“When Nehru Visited Bhutan”— Jairam Ramesh Reminisces Past On PM Modi’s Bhutan Visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Bhutan today.

On this occasion, senior Congress leader and party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh has shared India’s first attempt to build a diplomatic relationship with the neighbouring country.

It was in 1958 when Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, made a visit to Bhutan. Taking to ‘X’, Mr Ramesh wrote:

“Sixty-seven years ago, India's first Prime Minister had made a most unusual visit to Bhutan.Accompanied by Indira Gandhi and a few officials like Jagat Mehta, Nari Rustomji, and Apa Pant, Nehru first flew to Bagdogra and then drove via Gangtok to Nathu La on a road that had just been constructed.”

Taking a brief account of the tedious journey made by Mr Nehru, Jairam Ramesh mentioned, “At Nathu La, the delegation was met with a dozen yaks, several ponies, and a pack of over a hundred animals. It then trekked for five days covering fifty kms to reach Paro on September 23, 1958. There were times when the altitude touched 15,500 feet.”

“Nehru and his team spent five days in Paro having a number of official meetings and cultural engagements. Thereafter, they trekked back to Nathu La along the same route they had taken to reach Paro,” Ramesh added.

Ramesh also mentioned that for a man like Nehru, who was about to be 69 at that time, the journey was indeed extraordinary.

In his words, “This extraordinary visit under very difficult conditions by a Prime Minister about to turn sixty-nine was to determine the course of the special relationship that Bhutan and India have had for almost seven decades.”

“Mehta, Rustomji, and Pant have all left behind delightful accounts of the trek that created diplomatic history,” Ramesh added, hinting at the diplomatic course of India and Bhutan.

Also Read: Assam, Bhutan Strengthen Ties; Focus on Gelephu Mindfulness City and Economic Cooperation