Nava Thakuria
As Assam Chief Minister Dr HimantaBiswaSarma concluded his successful visit to the neighbouring country, Druk Yul has seemingly come closer to the people of northeast Bharat. Sarma, who embarked on the official visit (16-19 December 2024) following an invitation from the Royal Bhutan government in Thimphu, discussed a series of bilateral issues with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay. Being the first chief minister of Assam to receive such an invitation and subsequent greetings from the Himalayan kingdom, Sarma attended a number of other programs including their 117th national day celebrations in the picturesque capital city.
Accompanied by his spouse Riniki Bhuyan and a few senior officials, Sarma pursued different issues focusing on trades, regional security and mutual collaboration with the friendly regime in Thimphu. The high level delegation from Assam, after arriving at Paro international airport by a Drukair flight, was welcomed by Bhutanese foreign minister DN Dhungyel along with Indian Ambassador (to Bhutan) Sudhakar Dalela with others. Later the State government chief accompanied PM Tobgay to attend a business event hosted by Assam government in Thimphu as a prelude to Advantage Assam 2.0, an investment summit scheduled for 25 and 26 February in Guwahati.
Assam plans to host Advantage Assam 2.0: Investment and Infrastructure Summit 2025 to foster investments and partnerships across the south Asian region, where the crucial event is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Expressing his gratitude to PM Tobgay for his presence at the last edition of Advantage Assam, Sarma extended an invitation to him once again to grace the forthcoming summit and a mega cultural event.
In a separate meeting with PM Tobgay along with his wife Tashi Doma, Sarma noted that Assam and Bhutan had historically maintained connectivity through seven established trade routes, underscoring the enduring nature of their economic ties. In the course of the discussions, Sarma assured that Assam government remains committed to bolster trade infrastructures along the Assam-Bhutan border. He emphasised on creating more trade routes to facilitate trade and commerce in line with the needs of Bhutanese traders.
Bhutan King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema also gave an audience to Sarma along with his wife at Golden Throne Room in Tashichhodzong. They discussed various ways to strengthen the age-old cultural, historical, and economic ties between Assam and Bhutan. In the coming days, they lay emphasis on enhancing on energy cooperation, tourism, healthcare, education, skill development, water resources management, etc. later Sarma met India’s revered spiritual preacher Sadhguru at India House in Thimphu, where PM Tobgay and other dignitaries were also present. He also congratulated educationist Arun Kapur, who was honoured during Bhutan’s national day observations for his decades of exemplary services in the global sphere of public & private education. The saffron leader also visited the Indian embassy in Thimphu, Bhutan’s iconic spiritual centre Simtokha Dzong and Kuenrey Hall where he prayed lighting a lamp in front of the majestic statue of Gautam Buddha.
Bhutan shares an ecological proximity with the Brahmaputra river basin and the surface water running from the hilly nation needs to be gauged for both drinking & irrigation purposes as well as pre-empting a disaster in the rainy season. The people of lower Assam often face unusual floods due to the swollen Kurichhu river in south-eastern Bhutan. The sudden rise of water in Kurichhu hydropower plant may directly overflow a number of rivers like Beki, Manah, Pahumara, Kaldia, Palla, Nakhanda, Burhadia, etc in lower riparian localities. Probably it’s also time for a comprehensive and sustainable development initiative encompassing the entire region that remains resourceful but also ecologically fragile in nature.
