16 May 2020, NIICE Commentary 4687
Rohan Khattar Singh
Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, India is facing disputes with China in Ladakh and in Sikkim. These tensions were evoked when the armies of the two nations engaged with each other in fistfights, which involved the use of nailed batons by the Chinese side while patrolling what is considered as disputed territory. This has been followed by political tensions between India and Nepal regarding Lipulekh Pass which is a natural frontier, a tri-juncture between the Indian state of Uttarakhand, Tibet and Nepal. The origin of Kali river, which is the boundary between India and Nepal, is the center of dispute. The border issue can be attributed to the British Colonial rule when the Treaty of Sugauli was signed between the East India Company and the King of Nepal in 1816. In November 2019, the Indian government produced a fresh map which showed the Kalapani area of around 400 square km to be a part of India, which has sparked anger in Kathmandu.
India’s current foreign policy is to create a stable and interdependent neighbourhood under the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’. Yet, tensions in the neighbourhood have only flared in recent times. However, an anomaly to this has been the India-Bhutan relationship. The bilateral ties between the two nations have been historic, but the pivotal point was the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 1949 wherein Bhutan gave India the permission to guide its foreign and military affairs. Scholars argue that Bhutan is a protectorate here, with only freedom over its internal affairs, but many argues that this is a very misunderstood understanding of the relationship between India and Bhutan.
Cooperation over Foreign Affairs
Bhutan joined the UN in 1971 under the sponsorship of India and has ever since conducted its foreign policy on its own terms, only in consultations with India. It is a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Bhutan also shares diplomatic relations with 52 other countries and is a member of 45 international organisations. India has always played a supportive role and has been a facilitator, rather than a controller of Bhutan’s indigenous foreign policy actions.
Defence Cooperation
Under the Friendship Treaty, Bhutan and India practice defense and military cooperation, and China’s aggressive manoeuvres in taking over Tibet have only strengthened the ties. Bhutan’s Army is trained by a team of Indian Army-men known as IMTRAT (Indian Military Training Team), which is stationed in Bhutan and trains the troops of the Royal Bhutan Army. The over 8000-strong Royal Bhutan Army also depends heavily on India for its arms and ammunition needs, along with other military logistics. The Indian Air Force has also regularly provided aerial support to Bhutan for casualty evacuation and search and rescue operations in the country’s Himalayan tracts.
Hydropower Cooperation
Bhutan and India are pioneers in their transboundary river cooperation, which has boosted hydropower energy generation in Bhutan. Bhutan has had major successes in using Indian expertise for dam creation and for establishing hydropower plants. India’s assistance to Bhutan’s hydropower plants began in the 1960s, and hasn’t stopped since. India has been a funder and constructor in all of Bhutan’s dams and hydropower plants, which include the Chukha power plant (336 MW) and the Tala Hydropower Project (1,020 MW), which are two of the biggest projects in Bhutan. The country has a planned project to reach a production potential of 10,000 MW as its large hydropower projects, such as Punatsangchhu I and II, are completed. Bhutan’s early investments in hydropower have allowed it to achieve 100 percent electrification domestically, and has made hydropower its highest revenue generator, contributing to 25 percent of Bhutan’s GDP. India’s role as a financier and facilitator has helped Bhutan become a “hydropower success”, allowing it to sell excess electricity to India’s North-Eastern states (the import quantity for India being approximately 1,542 MW of power).
Way Ahead
India has had border disputes with almost all its bordering neighbours, and while it has achieved success in mitigating its land and water disputes with countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, it still faces tensions with Pakistan, Nepal and China. The India-Bhutan model cannot be applied across bilateral relations with other countries but few facets of the successful partnership in areas of development and economic activity can be incorporated. India has transboundary water disputes with all its land neighbours, apart from Bhutan. There are bilateral treaties in place like the Indus Water Treaty (India-Pakistan), the Treaty of Gandak (India-Nepal) and the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty (India-Bangladesh) which have decreased potential areas of conflict, as water is a politically-vexing topic. India’ successful model of cooperation with Bhutan can provide insights into how using natural resources can become a facilitator for collaboration. Since water is a fundamental right for every country, it is in South Asia’s interest to resolve its water problems, and then resolve the land disputes. Pakistan and India have gone to war in 1947, 1965, 1971, 1999 along with added conflicts across the border, yet the Indus Water Treaty has not been violated by either side. Even though the threat of shunning the treaty has been constant from both the sides, the international pressure and the need to adhere to humanitarian grounds has always been a deterrent. Rivers are culturally ingrained in all of South Asia and are a large contributor to the livelihoods of agriculturalists, fishermen, traders, etc. The rivers are also the preservers of South Asia’s vast ecosystem. Climate change is an existential threat to the life of South Asia and it is time that the countries in the region addressed it headfirst and in collaboration. Political mistrust is a common flaw in all international and domestic relations but the current pandemic has shown that countries must engage with each other pro-actively and constructively and should increase avenues for trust-building. As water is common to all and water scarcity is a problem that looms over everyone, it is in South Asia’s interests to rectify its problems of mistrust, and the India-Bhutan relationship can set an example for the same.
