We are ready to join hands with Bhutan: PM

Sat, May 17 01:00 AM

Away from the hustle-bustle of Indian politics, terrorist attacks and the scorching Delhi weather, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh landed in the pristine Paro Valley on Friday, singing paeans to Indo-Bhutanese relations. This is Manmohan Singh's first bilateral visit to a south Asian neighbour in four years and comes exactly 50 years after India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru - with daughter Indira in tow - reached the capital of the Himalayan kingdom, travelling on horseback and yakback.

Nehru spent a month in the country. Singh - who travelled much more comfortably - will spend two days in the country.

"The India-Bhutan relationship is a model of inter-state relations. We enjoy open borders and free trade between our two countries.

There is vast goodwill for each other at all levels," Singh had said in his statement on the eve of his departure. Before travelling into Thimphu from the Paro International Airport - with thousands of school children waving flags at his motorcade - the Indian Prime Minister promised Bhutan India's commitment to walk "hand in hand" through the 21st century.

"I come with the message that India stands ready to join hands with the people and government of Bhutan to further strengthen our relationship and do our bit for accelerated development of Bhutan," said Singh, who brings with him financial assistance in excess of Rs 4,000 crore. Singh will meet Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his father, the former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who helped the nation take gingerly steps towards parliamentary democracy this year.

Bhutan's newly-elected national assembly had its first meeting a week ago. And Singh, prime minister of the world's largest democracy, will be the first foreign leader to address a joint session of the new Parliament of the world's youngest democracy on Saturday morning.

Elections to the national assembly in March had witnessed nearly 80 per cent turnout - a stark contrast to the 45-65 per cent voters who turn up at elections in India - largely because the public did not want to flout the royal directive. India and Bhutan share a 700-km border, guarded by the Shastra Seema Bal that expends a significant amount of manpower escorting consignments to and from Thimphu to protect them from Indian insurgents on either sides of the border.

The Royal Bhutan Army had launched an operation against insurgent groups like ULFA active in north-eastern states like Assam in 2003 to wipe out their camps on the other side of the border, making it India's only neighbour to have acted on her concerns against insurgent groups.

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