PRIME Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Bhutan from March 22 to 23, 2024, his second visit to the Himalayan kingdom. The PM had visited Bhutan in 2014, his first visit to a foreign nation on assuming power in May 2014. His second visit has indeed been path-breaking. Bhutan is a beautiful but a small landlocked country located towards the eastern extreme of the Himalayas mountains range with Tibet Autonomous Region (under the control of China) to its North and States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Sikkim to its East, South and West. It is a democratic country headed by a Prime Minister but the major decisions have the stamp of the monarchy. A Buddhist country, Bhutan follows the unique concept of Gross National Happiness for its people. India has always placed huge premium on special relationship with Bhutan, guided by the principles of Indo-Bhutan Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in the year 1949. This treaty stood the test of time for almost six decades till its revision as Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007. As per earlier treaty, Bhutan’s interests were largely looked after India with few parallels in the diplomatic history.

 

But with change in the international scenario and a more proactive society, the scope of the treaty was reviewed in 2007 which permitted Bhutan to expand its diplomatic footprint with more nations. India as a genuine well-wisher, supported Bhutan including its more interaction with China. Bhutan maintains a small Army called Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and Royal Bhutan Guard (RBG) for exclusive duty towards the monarchy. India has permanent military footprint in terms of Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) headed by a Major General rank officer. IMTRAT trains and prepares RBA and RBG personnel in discharging their duties along with Bhutanese counterparts. In addition, our Border Roads Organisation called Project DANTAK is headed by a Brigadier rank officer which has played a sterling role in developing roads in difficult terrain, telecommunication network, other infrastructure projects and the lone airport at Paro. During my military career, I was fortunate to serve as part of the IMTRAT in the year 1995 to 1997. It was a great professional experience and towards the end of my tenure, I worked towards gathering Intelligence about the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), a militant outfit which had made safe havens deep inside the Bhutanese territory.

 

Later Bhutan launched a rare military operation, called Operation All Clear in December 2003 to flush out the ULFA cadre from its territory. As Commanding Officer of my battalion deployed as part of anti-insurgency Operation RHINO from the year 2003 to 2006, the experience of dealing with the ULFA came handy to me. In the districts of Kokrajhar and Dhubri in the Lower Assam, we eliminated the footprint of the dreaded ULFA which ushered near normalcy in the region. Here once again, the Indian Army provided security to the Bhutanese people travelling through the States of Assam and North Bengal including transit facilities enroute. All this is testimony of the assistance and close support provided by India in every crisis situation in Bhutan. China has always eyed the strategic location of Bhutan and its close relations with India has irked China in more ways than one. While Bhutan accepted financial assistance from China, it came at some cost and China started construction of roads close to the Bhutanese territory. China has made claims on the Bhutanese territory based on its notorious historical precedent, right from the time of annexation of Tibet in the 1950s. But the main concern of India has been about Doklam, a disputed territory located at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

 

Doklam lies close to the Siliguri corridor, a narrow corridor which is the only land-based gateway to India’s North East. In 2017, China pursued aggressive road construction activity almost inside the Bhutanese territory towards Doklam. This led to the intervention of the Indian Army at the behest of Bhutan, called Doklam stand-off. The resolute action of the Indian Army to safeguard serious security implications led to the Chinese backing off after a 72 day stand off in 2017. But Bhutan surely realised that only India can help it in any crisis situation and relations with China has to be viewed more pragmatically in the changing world order. During the current visit, His Majesty of Bhutan bestowed its highest civilian award called ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ to PM Modi, the first head of Government recipient of such rare top honour.

 

This step may be the true indication of the revival the unique and enduring relationship between two neighbours which share a deep cultural connect rooted in common Buddhist heritage. India and Bhutan inked several pacts in the trade, connectivity, energy, infrastructure and space projects during the current visit. All this will not be taken kindly by China. As is the trademark of PM Modi’s diplomacy, he has finally established a great personal rapport with Bhutan’s royal family, evident from the type of special gestures made during the visit. For long-term safeguarding the strategic security interests of India and for Bhutan to become economically independent, the revival of the Indo-Bhutan relations can be harbinger for greater heights of time-tested relationship and for India’s other neighbours to follow suit. (The author is retired Lt General, PVSM, SM**,VSM)