South Asian regionalism an elusive myth
Saturday, 18 October 2008
Dr. Subhash Kapila
South Asian regionalism is an elusive myth that keeps spasmodically surfacing every now and then generated more by external stimuli than any earnest aspirations from within the region. The long years of the existence of SAARC and its inability to make any substantial progress in preventing conflict or contributing substantially to economic development of the South Asia region is a vivid indicator of the stark reality that the region is not yet ready politically for the type of regionalism that prevails in Europe. What has been the record of SAARC as a regional organisation to get South Asian nations band together to combat its disruptive challenges?
For some inexplicable reasons a lot of money is pumped in India, especially by Western NGOs and think-tanks proclaiming to be promoting peace in organising seminars and events on South Asian regionalism. One does not witness a comparable effort by them for promoting Middle East regionalism or Asia Pacific regionalism.
Even taking their intentions as pious one needs to point out that any concept divorced from existing ground realities and which determine the future potential towards this end for the foreseeable future is destined to fail. Surely reams of papers after such seminars can be brought out after such seminars to propagate as to what a promising future awaits South Asia if it were only to emulate the regional cooperation and integration of the European Union or that of ASEAN.
South Asia is totally different from the European Union in multiple ways and the multiplicity of divisive challenges that exist in South Asia are intractable. The short list enumerated below would highlight the glaring divide that exists in South Asia:
India looms large by its geographical size of sub-continental proportions in South Asia. This glaring asymmetry generates insecurities in the other South Asian countries.
Politically, India today is an ascendant power in the global power game. The United States and China grudgingly becoming more respectful of India's strategic sensitivity in South Asia. This robs other South Asian countries especially Pakistan as a spoiler state to play its erstwhile patrons against India.
Economically, India surged ahead of its neighbours. While the world recognises that today the global economy is interdependent the South Asian countries are still reluctant to integrate their economies.
South Asia unlike Europe does not present a picture of regional commonality of religion and social and cultural outlook.
South Asia still continues to be a cockpit of international balance of power politics played by extra-regional powers.
Unlike South Asia Europe has emerged as a region of better comparative political maturity that emerged after centuries of conflict, disharmony.
The South Asian nations have not shown any urgency in recognising the economic imperatives.
South Asia as a whole lacks political maturity.
ASEAN cannot be a model for regional cooperation in South Asia because its biggest advantage lay in the fact that there were no glaring geographical, economic and political asymmetries within Southeast Asian region.
South Asian regionalism for the foreseeable future therefore would remain a good pastime for academic discussions but is an elusive myth which may take decades to materialise.
(Dr Subhash Kapila writes extensively on foreign policy issues and strategic affairs for think-tanks and professional journals)
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www.boloji.com
South Asian regionalism is an elusive myth that keeps spasmodically surfacing every now and then generated more by external stimuli than any earnest aspirations from within the region. The long years of the existence of SAARC and its inability to make any substantial progress in preventing conflict or contributing substantially to economic development of the South Asia region is a vivid indicator of the stark reality that the region is not yet ready politically for the type of regionalism that prevails in Europe. What has been the record of SAARC as a regional organisation to get South Asian nations band together to combat its disruptive challenges?
For some inexplicable reasons a lot of money is pumped in India, especially by Western NGOs and think-tanks proclaiming to be promoting peace in organising seminars and events on South Asian regionalism. One does not witness a comparable effort by them for promoting Middle East regionalism or Asia Pacific regionalism.
Even taking their intentions as pious one needs to point out that any concept divorced from existing ground realities and which determine the future potential towards this end for the foreseeable future is destined to fail. Surely reams of papers after such seminars can be brought out after such seminars to propagate as to what a promising future awaits South Asia if it were only to emulate the regional cooperation and integration of the European Union or that of ASEAN.
South Asia is totally different from the European Union in multiple ways and the multiplicity of divisive challenges that exist in South Asia are intractable. The short list enumerated below would highlight the glaring divide that exists in South Asia:
India looms large by its geographical size of sub-continental proportions in South Asia. This glaring asymmetry generates insecurities in the other South Asian countries.
Politically, India today is an ascendant power in the global power game. The United States and China grudgingly becoming more respectful of India's strategic sensitivity in South Asia. This robs other South Asian countries especially Pakistan as a spoiler state to play its erstwhile patrons against India.
Economically, India surged ahead of its neighbours. While the world recognises that today the global economy is interdependent the South Asian countries are still reluctant to integrate their economies.
South Asia unlike Europe does not present a picture of regional commonality of religion and social and cultural outlook.
South Asia still continues to be a cockpit of international balance of power politics played by extra-regional powers.
Unlike South Asia Europe has emerged as a region of better comparative political maturity that emerged after centuries of conflict, disharmony.
The South Asian nations have not shown any urgency in recognising the economic imperatives.
South Asia as a whole lacks political maturity.
ASEAN cannot be a model for regional cooperation in South Asia because its biggest advantage lay in the fact that there were no glaring geographical, economic and political asymmetries within Southeast Asian region.
South Asian regionalism for the foreseeable future therefore would remain a good pastime for academic discussions but is an elusive myth which may take decades to materialise.
(Dr Subhash Kapila writes extensively on foreign policy issues and strategic affairs for think-tanks and professional journals)
.........................
www.boloji.com