Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Warming ties: On Bhutan-China relations and India’s concerns

Warming ties: On Bhutan-China relations and India’s concerns

India must understand Bhutan’s reasoning (तर्क, विवाद) in Thimphu’s talks (वार्ता, बातचीत) with China

This week’s visit of Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji to China, was unprecedented (अभूतपूर्व) on several levels. Bhutan and China do not maintain (बनाए रखना) diplomatic relations. His visit is the first ever by a Bhutanese Foreign Minister. Moreover (इसके अतिरिक्त), the main purpose was the holding (the conduct) of boundary talks that have not taken place in more than seven years. The talks appeared to yield (उत्पन्न करना, उत्पादन करना) substantive (important, significant, meaningful, considerable) progress, according to a joint statement, with both countries having also signed a cooperation agreement outlining (रूपरेखा) the functioning (कामकाज) of a new joint technical team for the delimitation (the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement) and demarcation (the physical marking of the boundary on the ground) of the boundary. In the talks with Dr. Dorji, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, called for both sides to soon establish diplomatic (राजनयिक, कूटनीतिक) relations and to conclude their boundary negotiations (talks, discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, deliberation). It is true that (used to show agreement; indeed) India, given (दिया गया) its special relationship with Bhutan, has been very wary (सावधान, चौकन्ना) about the possibility (संभावना) of the establishment (स्थापना) of diplomatic relations and the signing of a boundary agreement. But both those outcomes (नतीजा, परिणाम) increasingly (more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more) appear inevitable (unavoidable, unpreventable). Indeed, only this month, the Bhutanese Prime Minister in an interview with this paper said that the two countries were inching (move slowly, nibble, move towards inch by inch) towards the completion of a three-step road map (plan/strategy to do something successfully) on boundary delineation (the action of indicating the exact position of a border/boundary) and demarcation. He asserted (state, announce, insist, affirm, swear, avow) that no agreement with China would in any way (in any case, at any rate, by any means) go against (oppose, resist, disagree, be contrary to; violate, breach, break, offend) India’s interests (common concerns (in politics/business)).

Given Bhutan’s unique (only) dependence (reliance) on India, there is little doubt that it will have taken New Delhi on board in its efforts to normalise relations with China, in return (in response to, in consideration of, in exchange for, against) guaranteeing (promise, vow, pledge, give one’s word, give assurance) India’s security interests and red lines (boundary, limit). One such red line will involve keeping China away from southern Doklam’s ridges (a long, narrow elevation of land; cliff, height, peak of a mountain; hilltop) that overlook (face, have a view of, look over) India’s “Siliguri corridor (The 60-kilometre long and 22-kilometre wide corridor (a strip/swathe of land) in the Indian state of West Bengal, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck”, connects India’s north-eastern states with the rest of the country)”, even as Beijing and Thimphu consider a “swap (exchange, interchange, trade-off)” between territories in the valleys (a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it) of the north, where Bhutan is coming under intense Chinese pressure, and on the Doklam plateau (a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side elevated plain, elevated flat land) in the west. A second line will likely involve Thimphu going slow on normalising ties (association, relationship, bond, connection) and opening itself up to a permanent Chinese diplomatic presence, while continuing with border talks. The question now facing New Delhi is how best to protect its interests. One lesson from the crisis that was thrust upon (force, impel, compel, demand, pressurize (someone) to accept something) Thimphu in 2017, during the India-China Doklam stand-off (deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict)), is that India’s interests are better served (deal with, look after, take care of) by taking Bhutan on board and aligning (team up, join up, cooperate, collaborate, come together) strategies rather than (instead of) by expecting acquiescence (consent/approval, agreement, acceptance) from a sovereign (independent, self-determining, self-governing, non-aligned) nation that will understandably (agreeably, fairly, honestly, logically, justifiably, reasonably, obviously, comprehensibly) pursue (engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity)) its own. A border deal that addresses (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) Bhutanese concerns in the north while preserving (maintain, conserve, protect, keep up, continue with, retain) India’s red lines in the west will not necessarily (inevitably, certainly, surely) undermine (weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage) New Delhi’s interests. Rather than alarm (apprehension, anxiety, trepidation, unease, disquiet, shock), India must approach the boundary negotiations with a greater understanding of Bhutan’s reasoning, and with confidence that India’s long-trusted neighbour will take both India’s interests and its own into consideration before any final agreement.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.reasoning (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तर्क, विवाद
English Meaning - reason, thinking, logicality, rationality, interpretation, analysis.

2.talks (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वार्ता, बातचीत
English Meaning - dialogue, discussion, discourse, debate, negotiation, deliberation.

3.unprecedented (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अभूतपूर्व
English Meaning - not done or experienced before.

4.maintain (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बनाए रखना
English Meaning - continue, carry on, keep up, keep going, sustain, preserve.

5.diplomatic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - राजनयिक, कूटनीतिक
English Meaning - tactful, sensitive, subtle, delicate; consular, foreign-policy.

6.moreover (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - इसके अतिरिक्त
English Meaning - in addition, furthermore, besides.

7.yield (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उत्पन्न करना, उत्पादन करना
English Meaning - produce, give, provide, generate.

8.outline (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रूपरेखा
English Meaning - define, indicate, summarize.

9.the functioning (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कामकाज
English Meaning - working, operation.

10.establish (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्थापित करना
English Meaning - initiate, institute, set up, bring about.

11.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

12.wary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सावधान, चौकन्ना
English Meaning - careful, cautious, aware, heedful, attentive, circumspect.

13.possibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संभावना
English Meaning - potentiality, probability, prospect, chance; risk/danger.

14.establishment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्थापना
English Meaning - initiation, setting up, institution, formation.

15.outcome (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नतीजा, परिणाम
English Meaning - result, aftermath, consequence, repercussion, ramification.

16.delimitation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of establishing limits or boundaries in a Treaty, Judgement or other Agreement.

17.demarcation (noun)

English Meaning - the physical marking of the boundary on the ground.

18.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.

19.substantive (adjective)

English Meaning - important, significant, meaningful, considerable.

20.the holding (noun)

English Meaning - the conduct.

21.warming (adjective)

English Meaning - intensifying; heating up.

22.ties (noun)

English Meaning - association, relationship, bond, connection.

23.negotiation (noun)

English Meaning - talks, discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, deliberation.

24.true that (phrase)

English Meaning - used to show agreement; indeed.

25.increasingly (adverb)

English Meaning - more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.

26.inevitable (adjective)

English Meaning - unavoidable, unpreventable.

27.indeed (adverb)

English Meaning - actually, really, truly, in fact.

28.inch (verb)

English Meaning - move slowly, nibble, move towards inch by inch.

29.road map (noun)

English Meaning - plan/strategy to do something successfully.

30.delineation (noun)

English Meaning - the action of indicating the exact position of a border/boundary.

31.assert (verb)

English Meaning - state, announce, insist, affirm, swear, avow.

32.in any way (phrase)

English Meaning - in any case, at any rate, by any means.

33.go against (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - oppose, resist, disagree, be contrary to; violate, breach, break, offend.

34.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

34.unique (adjective)

English Meaning - only.

35.dependence (noun)

English Meaning - reliance.

36.take on board (phrase)

English Meaning - to include someone in a project/team and accept a new idea or piece of advice, and act accordingly.

37.in return (phrase)

English Meaning - in response to, in consideration of, in exchange for, against.

38.guarantee (verb)

English Meaning - promise, vow, pledge, give one’s word, give assurance.

39.red line (noun)

English Meaning - boundary, limit.

40.keep away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to make someone stay away from something; to prevent someone from going somewhere.

41.ridge (noun)

English Meaning - a long, narrow elevation of land; cliff, height, peak of a mountain; hilltop.

42.overlook (verb)

English Meaning - face, have a view of, look over.

43.Siliguri corridor (noun)

English Meaning - The 60-kilometre long and 22-kilometre wide corridor (a strip/swathe of land) in the Indian state of West Bengal, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck”, connects India’s north-eastern states with the rest of the country.

44.corridor (noun)

English Meaning - a strip/swathe of land linking two areas (particularly by a road/ rail track).

45.swap (noun)

English Meaning - exchange, interchange, trade-off.

46.Valley (noun)

English Meaning - a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it.

47.come under (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be subjected to.

48.plateau (noun)

English Meaning - a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side elevated plain, elevated flat land.

49.open up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - become more accessible; become more communicative.

50.thrust upon (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - force, impel, compel, demand, pressurize (someone) to accept something.

51.stand-off (noun)

English Meaning - deadlock, stalemate, impasse (in a dispute/conflict).

52.serve (verb)

English Meaning - deal with, look after, take care of.

53.align (verb)

English Meaning - team up, join up, cooperate, collaborate, come together.

54.strategy (noun)

English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

55.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

56.acquiescence (noun)

English Meaning - consent/approval, agreement, acceptance.

57.sovereign (noun)

English Meaning - independent, self-determining, self-governing, non-aligned.

58.understandably (adverb)

English Meaning - agreeably, fairly, honestly, logically, justifiably, reasonably, obviously, comprehensibly.

59.pursue (verb)

English Meaning - engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity).

60.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

61.preserve (verb)

English Meaning - maintain, conserve, protect, keep up, continue with, retain.

62.necessarily (adverb)

English Meaning - inevitably, certainly, surely.

63.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

64.alarm (noun)

English Meaning - apprehension, anxiety, trepidation, unease, disquiet, shock.

65.take into consideration (phrase)

English Meaning - consider, think about, factor in, take account of, take into account.