India-Bhutan Strategic Relations- Issues and Consequences

Abstract

Until recently Bhutan (Drukyul - Land of the Thunder Dragon) did not fit into the story of the global conquest of democracy. Not only the way it came into existence but also the mode in which it was interpreted made the process of democratization exceptional. As a landlocked country which is delimited on the north by Tibet in China and on the south by the Indian states Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it was a right off the bat starter in the technique for state-building. Nonetheless, it seems that the last, reclusive Himalayan kingdom started a silent transition from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy by introducing parliamentary democratic elements. Initiated by the king rather than a revolutionary movement or a national catastrophe, this major step was unusual: a voluntary reallocation of power in the face of a notable indifference towards democracy by the people. A great political leap with mounting concerns and hopes not only among the ruling dynasty but surprisingly also among the common people of Bhutan.