Bhutanese ‘trick’ makes Manmohan, Gilani neighbours (Thimphu Diary)
By Sarwar Kashani, IANSWednesday, April 28, 2010
THIMPHU - Political antagonism may have kept Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from meeting more often, but the leaders will be neighbours during their two-day stay in the Bhutanese capital.
Amid suspense over their possible bilateral meet, the two leaders have been housed in villas just metres away from each other at the SAARC Village here.
An op-ed article in a Thimphu tabloid, Bhutan Today, wondered if “it is the primitive, rustic but effective Bhutanese trick” to force Singh and Gilani to meet at least like neighbours.
How can they ignore each other when all the state heads in the village will greet each other like “good” neighbours, the tabloid asked tongue-in-cheek as India-Pakistan ties once overshadowed a SAARC summit.
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A village with state-of-the art facilities for SAARC heads
During their stay for the two-day SAARC summit, heads of eight South Asian nations will be staying in a village specially built for the 16th summit of the regional grouping.
The enclave, named SAARC Village, is furnished with heated floor panels and wooden beds. Air conditioners aren’t required here because the tiny country is perched at Himalayan heights amid salubrious mountain air.
The earth-coloured double-storied Bhutanese structures have been named after the SAARC member nations to make leaders feel at home. The houses have been placed in alphabetical order –Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Each house has a resident manager with five other staff members to take care of any services.
Additional facilities like postal services, banking and health facilities have also been made available within the houses. While each villa has a well equipped kitchen, food for the leaders will be catered from outside.
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A memorial for those who fought ULFA militants in Bhutan
Amid the mountains surrounding Bhutan, there is a towering memorial created for Bhutanese soldiers at Dochu La pass. The temples are Indian monuments to victory and gratitude for those soldiers who lost their lives fighting anti-India ULFA terrorists in Bhutan. The mountain pass — at a height of 3,050 meters — has Buddhist stupas.
