An advisory to the Indian leaders

As we all know, future of any nation and the society rely under the roles of their national leaders, particularly political actors. Not only that, mutual relations with neighboring countries and future of the people in that country also depend on the role of national and regional political leaders. To cite the instance, India dominates the south Asian politics.

In relation to this fact, unfortunately India seems always projecting its passive perceptions towards the Bhutanese refugee problem which was solely created by Thimphu regime 17 years ago. But in contradiction, India always backed the cruelty of the regime lending its expertise and financial assistance. Of course, Indian good wishes and blessings are very essential for Bhutan to head for prosperous future. But that shouldn't be the cost of any Bhutanese to abandon his or her country on allegations of 'non national'. Bhutanese born, brought up and served the nation as saviors are now spending miserable life as refugees. Though the refugees firstly stepped in India while leaving their country, due to coercion and intimidation applied on them by the despotic and racial Thimphu during 1990's, the then Indian government had forcefully ferried them to Nepal.

While the confronting refugee problem is being more and more complicated the extravagant regime is trying to calcify self propagating democratic set up in the country, ignoring 1/6th of its population in exile. How could a democracy success when its own people are starving for the same outside the country? India is praising all the negative developments carried out by Thimphu authority, ignoring the justice seeking force in exile. On June 9, 2007 Indian foreign minister Pranav Mukharjee solicited for peace and calm stating that 'if the refugees in Nepal get back to Bhutan, there will be demographic imbalance in the region.' What does his statement means? Then where should these Bhutanese go and settle for preventing Mukharjee's so-called 'demographic imbalance?' Is that issue of creating stateless people around the region blaming them 'non nationals', was motivated by the principle of 'demographic imbalance?' Or he may say 'that was his personal view, not a statement given as an Indian foreign minister?'

All the Indian political parties should react on his statement urgently; otherwise it seems there will be a vex hindrance for solving the refugee problem through peaceful process. Any unwanted debris of political misconducts around south Asia hampers the peace and harmony of India, Nepal, and Bhutan too. So, as regional guardian of democracy, leaders of India should react and play a proactive role for solving the issue giving with priority and importance.

West Bengal government alone cannot do anything to address this crisis. The only authority it has is to forward the issue to the union government. Bhutanese fighting for democracy and human rights expect all the political parties in India instead of relying on the provocative intelligence reports, think seriously on the matter and activate their expertise towards positive directions. If not, some of the forces which have been created and are now in hibernation, will topple down the forces insisting for 'peaceful solution'. This would, not only in Bhutan but also in India, bring havoc, unmanageable.

All the responsible actors in the Thimphu authorities are acting against the sentiments of the people to bow before the king patronized democracy. There will be no government without citizens and this has been seen quite intolerably in Thimphu.

Thimpu claims it is functioning under the philosophy of its self branded 'gross national happiness'. However, hiding the plight of its people for real and pure democratic values oriented towards the people's aspirations has not bee incorporated, addressed.

Obviously, dissidents do mistakes. It should be accepted untoward accident, but not in the cost of their citizenship status and identity. If Thimphu wants to strengthen its policy and continue its unilateral and self cornered practices calcifying them with so-called democratic polish, the intimidated and evicted people will jointly decide to change the tortuous history of Bhutan's family centered and inter-quarreled politics which has been practiced by the ruling Wangchuk elite.

India must realize these fatal consequences and react on it promptly. Simply talking on the prolonged refugee agenda won't bring fruitful result. Refugees want to get back to their own homesteads in dignified manner.

Recently Sitaram Yechuri, a high profiled CPIM leader and Devprashad Tripathi, a NCP leader, have hinted for some positive initiations towards this protracted problem. So we expect, all the Indian political parties will come together for the cause and pave the way for its peaceful, durable and comprehensive solution. There is no any alternative other than a dignified return of refugees, for peaceful and long-lasting solution of the problem.

Division has been observed among the Bhutanese refugees by a proposal of re-settlement in USA and other western countries, which is regarded to be designed by the American government to foil the democratic struggle in Bhutan. But, majority of the refugees have been insisting for repatriation and dignified status inside their native country. America presently sought permission in Bhutan to establish its embassy and unit of world trade center. For that cost it has obliged to take the burden of Bhutanese refugees to settle them in USA. If these claims are fact then it will not favor south Asia and its people. Indian political leaders should have known the US strategies.

West Bengal government always intends to confront the issue using its provocative security institutions and barring the refugees in their journey to justice. India government centrally claims there is good relation between Thimphu and Delhi, so the problem must be addressed only by Nepal. If India wants that the bilateral relation between these two nations must be kept vital for longer future, it must realize the fact of essentiality for establishing mutual understanding between the people of these two countries. Relation between a large democracy and a despotic regime won't live forever.

(Ghimire is a Bhutanese journalists based in Siliguri, West Bengal and can be reached at [email protected])