Indo-Bhutan relations recent trends

The Kingdom of Bhutan is often described as being physically small with limited economic scope and military might. In spite of these limitations, Bhutan has earned the reputation of being a peaceful country where the development of threats from militancy, terrorism, and economic disparity within itself has virtually been absent. In this sense, Bhutan has thus far been more fortunate than many of its neighbours in the South Asian region. This has been in part owing to its self-isolationist policy up until the second half of the 20th century, and the preservation and promotion of a strong sense of identity that has ensured social cohesion and unity. Having never been colonised, nor feeling any direct impact of two world wars and the cold war, Bhutan has been spared the conflicts and turmoil such as that of the legacy of hatred and mistrust generated by the partition of British India into present-day India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Bhutanese have historically been sensitive to issues of security with frequent disturbance occurring from internal warring factions prior to unification and establishment of the monarchy in 1907. External threat was present during the 17th and 18th centuries with several failed attempts at invasion from the Tibetans; 19th century Bhutan saw the loss of the Assam and Bengal Duars to British India. As such, preserving its sovereign independence and territorial
integrity has always been a matter of great importance for Bhutan.