
Persons of Nepali origin also euphemistically
termed as ‘Southern Bhutanese’ who came to work as laborers in dense tropical
forest of Bhutan’s foothills settled there. Fearing increased infiltration and
threat from changing demographic structure, Bhutan decided to not give
Bhutanese citizenship to those who had migrated after 1958. Problems due to
Maoist insurgency in Nepal further exacerbated the situation. In the early
1990s, Bhutan evicted 1 lakh people of Nepali origin, forcing them to live in
refugee camps in Nepal. Many of them had infiltrated to India but they pushed
back to Nepal. India maintained distance from this issue and termed this issue
as a bilateral one, between Nepal and Bhutan. India’s attitude gave outside
powers an opportunity to take interests in issue of South Asia. Western
countries had come forward to rescue those helpless refugees.
 |
| The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) |
How India can play a larger role in the development of Indian
sub-continent?
How India should act with her neighbor to be the true leader of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) and The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations?
How much important is bilateral relationship between India and Bhutan?
(Written by Sujit Bharti, an alumnus of IIT Bhubaneshwar)
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