India Bhutan Relations: Indian Prime Minister’s State Visit to Bhutan

Context

Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to Bhutan last week, while productive, was largely symbolic.

Overview of Prime Minister’s State Visit to Bhutan

• Principle of Reciprocity: Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s lengthy bilateral visit, a week earlier in Delhi, obviated the need for such a second back-to-back visit.
• Financial Support to Bhutan: The announcement of India’s doubling of support for Bhutan’s Five Year Plan, from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore, was significant, but has been under discussion.
• Bhutan’s Highest Civilian Award: Bhutan’s King conferred Bhutan’s highest civilian award on Mr. Modi, had been announced in 2021 for India’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also need not have been done right now.

Symbolic Messaging of Prime Minister’s State Visit to Bhutan

• Financial Support to Bhutan: India is fully committed to Bhutan’s development, particularly the upcoming Gelephu Mindfulness City, a project likely to benefit from India’s increase in financial support to its neighbour.
• Infrastructure Initiative: Bhutan is an integral part of India’s infrastructure initiatives for road, rail, integrated check points, and also for energy exchanges on India’s grid, both of which are pushing sub-regional trade and travel among India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
• To Counter- China: India is mindful of Bhutan’s increased engagement with China, for the boundary agreement they hope to forge soon.
  • However, it does not intend to give Beijing space in areas of engagement such as trade and investment, where China has made inroads with India’s other close neighbours.
  • Strategic Implications for India’s Geopolitical Interests: China-Bhutan talks about the possible swap of land at Doklam to Bhutan’s west are, in fact, seen as a threat to India’s Siliguri Corridor, whereas China’s claim to areas on Bhutan’s east could imperil India’s border connectivity projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Bhutan’s Request for Caution from India: According to recent reports, Bhutan may have even asked India to go slow on those projects until its boundary talks with China are complete.

Conclusion

India Bhutan Relations are unbreakable and both countries need to retain the permanence of their ties in the face of economic and social turmoil, as well as the challenge in the neighborhood.

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