In the course of Doklam fight back, some Indian Media people projected my protest articles on the Indian Army transgression and Indian Governmrnt stand as Bhutan being their " Protectorate state " as pro China and anti India. Maybe Indian Government, too, wrongfully assumed that I did not like India. However, I maintained that no one in Bhutan was anti India. And I was simply loving Bhutan more.
It now has turned out that I was the best and most well meaning advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
I refer to the 2nd paragraph of my article of 28th August, 2017 titled " Doklam is free from Trespassers. May the Deities of Bhutan always prevail !" at Wangcha Sangey blog.
To Quote:
" I sincerely thank His Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India for taking the right step and correcting the mis- step of war- mongering politicians and bureaucrats. Please appoint an independant Defence Minister to avoid free rides for war- mongers. Shri Arun Jaitley is over stretched and buried under Note Ban deluge and GST complexities." Unquote.
Since then the following events took place in India.
1. On 4th September, 2017, Madam Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed the Defence Minister replacing Shri Arun Jaitley.
2. On 25th September, 2017, His Excellency PM Modi Constituted the Economic Advisory Council.
3. On 27th September, 2017, former NDA Finance Minister Shri Yashwant Sinha attacked both Demonitization and GST. He said that the Indian Economy was sliding down hopelessly.
4. On 4th October, 2017, former NDA Cabinet Minister Shri Arun Shourie an economist likened Demonitization to suicide and reiterated the economic illness that his colleague Shri Yashwant Sinha had exposed.
5. Nothing can be done about the ill thought out and horribly implemented demonitization except to now shut up about benefits that are invisible except to deceptive eyes of Shri Jaitley. But the Government of India has introduced many changes in GST during the months of September and this October. GST rates have been lowered for many products. And process has been simplified for many small companies.
My advice to His Excellency PM Narendra Modi has hit the bull's eye. Relieved that Indian Government has responded appropriately and that knowledgeable senior Indian Leaders have publicly confirned my honest assessment of demonitization and GST. And seasoned political commentators in India have cautioned India from taking Bhutan for granted as in Doklam transgression. I am satisfied with changes in Defence Ministry of India but still look forward to the Indian Army Chief stepping aside. India deserves a cool and decisive military leader not a shrill saber rattler.
Now I am not at all sure how the Bhutanese Government will respond to my honest appeals.
1. Get the Bhutan- China Border Deal done at the earliest. Not for China but for Bhutan's own status among international commity and for shedding once and for all times this " protectorate " tag from India.
2. Nothing is worth compromising national sovereignty. There is no sales price for Druk Yul. Our Royal Institution predates Indian Independence by 42 years. So there is no question of " helping rulers to rule in Bhutan " by India. The power to elect the Government is in the hands of the Bhutanese voters. So fear not India for institutional survival because real powers are based on the will of our forefathers and our own voters.
Bhutan cannot afford to get involved between China and India regional hegemony tussle. We cannot be a puppet toy of America, China or India. So be Bhutanese even if that means doing without the offer of " carrots " like softer power project deals and better electricity price or any other cakes for subjugation. Do not worry about Amochu and the other bigger hydro project in the pipeline or 12th Plan budget. Just concentrate on getting the ongoing power projects completed at the soonest.
Bhutan needs genuine friends who appreciate Bhutanese national aspiration. India knows what sovereignty means to Bhutan. The days of a Kingdom in pawn position is over. Palden Drukpa Gyel Lo !
Wangcha,
ReplyDeleteI would not worry about what other says. You read, you think, you come to inform your fellow citizens and the world. You are a patriot to your country and people.
You do not have to love China, or India (unless they promise harm if you do not as they did to Nepal and is doing the Pakistan, even then you still have choice as Nepal and Pakistan did, and doing). You love Bhutan, and that is all required for you as Bhutanese.
I also agree with your fellow country man "Crowning Bhutan" comments a few post before. Chinese do not want to lose any more neighbors to India. There will be a lot more trouble for both Bhutan and China if Bhutan is lost to India, Sikkim is the sample as well as South Tibet, Assam, and many of those north east states. Where ever Indian took them over, there is world of hurt for the locals, and the neighbors. Indian need to be stopped, and break up.
However, all of those aside, Chinese government just said, the road building in Dong Lang is a long term trend, and Indian will get used to it. China had a wake up call in Dong Lang, and a disaster in Sikkim. President Xi will not let the lesson unlearned. The road will get to Bhutan, and the occupation army will be out of both Nepal and Bhutan.
I do hope that the Dong Lang standoff is a wake up call for China, but judging by past records I am not so sure. China has repeatedly made the same kind of mistakes when dealing with India, and that is failure to realize the expansionist nature of this country. It is not as if China has no bad experience with India before. South Tibet is still occupied by India since 1951 and the subsequent further incursion via India's so called 'Forward Policy' that precipitates the 1962 border war are not too distance memory. Indians, in Chinese parlance, are 'little people' and China need to exercise extreme caution when dealing with 'little people'. The recognition of India's annexation of Sikkim by China is a huge mistake.
DeleteMantou, south Western provinces and Tibet have always been big rear and shield from conflicts. India was part of western sky, far and immaterial. It was very much surprising how India wants Chinese attention, so badly for last 70 years.
DeleteLike one scholar or official said during dong lang stand off, Indiana's behavior was an act of extortion as they know China put most of effort on fend off invaders at eastern seas with very little force at western borders, coming of BRIC meeting, and CPF's 19th Congress.
The past where Chinese see Indian as a friendly country has pasted. Dong Lang incident enable China to send in large amount of personal, weapons to Tibet, and it also enable the army to exercise without back lash of international opinion.
With Chinese Navy developing nicely, and Indian obviously yearning for attention,it will be interesting to see where Chinese spend her budget from here on.
1962 war brought 50 year peace at the borders, and therefor chance of concentration of eastern defence. Time is right to pay attention to the western borders. Dong Lang give Chinese government and population a clear view of how dangerous and irrational India is. Before this incident, I was not sure if Chinese aware of it as you do.
"The recognition of India's annexation of Sikkim by China is a huge mistake." Huge mistake by China, who was deceived by Indian government then and misled by its own wrong perception about India.
DeleteDespite the brief conflicts in 1960s, China had and has always regarded India as friend in the developing-countries-camp against imperialist/colonist Western countries. China has been focusing on the common suffering both China and India experienced under British Empire: Opium trade and wars forced upon China, cruel colonization and exploitation upon India. China did NOT and has NOT truly understand to what extent India' was and is an "USA of South Asia", despite the occupation of Sikkim and South Tibet, for which China tends to put the blame on British colonist rulers. Only having read your informative articles from Bhutanese point of view, do I come to realize how biased and deceitful the information we got from Western media and how wrong the assumption made about India by Chinese!
The stand-off Doklam is a waking-up call, but I am afraid that most Chinese probably would keep on thinking India as a land of yoga, colorful cultures and Buddhism, at most a fool to act as pawn of America, while not know what an expansionist and big bully India is for its neighbors.
Thanks again for your insightful writings. Keep on your good work.
Dear sir, our government will never listen to your request. The government is completely blinded by so intense lust for power. They cannot judge what is right and wrong. Nothing matter for whatsoever if they get elected. Any means that can help them elected is the right think for them. They found that being chamchagiri and very loyal puppet is the ultimate and the core substance of their means that has fulfilled their wishes. They were rewarded and they will stick to it.
ReplyDeletehttps:///pm.timesofindia.com/indiala-activity-in-doklam-bhutan-talks-to-china/articleshow/61075111.cms
ReplyDeleteLet's hope 25th round border talks bring this Doklam to a peaceful closure