King of Bhutan Pays sudden visit to evacuees camps
By A Staff Reporter, The King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorjee Wangchuk, made an unscheduled visit to some of the evacuee camps in West Bengal on Saturday.
Later in the evening he told newsmen in Calcutta that the evacuees posed a challenge to the conscience of the world. He therefore wanted the nations and countries trying to mitigate the sufferings of the evacuees to “recreate conditions’ ‘ for their return to homeland. As for himself, he was deeply distressed at the miseries of the evacuees, he added.
The King’s visit assumed special significance against the background of his recent talks with the Indian Foreign Secretary, Mr. T. N. Kaul, over the Bangladesh question.
Even the administration of West Bengal was taken aback when the King appeared in an evacuees camp on the outskirts of Calcutta unannounced. He took this rather unusual step to ascertain the nature and the extent of the evacuee problem for himself to prepare his country’s delegation to the U.N. for an active role on the question at the international forum.
Bhutan’s delegation, led by the king’s brother, Mr. Namgyal Wangchuk, arrived in Calcutta on the day enroute to New York. The team also includes Bhutan’s Development and Foreign Minister, Mr. Dawa Tshering.
The U.N. General Assembly session starts on September 21. Bhutan’s membership of the U.N., already recommended by the Security Council, will be considered in this session.
The King who is in the city for a medical check-up will return to Bhutan in a day or two.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 12.09.1971