Years after the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Meet was last held in Siliguri, representatives from both nations gathered once again to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly fostering “people-to-people” connections alongside diplomatic relations.

A total of 52 members from the India-Bhutan Friendship Association (IBFA) and the Bhutan-India Friendship Association (BIFA) convened for the event, adopting a seven-point resolution, now termed the “Siliguri Declaration.”

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Themed “50 Years and Beyond: A Roadmap for Better People-to-People Relations Through Spirituality, Trade, Tourism, Art, Culture, and Scope of Collaborations for Happiness,” the meet emphasised Bhutan’s deep spiritual ties with India. Delegates underscored the role of both organizations in facilitating visits to Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India for Bhutanese citizens.

Key resolutions included:

Promotion of Cultural & Tourism Exchanges: Collaborative efforts to boost traditional festivals and tourism events along the Indo-Bhutan border.

Restoring Heritage Destinations: Reviving historical and culturally significant sites that once symbolised the deep-rooted ties between the two nations.

Cross-Border Exchange Programmes: Facilitating interactions between traders, students, writers, musicians, doctors, urban planners, NGOs, and the hospitality sector to strengthen grassroots ties.

Economic Collaborations: Promoting the “One Gewog, One Product” initiative in Bhutan and the “One District, One Product” scheme in India at all festivals and events.

Technology-Driven Engagement: Leveraging digital platforms to enhance outreach and visibility for Indo-Bhutan friendship initiatives.

Addressing Social Challenges: Collaborating with local administrations to tackle pressing issues such as drug abuse and human-animal conflicts.

The meet was attended by key figures, including Dasho Sonam Tobgay, vice-president of BIFA (Samtse Chapter, Bhutan), Dasho Thinlay Dorji, Secretary General of BIFA (Phuentsholing, Bhutan), Vivek Baid, President of IBFA and Raj Basu, secretary general of IBFA.

Raj Basu, a tourism activist, said: “The Siliguri Declaration marks a renewed commitment to fostering enduring ties between India and Bhutan, blending tradition with modern collaborations for mutual prosperity.”