MANDARIN MATTERS
bhutan an ram
Stepping out
Bhutan’s transition from self-imposed isolationism to a respected member of the comity of nations is a matter of pride for all Bhutanese, and friends
By Shailaja Chandra
WHEN, in 1958, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on horseback, crossed the Chumbi Valley into the adjoining HA Valley of Bhutan (Druk Yul or The Land of the Thunder Dragon), accompanied by his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and a small entourage comprising officials, support staff and helpers, few at that time would have realised the historic significance of this little-reported event. Some black-and-white photographs and poor quality 8 mm film recorded by the government’s cameraman, apart from the archives in the Ministry of External Affairs and with the Royal Government of Bhutan, are the only public record of this event. For nearly four centuries from the time of Shabdung Ngawang Namgyal (1616) who unified Bhutan...Read More..
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