Former Indian PM will work to resolve the Bhutanese crisis.

New Delhi, March 31: Former Prime Minister of India I.K. Gujral who is the chairperson of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) will write to President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh to try to help in solving the issue of Bhutanese refugees. These refugees have been left out of the democratic process in the recent elections held in Bhutan, Mr Gujral said, "We need to understand the issue and also see how we can help." Mr Gujral was speaking at the deliberation organized by SAHR on the "Concerns of the Bhutanese Refugees in South Asia" on Monday, in the light of the Bhutan election results, to look at the possible solutions and a way forward.

 Ms. Kamala Basin, Mr. Mahendra P. Lama, Mr. Bhairav  Acharya, Ms. Ragini Trako, Mr. Parth Ghosh, Mr. Anand Swarup Verma, Senior journalist Mr. Kuldip Naiyer, Mr. Devendra Raj Pandey from Nepal, Sri Lankan Human Right leader Ms. Siranthi Jailalita, Bhutanese leaders Mr. Thinlry Penjore, Mr. Rongthong Kinley Dorjee, Ms. Deki Yamjom, Mr. DP Kafley, Karma Dorjee and representative of Bhutan Solidarity Forum were present in the Meeting.

Speaking at the deliberations, a Bhutanese leader Mr. Thinley Penjore, explained that though the world was all praises for the first elections in Bhutan held recently, only two parties, both headed by the King's relatives were allowed to contest the elections and large numbers of people were left out of the democratic process.  He said, "Unless the refugees issue is addressed justly, we fear that the so called ongoing process will emerge a mockery of the democracy." He appealed to India's prominent leaders, civil society and the media to play a greater role as citizens of the largest democracy to mount pressure on the government of India to press upon the King of Bhutan to restore political freedom and resolve the issue.

As many as 120,000 Bhutanese refugees live mainly refugee camps in Nepal and thousands in the northeast part of India after they were forced to live Bhutan in the early 1990s. Explaining the crux of the problem, the general secretary of Peoples Forum for Human Rights, Bhutan, DP Kafley said, "For 18 years the Bhutanese refugee community in Nepal has been languishing in terrible conditions in seven separate camps."

The South Asians for Human Rights comprises both institutional and individual members. An elected bureau works as the organization's executive body while a membership committee oversees enrolment of members. The SAHR Chairperson and Co-chairperson are Mr. I.K Gujral, former Prime Minister of India, and Dr. Hameeda Hossain of Bangladesh, respectively. The secretariat is in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Chapter offices are located in New Delhi, Colombo, Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Lahore.