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| Kathmandu, Tuesday June 18, 2002 Ashadh 04, 2059. |
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Option for peaceful Bhutan
By DR C L TIMSINA
Historical perspective: By 1865, Bhutan had lost
to the British India authority about one third of its territory, which are known today as
Duars, the plain areas bordering Bhutan in Assam and North Bengal states of India. Subash
Ghising, the GNLF supremo, calls it ‘leasehold areas’. For this Bhutan has been
receiving compensation every year from the Government of India. The compensation has
increased from Rs 50,000 in 1865 to Rs 500,000 at the time the 1949 Treaty of Peace and
Friendship was signed.
The permanent cessation of the Duars created
revenue deficit to Bhutan. To fill this gap Bhutan decided to open up the vast tracks of
the foothills areas for mass migration of ethnic Nepali population from Nepal, erstwhile
Kingdom of Sikkim and the tea estates in the present day Assam and West Bengal.
There were sporadic settlements of Nepali
communities in Bhutan before this episode. The earlier settlements were individual
invitees; basically artisans, traders and religious preachers, taken in the entourage of
Guru Padmasambhwa or invited by the Shabdrung Nawang Namgyal for constructions of Dzongs
and Lakhangs. The post 1865 migration was to make up for the loss of revenue from the
cessation of the Duars.
Dalchan Gurung supervised the initial
settlements of the immigrants in Bara and Sibsoo areas of the present day Samchi district.
Paro Penlop had given him the kasho in 1887 under the instruction of the Shabdrung
himself. The settlement programme received a boost when Jigme Namgyel, the precursor of
the Wangchuck dynasty, appointed Kazi Ugen Dorji, the great maternal grandfather of King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, to oversee the settlement programme of the settlers in South
Bhutan, for which a separate laison office was established at Kalimpong, Darjeeling
district. The settlement areas of Nepali population in the present day Samchi, Dagana,
Chirang, Sarbhang and Chukha district were completed before the dawn of the 20th century,
and Bhutan House Kalimpong, the mainstay of Dorji family, was given the responsibility for
administration and tax collection.
The Dorjis lived in Kalimpong. The Dorjis were
informal ambassadors to the outside world for Bhutan: they liasoned with British India
authority, Rana regime in Nepal, and the royal families in erstwhile Sikkim. Realizing the
need of a reliable political base for monarchy in the theocratic polity in Bhutan, the
Dorjis, with the active support of the Wangchucks, promoted Nepali culture, Nepali ethos
and value system among the settlers by keeping the administration separate from them. The
traditional administration system covered the Buddhist areas in north and east Bhutan.
Nevertheless, the Buddhist North and the Hindu South lived in harmony working shoulder to
shoulder at the nation building process, whether it was for the transition of theocracy to
monarchy in 1907, or stabilization of the monarchy thereafter.
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, third King in the
lineage, began the process of national integration. He was a far-sighted king with modern
outlook. His marriage with Ashi Kesang Dorji, daughter of Gogzim Sonam Tobgay Dorji, son
of Kazi Ugyen Dorji, strengthened the hands of the Dorji family in the affairs of South
Bhutan. In 1958, the newly constituted National Assembly granted citizenship rights to the
Nepali communities in Bhutan, which was indeed overdue since they were there since the
late 19th century.
Modernisation: Bhutan launched its
First-Five-Year Development Plan with the help of India in 1961. The Nepali labourers
primarily from India and Nepal were brought for the construction of roads and development
of infrastructures. All the labourers were registered with the Bhutan government: Labour
officers and employment agencies strictly monitored their movement, and their repatriation
after completing the contracts. Labourers who were recruited by the Border Road
Organisation of India, Chukha Hydel Project, or Public Works Department of Bhutan —
all left the country the day their work permit expired. Perhaps, hundreds of expatriate
labourers who lost their lives at work because of accidents received little compensation,
and most could be the Nepali nationals from eastern Nepal. Overstaying of imported
labourers was out of question; even if there were any, they are mostly marriage cases.
Initially, Bhutan was very conservative at importing manpower. Both northerners and
southerners had worked together at the construction of Phuntsholing-Thimphu,
Gaylegphug-Tongsa and Samdrupzongkhar-Tashigang highways, the capital building:
Tashichodzong, feeder roads, schools and hospitals. Many of our relatives lost their lives
at the service of the nation; we feel proud of our contributions, be it tax payments or
participation at goongda woola and chunidom.
The government was also fair and forthcoming
until the mid-1980s. The government had opened schools, hospitals and development service
centres in all parts of South Bhutan, and the southern Bhutanese students received
scholarships on merit basis for the higher studies. The southern Bhutanese found place in
the Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bhutan Police, and Royal Civil Services; the percentage share
was commensurate with its population, though lesser numbers in influential positions.
Political representation was less; perhaps, in the ratio of 1:4 between the northerners
and southerners. Nevertheless, the southern Bhutanese had representation, 14 in the House
of 151-member National Assembly and 2 with 9-member Royal Advisory Council.
Integration effort: Bhutan had decided to
promote integration of Nepali Bhutanese into the fold of the majority Buddhists from the
time it granted citizenship rights to the southerners. Students from the South were taken
to schools in North Bhutan and the students from the North to schools in South Bhutan.
This facilitated in learning of languages, cultures and religions of each region, making
the southerners realize what was to be in North Bhutan. In relatively short period of time
a large number of people had realized what was required for being a Bhutanese citizen and
the Bhutan in which they had lived was only one aspect of it. In fact, the educated lots
had already realized the importance of projecting the Buddhist customs and values as the
mainstream Bhutanese identity. Students and civil servants had begun to wear Gho and Kira
on duty to participate in Buddhist prayers and to make effort for learning Dzongkha. A
tolerant modern Bhutan was in the making. The educated lots spoke Dzongkha-Nepali lingua
franca and enjoyed ema-dashi dish in get-together occasions.
His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck had
taken a step further by announcing some incentive scheme for cross-cultural marriages.
Some hundreds of young people had adopted cross-cultural marriages and many more were in
the process of taking that step, realizing the importance of a cohesive Bhutan as
guarantee for its sovereignty. He had promoted many southern officers to important
positions, and some were awarded with "Red Scarf". Om Pradhan was appointed
Minister of Trade, Industry and Power, and he also served as the leader of the first
Bhutanese delegation to Beijing for border negotiations.
In 1979, addressing the first ever national day
celebration outside the capital, at Gelegphug, in South Bhutan, His Majesty said:
"You people living in South Bhutan are not Nepalese of Nepal, Gorkhas of Darjeeling;
you are Lhotshampas, the guardian of South Bhutan. There is no difference between you and
people living in northern Bhutan. You should make the best use of the land, resources and
opportunities available through the development process to improve your economic
standards. Construct good houses and live comfortably. The government shall help you in
your endeavours". Citizenship cards were issued to all Bhutanese people without any
hindrance. This was a golden period. Until 1986, we felt no discrimination; we were all
Bhutanese, engaged at the nation building process— the land of peaceful dragon.
(To be concluded)
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