Page 57 - 31JAN2018E

INTERNATIONAL

support from 438,663 registered elec- for both sides to review the progress in ing the conflict that breed last year at
torate (out of total 735,553 population) the multifaceted partnership. Doklam, a tri-nation junction involving
to become the third Prime Minister of Dr Tshering’s three-day state-visit Bhutan, India and China, commented
Bhutan. to India last week was a success as it Acharya. Even after Beijing’s critical
Besides DNT, three more registered resulted in New Delhi’s commitment point of views, the Bhutan government
political parties, namely People’s Dem- of /Nu 45 billion along with a transi- supported New Delhi’s presence over
ocratic Party (PDP), Druk Phuensum tional trade support benefit of /Nu 4 the issue and declined any land-swap
Tshogpa (DPT), and Bhutan Kuen-Nyam billion over a period of five years and an deal with the Chinese government, he
Party (BKP) took part in the elections. agreement on the 720-mega watt Man- added.
Led by Jigmi Y Thinley, DPT won the first gdechhu hydropower plant tariff at Nu Mentionable is that Indian troops
national election of the Himalayan na- 4.12 per unit, reported Bhutan’s oldest and China’s armed forces got engaged
tion, but this time the party suffered loss newspaper Kuensel adding that both in a standoff for over two months at
in the polls. sides had recognized the importance of the strategically-important Doklam
In the 2013 national elections, PDP continued hydropower cooperation for locality. The conflict started on 16 June
emerged as the winner and Tshering mutual benefits. 2017 following the Indian soldiers’ pro-
Tobgay became the second Prime Min- Notably, New Delhi provided /Nu hibition for constricting a road by the
ister of Bhutan. In the last polls his party 45 billion along with /Nu 5 billion as People’s Liberation Army of China. Fi-
too failed to garner supports from the financial incentives to Bhutan during nally the Beijing administration asked
electorate. Tobgay was otherwise a de- its 11th five-year plan (2013-2018). At the its armed personnel to retreat and the
pendable pro-India politician, where issue was temporarily resolved on Au-
Dr Tshering was relatively new comer. gust 28.
During his poll campaigning, the doc- Beijing later criticised New Delhi for
tor turned politician emphasised only Tshering has clarified its intervention at Doklam, saying that
development issues for the Bhutanese that Bhutan’s policy the China-Bhutan border issue had
nationals. nothing to do with India as a third party
Dr Tshering had however clari- towards India will and it had no right to interfere in or im-
fied that Bhutan’s policy towards India not change. Since pede the boundary talks between Bei-
would not be changed. Since the days of jing and Thimphu. China had all along
Bhutan’s fourth King Jigme Singye, the the days of Bhutan’s respected Bhutan’s sovereignty and
tiny kingdom embraced its southern fourth King Jigme independence, it added.
neighbor as a trusted friend. The pre- Dr Tshering, after his arrival in
sent king, Oxford-educated Jigme Khe- Singye, the southern Thimphu, offered thanks to Modi for his
sar, also reiterated his commitment to neighbour has been gesture mentioning about /Nu 4 billion
long standing Indo-Bhutan friendship. for strengthening bilateral trade and
“When the Chinese annexed Tibet its trusted friend economic linkages saying that ‘it is a
in the late 1950s, Bhutan sealed off its wonderful gift to make Bhutanese trad-
northern border,” revealed Gopilal ing systems more efficient and make
Acharya, a Bhutanese political com- same time, the hydropower projects Bhutanese export products in general
mentator. Speaking to this writer from in south Bhutan, producing over 1400 including industries more competitive
Thimphu, Acharya also added that the megawatt electricity, were patronized in the long run through various trade
visit of India’s first Prime Minister Jawa- by New Delhi and most of the products facilitation measures’.
harlal Nehru in 1958 was a watershed (electricity) have been exported to India Lyonchhen, who also met India’s for-
moment for Indo-Bhutan relations and as well. eign minister Sushma Swaraj, finance
since then Thimphu’s ties with New Bhutan has been following a five- minister Arun Jaitley along with other
Delhi remains firm. year plan system since 1961. These host dignitaries, reiterated his com-
India’s foreign ministry earlier stat- plans articulate the Royal government’s mitment that as a country floating the
ed that Dr Tshering’s visit had coincided socio-economic development priorities concept of Gross National Happiness
with the golden jubilee year of Indo- those are implemented over a five-year to the world, Bhutan would keep the
Bhutan diplomatic relationship as both period. India has closely been associat- citizens’ interest for their education,
the neighboring countries continued ed with the financial initiative in Bhu- health and a clean environment always
to enjoy exemplary ties of friendship tan since the beginning, where New paramount.
and cooperation, based on utmost trust, Delhi solely financed the Thimphu’s
goodwill and mutual understanding at first three five-year plans. The author is a Guwahati based political
all levels. It also expected that Dr Tsher- Indo-Bhutan kind of friendship commentator
ing’s visit would provide an opportunity and trusts were necessary for resolv- letters@tehelka.com

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