Relevance: GS Paper II (Polity and Governance)
Theme of the article
India must not be seen as an overbearing presence in Bhutan.
Why has this article cropped up?
The victory of the DNT party in Bhutan’s third parliamentary election is being seen as a vote for change in Bhutan.
Significance of Bhutan for India
- India had stepped in to defend Bhutan’s territorial claims during last year’s military standoff with China at Doklam, an area currently controlled by Beijing but claimed by Thimphu. This strategic region is located close to the “chicken’s neck” or the tiny sliver of land that connects the Indian mainland to the northeastern states.
- Many years earlier, Bhutan had cooperated with India for a major military operation to drive out hundreds of members of militant groups such as the United Liberation Front of Asom who were sheltering in the neighbouring country.
- Both these episodes reflect how closely Bhutan is linked to the security of India’s northeastern states.
The recent perspective in Bhutan with respect to India
- The Doklam standoff led some in Bhutan to call for the country to adopt an independent foreign policy, one that is not too closely aligned with India, so that it could resolve its dragging border dispute with China.
- There is a growing debate within the country on the position it should adopt vis-à-vis its two powerful neighbours, India and China.
Conclusion
As India takes steps connected to its legitimate security concerns in the region, it must ensure that it is not perceived as an overbearing presence but one that has the best interests of the Bhutanese people at heart.
