Where is the key of Bhutan&#039s Sovereignty ?

Legend of nation's dependency on Indian influences has been center of all political changes and disputes in Bhutan – be it for establishment of theocracy or absolute monarchy or running for democratic movement and preserving cultural identity.

British rulers in India had agreed to give status of separate kingdom to Bhutan when then Trongsa Penlop Ugyen Wangchuk agreed to be guided by the British policies and principles. During the Royal visit of British king in India in 1905, Wangchuk had formally put on his proposal seeking support from the British government for establishment of kingship in Bhutan. On receiving positive node from the British ruler, he returned with new strategies to carve paths for kingship that finally came into existence by the end of 1907. So, why is it not un-agreeable to say Bhutan emerged as separate kingdom under Indian rule?

John Claude White, then British political officer for Sikkim was only the foreign representative attending Ugyen's installation ceremony in Punakha as first king. Unless, he attended, with support from Indian government, kingship in Bhutan was impossible.

It wouldn't be accusable to admit that independency of Bhutan was handed over to India forth the establishment of kinship, which of course had begun in 1865 when Bhutan lost war with British and signed the Sinchula Treaty. This treaty has been the basis of Indo-Bhutan bilateral relation and friendship treaty till now.

Bhutan's foreign policy has been controlled by India after the signing of Punakha Treaty in 1910. Bhutan's trade had virtually limited with Koach Bihar and West Bengal of India after Chinese authority intervened to challenge the occupation of Bhutan in 1904. But internal political turmoil in China had left this work undone.

Intrusion from Chinese side vulnerably grew on the eve of the Indian independence. As part to save Chinese encroachment and build its relation with world ruler British authority, Bhutan's second king even admitted his willingness to murder Mahatma Gandhi, the freedom fighter of India. But soon after the end of British legacy in India, Bhutanese ruler humbly submitted its more powers to New Indian Authority. It was of course necessary to tickle the time though sovereignty of Bhutanese nationhood declined further. Gradually, alienation with northern neighbor, that had traditional and cultural relation since pre-historic period, widened to reach such a critical situation that Bhutan had to ask Indian military support to protect the northern border from further encroachment.

Earlier, Kulagangri Mountain had been included in the Bhutanese map. However, with border disturbances in northern boundary after Sikkim was merged into India subsequently stationing Indian security camps in Bhutan's northern border, the mountain is never mentioned inside the Bhutanese boundary.

After 1960, whole economic system has been controlled by India. India pours in money more than it lends to Sikkim now. Debt increment rate is triple the debt repayment rate of Bhutan with India and India has never raised any issue regarding debt repayment with this Himalayan kingdom and certainly, it will never do that.

The issue of Bhutan's sovereignty had been associated with southern Bhutan disturbances. Since the merger of Sikkim into India, Bhutanese rulers have always taken the southern Bhutan as a threat to nation's survival. It had formally come to the floor in 1990 when Bhutanese ministers said the southern Bhutanese were trying to turn Bhutan into Sikkim in the name of movement for democracy and human rights.

Ironically, in the bid to evict southern Bhutanese to save Bhutan from India(?), the Bhutanese ruler had to be closer with Indian authority itself. India had now been dictating even in the matters of border disputes with China. In 2005, King had to travel to New Delhi to consol Man Mohan Singh and explain border talks held just before with China as India expressed its dissatisfaction over the talks held without asking India.

To flush out Indian militants from Bhutanese jungles, seven commands of Indian army was stationed in Bhutan as early as 2002. After the war, the army had not returned. There are three camps of Indian army in Thimphu and one in Paro, excluding some unknown in northern districts. Bhutanese in Thimphu have been facing harassments from Indian security personnel more than the Bhutanese.

There are non-physical attacks by India over Bhutan's sovereignty. The latest version of Oxford Dictionary's India Edition had described Bhutan as 'the Himalayan kingdom, protectorate of India'. Any one clicking at Marriam Webster dictionary to check the meaning of Bhutan can find similar meaning. Government of Bhutan has never expressed its concern over such connotations.

'Sikkimization of Bhutan' is the only excuse that Bhutanese authority ha been placing over eviction and suppression of it southern citizens. But the ruler has never been able to separate Bhutan's identity from Indian politics. Economic growth has been possible only with the help of India. Despite growing economic prosperity in urban areas, rural people still faces strong crunch of poverty and un-education. Bhutan has been further isolated from the international community with its independent diplomatic mission limited to New Delhi, Kuwait and Dhaka. The king himself had announced in early this year that his country will not tie friendship with permanent members of United Nations. This is a further betray on part of Bhutanese people to extend their relation with international forums and emerge Bhutan as an independent kingdom.

Bhutan is different from that of China's Taiwan only in one sense: it has membership to the UN while Taiwan not.

So, the sovereignty and independency of Bhutanese statehood is not associated with the movement for democracy and human right in Bhutan. Unity, respect to all ethnic groups in the country, guarantee of human rights, establishment of multiparty democracy and guarantee of press freedom are some of the basic pre-condition for Bhutanese rulers for any political instability and safeguarding sovereignty of Bhutan.