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Bhutan Backgrounder Dr. Joseph explains the scenario behind the ethnic conflict in Bhutan and the resultant refugee crisis By KESHAB POUDEL The small but strategically valuable Dragon Kingdom of Bhutan is in the midst of political and ethnic conflict. There is growing concern that any form of long-lasting conflict in Bhutan may undermine the survival of the country.
Under the India-Bhutan Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1948, Bhutan is required to consult with India on foreign relations and defense matters. The decade-long problem of nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees huddled in camps in eastern Nepal needs to be view within this reality. Experience has shown that Nepal cannot repatriate the refugees just by reaching an agreement with Bhutan. Nepal needs the permission of India to send the Bhutanese back. Dr. Joseph focuses his entire attention on analyzing the ethnic background and composition of Bhutan before addressing the refugee problem. His conclusions seem to be incomplete because of his failure to address the other issues involved. Dr. Joseph also discusses the British colonial policy towards Bhutan and the Himalayan region and offers a critical examination of the structure of the Bhutanese society and polity. The author also points to the emergence of a sense of paranoia among the ruling elite of Bhutan because of the role people of Nepali origin in Sikkim played in that kingdom’s accession to the Indian union. He also underscores the effects in Bhutan of the struggle waged in the Darjeeling Hills for separate Nepali-speaking state in India. Dr. Joseph suggests that the ruling elite in Bhutan establish a constitutional monarchy with multiparty democracy based on secularism and ethnic pluralism. Centuries-long harmonious relations among the people of Bhutan were torn asunder in 1990 following the decision of the Bhutanese government to expel the Lhotshampas, the population living in south who are mainly of Nepalese origin. As soon as the ruling Ngalong saw the growing population of Nepalese origin in the south as a long-term threat to Bhutan, they started to impose certain rules and regulations in order to harass them. According to author, the roots of the ethnic conflict between the Ngalong-dominated state and the people of Nepalese origin can be traced back to the early 1950s. In 1952, the first political party in Bhutan, the Bhutan State Congress (BSC) was formed demanding the abolition of feudal system, democratization of the administration and the granting of civil and political rights to all Bhutanese people. The attempt of the BSC to move to the center of Bhutanese politics was unsuccessful. The author discusses the colonial policy towards the Himalayan region with special reference to Bhutan. He talks about the structure of Bhutanese society and polity, the Bhutanese economy, the impact of modernization in Bhutan, the problems in southern Bhutan, the factors behind the ethnic conflict and its implications before offering a summary and conclusion. "The reason for the ethnic conflict between the Ngalong-dominated Bhutanese state and the people of Nepalese origin is located in the nature of the politico-economic developments that took place since the early 1950s. External factors also played role," Dr. Joseph says. While the author explains different issues relating to the conflict in Bhutan and the reasons behind the refugee problem, he does not elaborate on the role of external factors. Despite its shortcomings, the book is a useful resource in understanding the ethnic and political tensions in a country struggling to come to terms with the pressures of modernity. Ethnic Conflict in Bhutan |
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