Bhutan confers highest civilian award on PM Modi

Reaffirming close ties between Bhutan and India, the Himalayan kingdom conferred its highest civilian decoration, ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ (Ngadag Pel Gi Khorlo), on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on its 114th National Day even as India-China border tensions remain unresolved.
The conferment of the award comes at a time when Bhutan is struggling to deal with growing Chinese pressure on their border, as well as trying to work out a border deal with Beijing, which some reports had suggested did not suit India. The award is seen as a political gesture to India, underlining the importance of the relationship that has endured the test of time.
Tweeting the news, Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering said he was overjoyed to hear “His Majesty pronounce Your Excellency Modiji’s (Narendra Modi) name for the highest civilian decoration, Order of the Druk Gyalpo”. Responding to the announcement, Modi said, “Thank you, Lyonchhen @PMBhutan! I am deeply touched by this warm gesture, and express my grateful thanks to His Majesty the King of Bhutan”.
This year Bhutan has been subjected to unprecedented pressure by China to settle a border problem. Essentially, China appears willing to give Bhutan territory in the more inhospitable north in return for Bhutan signing off on the trijunction in Doklam. In 2017, Chinese troops intruded here in a 72-day standoff with India, a crisis that saw Indian troops coming to the aid of Bhutan.This year too, China has allegedly built at least four new village settlements which have been identified along the Sino-Bhutan border areas, adding to the security conundrum. The latest provocation is a village called Gyalaphug, which China says is built in its Tibet Autonomous Region, but is seen to be in Bhutanese territory.