The visit to Bhutan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a reminder of how ties with one of India’s smallest neighbours represent among its biggest diplomatic success stories. India’s capital suffered a deadly car explosion — New Delhi has declared it to be a terror attack — on the eve of Mr Modi’s visit to that country. The nation is thus on edge. It would have been understandable for the Indian prime minister to cancel a foreign trip under these circumstances. But this was no ordinary bilateral visit: the occasion was the 70th birthday of the fourth king of Bhutan, the father of the current monarch. Mr Modi, who recently skipped a visit to Malaysia for the East Asia Summit, chose to make the trip across the Himalayas to Bhutan. The message was clear: the ruling Wangchuck dynasty of Bhutan has stood by India for decades, and acknowledging a special occasion for the monarchy was New Delhi’s way of reaffirming its commitment to its neighbour. It no doubt helped that, logistically speaking, the trip to Bhutan was not much of a challenge. So the prime minister was in no way inconvenienced in his ability to lead the country as it charts its response to the blast in Delhi.
Bhutan also responded to India’s concerns. The current monarch of the Himalayan country, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, led a prayer for the victims of the Delhi explosion. The gesture was a demonstration of how Bhutan remains a trusted friend, and how it views India as its principal partner at a time when it is diversifying its economy and geopolitical relationships. That should reassure New Delhi, but should also serve as a moment of reflection. Bhutan’s warmth towards New Delhi is the result of India treating it like an equal partner despite their asymmetry on every quantifiable metric. Yet, far too often, India has, perhaps without meaning to at times, come across as an overbearing Big Brother when it comes to conducting its other ties in the neighbourhood. That has led to tensions in some of India’s bilateral ties in the region. India’s economic, cultural, educational and scientific dominance in the region means that there are more ways than one for it to get its way. A stick is rarely needed. Simply being a trusted partner works. Bhutan knows that. India should too.