ASIAN ART

 The India-Bhutan Foundation recently organised an exhibition at the NationalGallery of Modern Art in New Delhi on photography. More than 80 photographswere exhibited in three main sections, including early photographic records ofthe Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, close ties of friendship and co-operationbetween Indian and Bhutan since the treaty of 1949 and the final section wasdevoted to the photographic work of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk,King of Bhutan.

In section one, the History of Photography in Bhutan,deals with the history of photography in Bhutan, showcasing rare pictures fromthe 19th and 20th centuries. These images, recording the British Mission headedby the Hon. Ashley Eden to Bhutan in 1864, have never been displayed before.Photographs of His Majesty Ugyen Wangchuck, the first King of Bhutan’s visit toCalcutta in 1905 and to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911 are also amongst theseimportant archival photographs being exhibited for the first time.

In section two, Indo-Bhutanese Ties since 1949, the use of the photographic images to create anational narrative is the main theme. It has several parallels across theworld, but to include friends of the nation in this narrative seems to havebeen enthusiastically taken on by successive generations of photographers, bothin India and Bhutan. This collection focuses closely upon the visits ofpolitical leaders from India to Bhutan and the reciprocal journeys made byBhutanese leaders to India. The selection of images looks at the genre ofdocumentary and press photographs and the place created by them in the officialnarrative of nations. The democratising lens of the camera goes on to captureBhutan as it steps into the new century and is increasingly visible as aninternational tool that documents the world’s democracies.

With the end of theSecond World War in 1945, many colonised nations became independent. In thesubcontinent India became free of the British dominion. Till 1947,British-India and Bhutan had been in constant contact since the war of CoochBehar of 1772 and the first mission of George Bogle of 1774. Since then,British-India and Bhutan had shared friendly relationship – as well as hostileones.

At the dawn of the20th century and during the reign of Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck, theAnglo-Bhutanese relationship was at its best. With the Indian independence in1947 Bhutan now had a neighbour with an entirely different political entity. Itwas now crucial for Bhutan to understand the position of independent Indiaregarding its relations with Bhutan. Thus, in 1948, Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchucksent a Bhutanese delegation to India to discuss Bhutan’s relationship withindependent India.

Ensuing from thesuccessful 1948 visit to India, the Indo-Bhutanese treaty was signed on 8August 1949 in Darjeeling.  Thistreaty became the basis for the two independent neighbouring nations to live inharmony sharing a mutually beneficial relationship. The Treaty of 1949 replacedthe 1910 Treaty of Punakha (in Bhutan) and  focused on the promotion of friendship and peacefulco-existence between the two countries, promotion of free trade and commerce,abstinence from interfering with the internal affairs of Bhutan with theacknowledgement that India was to advise Bhutan on matters of external affairs.It also agreed on the free import of arms and ammunitions from or throughIndia, but not for export. Further, the treaty agreed to treat the citizens ofboth the countries residing in each other’s territory on par with its owncitizens. The treaty also laid down provisions for mutual extradition ofcriminals. The mechanism for settling disputes arising out of differences ininterpretation or application of the treaty was also spelt out clearly.

Since the signing ofthe Indo-Bhutanese Treaty of 1949 the relationship between Bhutan and India hasstrengthened. This friendship became the basis through which Bhutan could welltraverse in confidence along the path of political and economic development atthe same time ensuring the sovereign status of the young Kingdom that wascarved out just a few decades ago.

Section three is devotedto works by the current King of Bhutan and displays the debut of hisphotographic oeuvre. Popularly known as the People’s King, His Majesty JigmeKhesar Namgyel Wangchuck has traversed the length and breadth of his country,often by foot to document the country. His photographs are both an objectiverecord and personal testimony of his empathy and engagement with his nation.Bhutan remains an idyll, and these transparent pictures are not airbrushed withsentimentality or morphed to disguise lurking shadows.