SAARC: From discord to concord

The South Asia, having a population of more than 1500 million, was once the richest region of the globe, not only in terms of resources but also in learning and culture. When the Romans were unable to solve simple arithmetic for want of a "zero" and the Europeans in general were in the dark and accustomed to a sort of cave-life, the Hindu sages of India were well-versed not only in higher mathematics but also in such disciplines as astronomy, chemistry, biological science and so on. Thousands of years of pillaging and plundering right from the Alexander of Macedonia, some despotic Muslim rulers of West and Central Asia to Robert Clive of East India Company and his imperial descendants, made this Sub-Continent a poor third world, so much so that even after half a century of independent existence, more than 50 per cents peoples of South Asia are still leading their lives below poverty level. There is no doubt that after the Industrial Revolution, the British could have attained their imperial status only at the cost of this part of the world. After the World War-II, the British were no more able to hold on and Lord Mountbatten left the Sub-Continent in a precarious situation, sowing the seeds of discord among the nascent states. Kashmir was just one example among many, over which India and Pakistan had to fight wars and are still at loggerheads.

Despite all these, the leaders of South Asia in an effort to bring back unity and economic emancipation for the one-fifth population of this planet , founded the milestone association called SAARC consisting of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives, about eighteen years ago. Here, may we not forget that the Europeans had to fight two world wars before realising that real emancipation lies not in war, but in concerted effort for economic growth and thus in 1957, six of them signed a treaty in Rome establishing European Economic Community which in course of time burgeoned into to-day's mighty European Union. If Europe could do it , why not South Asia? While visiting Dhaka in last April, Sri Lankan President Mrs. Kumaratunga remarked that the SAARC "still has a future". Her very utterance signifies that "the glass is half-full" and we have reason to look forward. In the backdrop of the 12th SAARC summit at Islamabad, where landmark decisions have been taken on such demanding matters as the framework agreement on SAFTA, protocol on anti-terrorism pact and signing of social charter, optimism runs even higher and it is expected that the SAARC countries can look forward to a soaring inter-trade from a mere 4 per cent to about 60 per cent of their total trade output.

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Meanwhile, considerable developments have taken place in normalising relations between India and Pakistan, mostly in the areas of communications and trade. It appears from the press reports that the olive branch held out by the Indian Prime Minister has been welcomed by President Musharraf of Pakistan. The world leaders also greeted the peace initiative as a major development in the Indo-Pak relations. The Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee went rather emotional when he said that the latest bid for peace with Pakistan was the last in his life time. His clarion call was: "We have to change South Asia's image and its standing in the world....

We must make the bold transition from mistrust to trust, from discord to concord and from tension to peace." However, is it really possible to establish a South Asian Union in the model of the European Union and ensure sustainable development in the South Asian region? From the commonsensical view and for the time being, the answer is no better than a "qualified yes". Nevertheless, it's time to initiate the process. It is highly imperative for the leaders of the SAARC countries to re-cast and re-build the Association as a strong and viable South Asian Union for the common benefit of the peoples of this region, who have almost identical political thoughts and aspirations, social values, economic needs, cultural heritage and can find more things in common than anywhere else. It is therefore in the fitness of the things that the SAARC leaders may initiate a process to root out all elements of differences and distrusts among themselves and herald a new era of peace and development for the region.

At the first place, Pakistan and India need to accept the stark fact that the Kashmir issue can't be solved through military force for the simple reason that both the contending parties are capable of destroying each other through their respective nuclear warheads. Innumerable talks had also failed in the past and there is no reason to believe that there would be a sudden thaw in the coming days, for neither Pakistan nor India are expected to convince each other about their specific stands. The only alternative is to maintain a status quo, be happy with the present line of control, and not to disturb each other's position by any means. In order to preserve and protect bigger interest, smaller one has to be sacrificed.

Secondly, the Indo-Pak rapprochement by itself cannot bring peace and development in the region. India, being the largest part of the Sub-continent and the biggest country in South Asia, has a great responsibility towards its small neighbours like Bangladesh or Nepal and should be reasonably considerate in dealing with them. If there is a sense of purpose, issues like border disputes, migration, trade imbalances and so on could easily be solved through normal dialogues. In short, India has to take the small neighbours into confidence and ensure their security and territorial integrity without interfering in their internal affairs. The smaller countries of the region have, of course, to take on reciprocal responsibilities. Once the smaller problems are solved, the countries of the region can confidently look forward to gainful trade and development. There is no doubt that as an economic unit, South Asia has a tremendous possibility. In this respect, the proposal of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for a single currency in South Asia deserves immediate consideration, as it may act as a catalyst to the development of trade and commerce in this region.

Thirdly, inter-religious hatred has to be rooted out once for all and all the countries of the Sub-continent have to play a positive and decisive role in this respect . The Hindus and the Muslims lived in this Sub-continent peacefully over a thousand of years and they will have to live in harmony for thousands of years more. Politicising the religions had since vitiated the communal concord of the Sub-continent. Therefore, no peace is possible unless the religious hatred and discriminations are totally stopped and the religions are kept in their assigned arena. The state mechanisms must be secular in outlook, and ensure peaceful co-existence of all faiths at all stages of socio-econo-political lives of their respective peoples.

It may be concluded that no-war pacts among the countries of the South Asia including, of course, nuclear powered India and Pakistan can go a long way in ensuring peace, stability, and confidence-building in the region. John F. Kennedy, the charismatic former President of the United States once told : "We want peace, but not the peace of the graveyard." It is obvious that any war between India and Pakistan would lead to total annihilation of everything good in the Sub-Continent. Furthermore, if India or Pakistan fails to play a positive role in this respect, there is every possibility that the smaller countries would try to find their security outside the region and that would not be a good omen for the regional peace and security. Therefore, it is the joint responsibility of the South Asian leadership to rise to the occasion and give the one-fifth population of the planet the right guidance. South Asia needs peace -- peace for progress and development. With almost a common historical, racial, socio-economic, cultural and linguistic background, the people of South Asia are definitely poised to usher in a new era more than ever before.

Hafeejul Alam is a management specialist