BHUTAN'S ETHNIC PROBLEM: A CASE OF A FRAGILE ETHNIC MOSAIC IN SOUTH ASIA

This article examines the ethnic problem that erupted in Bhutan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, focusing on the conflict between the state and the Lhotshampa (southerners of Nepali origin). It analyzes the historical context of migration from Nepal to southern Bhutan and the subsequent policy shifts by the Bhutanese government aimed at promoting a single Drukpa national identity. The study details the controversial 1988 census and the implementation of the "One Nation, One People" policy, which imposed the Drukpa language and dress code and was perceived as discriminatory by the Lhotshampa community. The research explores the subsequent political protests, the government's repressive response, and the resulting outflow of tens of thousands of Lhotshampa refugees to Nepal. The paper argues that the crisis exposed the fragility of Bhutan's multi-ethnic mosaic and presented a major human rights and regional stability challenge. The analysis concludes by assessing the prospects for a resolution to the conflict and the refugee crisis.

The kingdom of Bhutan, often romanticized as a serene Himalayan Shangri-La, was confronted with a severe ethnic crisis in the early 1990s. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of this conflict, presenting it as a case study of the challenges of nation-building in a fragile, multi-ethnic society. The study begins by tracing the history of the Lhotshampa community in southern Bhutan. It then delves into the state policies of the 1980s that sought to forge a unified national identity based on the culture of the ruling Ngalong Drukpa elite. The core of the article is an examination of the consequences of these policies, particularly the stringent new citizenship act and the enforcement of a national dress code and language. The paper argues that these measures, intended to promote national unity, were perceived by the Lhotshampa as a direct assault on their cultural identity and political rights, leading to widespread protests. The analysis details the government's harsh crackdown on this dissent and the subsequent flight of a large portion of the Lhotshampa population to refugee camps in eastern Nepal, creating one of South Asia's most protracted refugee crises. The findings highlight the tragic consequences of a state-led cultural homogenization project that fails to accommodate the diversity of its population, transforming a previously peaceful co-existence into a deep and bitter ethnic divide.