What will SAARC give us?
It is no more likely that Nepal and Bhutan would sit in near future to sort out the long standing Bhutanese refugee crisis, yet Bhutanese leadership in exile continue to comment on actions of the Nepalese government. Like Nepalese citizens, the Bhutanese in exile had greater hope when Dr Baburam Bhattarai ascended the prime ministerial throne in Nepal. However, as days pass on, results are usual.
Bhutan People’s Party (BPP) expressed dissatisfaction over Bhattarai for not talking about the refugee issue with India during his recent tour, but the party said it expected Nepal will raise the issue during the SAARC summit to start in Maldives on Thursday. BPP wants Nepal to resolve the refugee issue with the involvement of India and Nepal must make all efforts to include India in tri-party discussion.
It is of course general assumption that Nepal must raise Bhutanese refugee issue formally with India. At diplomatic level, that’s impossible. Nepalese leaders have fresh in mind how India notoriously trashed out King Gyanendra from his throne for his efforts to include China in SAARC. Unless we make our own efforts to build support among the policy makers, rights activists and influential circle in New Delhi, it remains unfulfilled dream for us to ask Nepal to raise the issue with India.
Even with India agreeing to talk on the subject, there would be less trouble for it to resettle the refugees in some states in India than compelling Bhutan to take back. This is because Bhutan has played an unseen China card. India has learned a lot from Nepal where creating anti-India sentiments has increased Chinese and American footholds in recent years.
HUROB on the other hand, has asked all SAARC member states to put pressure on Bhutan to resolve the issue. While Pakistan and Afghanistan have been filled with their own domestic problems, Sri Lanka in mission to rebuild after the end of Tamil rebels, Maldives facing dangers out of Climate Change, it is a matter of less concern for SAARC member states to see what Bhutanese refugee issue has to do for them.
Unless, SAARC charter is revised to include bilateral issue as SAARC agenda, we can expect nothing from other SAARC member countries.
There are no doubts India is the final player in the game. But this regional giant will never look after us unless we muster ourselves better equipped than Bhutan. The politics always resolves around power, not with sentiments or what is right or wrong. Indian leaders at the peak hour in 1990s had made few efforts to support the movement. As time passed, our movement strength wiped off, thus India no more sees us as good force to inject is interest in Bhutan.
Nepal can do nothing more. It has its own problem. Both Bhutan and Nepal need graces from India. And India concerns less with rights violation, autocracy, etc etc until its interests are met.
Yet, we must continue lobbying for our rightful share in Bhutan – even for our generations to come. The things are gradually changing in Bhutan – time will teach the people in Bhutan what they had been deprived off. When things start spilling off, they need us. We must remain prepared for that. But this preparation must be for good of Bhutan only – not as an opportunity to take revenge.
Voices are coming up slowly why governance in Bhutan is not going good. And There are less chances for royals to survive if once given people’s power is snatched back.
We, Bhutanese are happy with whatever we are today. Please mind your business. You cant seem to digest happiness and progress Bhutan in making in comparison to your country. Those people are not Bhutanese at all. Compare with your people, they are more of you than us in Bhutan. Our Bhutanese Nepali in Bhutan agree with us that these people are not Bhutanese. Dont cause unnecessary problem. Worry about your country’s poverty and progress issuess rather.