Are India-Bhutan relations intact?

What has made India-Bhutan relations “exemplary” and unique?

Pawan K. Varma: Bhutan is not just a neighbor, but a very important and strategic one. Its border with India is over 600 km long, and serves as a buffer between China and India. Relations have grown stronger since our independence. Importantly, we have not allowed the ‘Big Brother’ syndrome to apply to Bhutan – since 1958 when Jawaharlal Nehru traveled across the Himalayas to Bhutan and assured it of independence and sovereignty, when Bhutan’s interests are at stake to India’s interests, and vice versa, by an institutional and economic framework. India is Bhutan’s largest development partner. India is the largest source of imports for Bhutan. We have managed to build this bond not only through rhetoric, but also by using hydropower, for which Bhutan’s rivers flowing into India from the Himalayas have been harnessed. There are joint agreements under which India buys electricity generated in Bhutan. Hydroelectricity has become one of Bhutan’s biggest revenue earners, making Bhutan the country with the highest per capita income in South Asia today.

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Phunchok Stobdan: I would go a little bit beyond the transactional, developmental orientation of the relationship that we have built. I think its basis is not India, but China, and since the 17th century there has been a desire to distinguish Bhutan from Tibet. In the 17th century, when Shabdrung Rinpoche broke away from Tibet, Bhutan looked to India and not Tibet. In a sense, independent India continued the relationship that the British had created. Bhutan is a Buddhist theocracy, a monarchy, and a modern state. So, it is special for us from historical context to religious context, from strategic context to economic context.

What was the context of Bhutan’s King’s visit to Delhi this week, given speculation about a possible breakthrough on border talks with China, which Mr Tshering mentioned in an interview?

Pawan K. Varma: I don’t think this is a reference to travel. Traditionally, an important feature of this relationship has been the regularity of high-level visits. Even when the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government came to power, the first country the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) visited was Bhutan. The visit of the King of Bhutan was planned long in advance.

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Still, will success with China be a concern for India?

Pawan K. Varma: This is a concern that underlies the way relations with Bhutan are structured. China has been trying to gain a foothold in Bhutan for decades. Where Bhutan (to the west) marks its border with China is of exceptional relevance to India as it is a tri-junction of three countries. Bhutan is fully conscious of India’s strategic needs. In accordance with their 2007 Friendship Treaty, India and Bhutan hold consultations at a high level to be able to maximize or strengthen their mutual strategic interests. Bhutan has been negotiating the boundary question with China for years, and no decision has yet been reached. Similarly, border talks have often taken place between India and China without any agreement. So, Mr. Tshering was not saying anything new when he said that three countries are involved. This is not just a bilateral matter between Bhutan and China; India’s interests are also involved.

Phunchok Stobdan: I do not believe that the Government of India was unaware of the discussions that took place between China and Bhutan. But the foreign secretary made one thing clear in his statement: India will not talk publicly about the Bhutan-China talks; However, when it comes to India’s national security, there will be no compromise. The language was difficult, and there appears to be a change in tone on our part. I think India is not worried about a breakthrough [talks on] The area to the north of Bhutan with China, but when it comes to the west, the area near India, the foreign secretary’s statement made it clear that we are concerned about that.

After the Doklam standoff between India and China in 2017, has there been any change in Bhutan’s willingness to discuss the border?

Pawan K. Varma: I do not believe so. China has been making major concessions in the north over the years to gain a very small area in Doklam. Bhutan has consistently opposed this proposal because it understands India’s security concerns and will not settle its border with China without taking into account India’s interests. Of course, Bhutan knows that China is a dangerous power, that there is considerable Chinese construction in that disputed area, and that there is also some incremental encroachment into Bhutanese territory beyond the border dispute. The Bhutanese monitor this very carefully and keep the Indian government informed as far as I know. India is fully within its right to insist that this is a matter of strategic importance to us, as the Doklam plateau overlooks the Chumbi Valley, which overlooks the Chicken’s Neck (Siliguri Corridor). India is saying this not because Bhutan is threatening its cooperation with India on this front, but to send a message to China that we will draw a line here in line with our national interest.

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Phunchok Stobdan: I think India has been kept informed at all levels about the developments in the boundary talks by Bhutanese diplomats. What I’ve heard is that over the years, Bhutan and China have adopted a process of using a modern method to draw boundary lines on the ground, not peak to peak. And that may result in some adjustment of the field. However, we should pay more attention to the mood inside Bhutan which may not be in our favor. The youth of Bhutan are going abroad for studies. You now have a new perception in Bhutan where every move by India is not viewed positively. Yes, I think Doklam has played some role in this, given the sentiments of nationalism expressed by India and concerns within Bhutan that they [Bhutan] India and China were being squeezed into the rivalry. I think we need more diplomacy, more diplomats who understand Bhutanese sentiments in this regard.

What is the way forward in terms of building trust between the two countries?

Pawan K. Varma: A new generation has now arrived in Bhutan. And I believe that the umbilical cord of educational contact between India and Bhutan has frayed a bit. But I don’t think this should increase insecurities in the relationship. Even the youth know that Bhutan and India’s development partnership is the key to Bhutan’s continued prosperity.

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Phunchok Stobdan: It is true that people in Bhutan, especially those above the age of 35, are aware of the importance of the India relationship. But there is a need to reach out to young Bhutanese. These days there is a lot of negative sentiment, misinformation about India on social media in Bhutan. Some people in Bhutan feel that the Indians are using security issues as an excuse to keep Bhutan under Indian control. Five years ago such things were not discussed. Let us recall that the Bhutan-India relationship has survived primarily because it was built on mutual trust, which means that Bhutan has governed the relationship as an equal. India has to maintain this connection not only economically, or through a transactional relationship, but also by reaching out to the new generation.

So would you say that India-Bhutan relations are intact?

Phunchok Stobdan: Yes. Our relationship is built on a spiritual foundation, and it is not going to end. Besides, the imperatives of geography, economy, connectivity reinforce it. There are definitely challenges. My own understanding is that China is using all kinds of tools, equipment, methodology to attract Bhutanese through trade, their modern cities, scholarship. That’s the fear, and the challenge we have to face.

Pawan K. Varma: I feel that the relationship is not only intact, but will grow stronger in the years to come. India-Bhutan relations have crystallized over decades into such a huge edifice of mutually beneficial interactions that it is difficult to dismantle. The key to cementing this for the future is for India not to show any insecurity about this relationship, or attempt to stifle different voices in any way, whether on social media or otherwise, but to build trust and full This relationship has to be taken forward with faith.