Modi’s two-day maiden visit to
Bhutan on August 17th which made an impressionable impact on the
Kingdom was obscured by India’s big diplomatic victory at the UNSC. Prime
Minister Modi who rolled out “Neighbourhood First” policy has always attached
special importance to India’s strategic ties with immediate neighbours. The
Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan which shares borders with India and Bhutan is of immense
significance to India. Holding ode to a time-tested friendship, India and
Bhutan celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year.
After SAARC (South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation) become defunct, India continued its
multilateral engagement with Bhutan through BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative
for Multi Sectoral Trade and Economic Cooperation). Underpinning the strategic
importance of Bhutan, India has always accorded highest priority to friendly
ties with the Kingdom. During his first tenure, in line with India’s tradition,
Modi made Bhutan his first port of call. On being re-elected, he invited
BIMSTEC leaders for his swearing in ceremony and even held talks with his
Bhutanese counterpart Dr. Lohtay Tshering. External affairs Minister Jaishankar
Subramanyam made his first foreign trip to Bhutan and earlier this month
Foreign Secretary, Vijay Gokhale visited Thimphu to prepare ground for Modi’s
official visit.
This Himalayan Kingdom, a monarchy
slowly and successfully transitioned into a stable democracy has now graduated
into Middle-income country. Bhutan’s working relationship initially guided by
the Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship with India of 1949 was revised by
a friendship treaty in 2007 laid foundation for contemporary bilateral ties.
Calling Bhutan as “trusted friend and neighbour” in his pre-departure
statement, Modi said “(bilateral ties) these are reinforced by a shared
spiritual heritage and robust people to people ties”.
As a special gesture, Bhutanese
Prime Minister Tshering, his cabinet and other senior officials welcomed Modi extended
a warm reception. After the ceremonial
guard of honour, Modi had an audience with His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuk, The King of Bhutan and the Fourth Druk Gyalpo his father and called
on the opposition party leader. Signifying the special nature of the visit,
Bhutan hosted the bilateral talks at a 400-year old Semtokha Dzong, castle
monastery built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, founder of Bhutan. The monastic
and administrative dzong was opened for the first time for exchange of MoUs and
inauguration ceremony. Modi held prayers at the dzong and extended the duration
of the loaned Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal’s statue excavated by the British and
kept in National Museum at Kolkata previously by five years.
Marking five decades of exemplary
hydropower cooperation leaders of both countries released special stamps and
agreed to expand scope of bilateral cooperation. Besides official launch of
Rupay card, leaders inaugurated 720MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric plant and ground
earth station of South Asia Satellite (SAS) at Thimphu. Cognizant of the
positive impact of SAS India offered to
increase the bandwidth of an additional transponder to boost broadcasting
services and disaster management. Countries exchanged 10 MoUs with cooperation
in space technology, trade and digital technology receiving major boost. Modi
enhanced the subsidised LPG to 1000MT per month and offered an additional $100
million currency swap under Standby Swap Arrangement.
As a pivotal developmental partner,
India always had a special friendship with Bhutan which is extremely crucial
for India’s security. Chinese incursions into Bhutan’s Doklam trijunction in
2017 exposed India’s military vulnerabilities. While India averted the standoff
with deft diplomacy, Dragon’s aggressive underpinned the strategic importance
of this tiny neighbour, which calibrates prosperity in terms of Gross National
Happiness.
Bhutan the most trusted friend of
India in the region has rebuffed Chinese overtures and hasn’t established
official diplomatic relations with Beijing. Maintaining the sanctity of the
Special Friendship Treaty, India and Bhutan has always been considerate towards
each other national security interests. In line with India’s policy of
providing assistance to Bhutan in every five-year plan, on the eve of
Tshering’s visit to India in December 2018, India sanctioned 4500 Crores.
Bhutan has always looked at India as sole partner. The older generation
Bhutanese hold India in high regard. In this digital age of seamless
interconnectivity, facing unemployment, young Bhutanese are keen forging ties
with new countries including China an economic superpower. Aspiring and
ambitious Bhutanese youth are looking for new avenues, investment opportunities
and more development are not averse to opening doors for China. Given Chinese
propensity to lure countries with investments, weighing the importance of
strategic partnership with Bhutan, Modi has injected genuine human touch and
spiritual connect to reach out to Bhutanese people. Before departing Modi
visited National Memorial Chorten, attended a cultural performance at a
Buddhist Monastery.
Describing India and Bhutan as “natural
partners”, Modi reflected on the deep spiritual connect and the unique
nature of Indo-Bhutanese friendship in
his address to students of Royal University. Elucidating India’s growth rise as
biggest investment destination and innovation hub, he invited Bhutanese to be
part of this new renaissance and partake fruits of development. Earlier in the joint press statement, Modi
reiterated, “It is privilege of India that we are a major partner in the
development of Bhutan” and concluded, “The history of India-Bhutan
relations is a glorious as its promising future. I believe that India and
Bhutan will remain a unique model of relations between two countries in the
World”.
Tshering’s press statement, “We
are very happy to report that Prime Minister Modi’s visit was for only two days
was a successful visit in terms of what we wanted to get and what we could
give, mainly in terms of heart to heart connection” after Modi’s
departure stands testimony to the genuine human touch and new warmth infused by
Modi in energising bilateral ties.
No comments:
Post a Comment