Round
The World
New Delhi, 10 September 2021
Building S-Asian
Identity
ROLE OF INDIA
By Dr.DK Giri
(Prof. International
Politics, JIMMC)
On my visit to Islamabad, I was pleasantly
surprised with the greetings and identity, the Pakistan youths were using. They
would call themselves and Indians as South Asians! In India I was told by the
students of Academy of International Politics; in New Delhi one of the teachers
asked the students to identify themselves as South Asians. Very few did. It
appears that while smaller countries want a South Asian identify, India does
not seem so keen. Remember, the SAARC idea was mooted by Bangladesh.
The questions probed here are two, whether we
need a South Asian identity or an entity; and the other is what is India’s role
and inclination in building such an identity. The answer to the second question
is easy and obvious. Observers of politics in the India-Pacific region have
commented that with the recapture of Kabul by the Taliban with tacit support of
Pakistan, the current ally of China, Beijing’s ‘String of Pearls’ strategy is
complete.
On Afghanistan, New Delhi has been isolated
and the rest of South Asian countries too have been mute spectators to the appalling
developments in that country. Only Pakistan
has had an active role at the behest of Americans first and now Chinese, out of
its vested interests. Quite unfortunate, as Afghanistan is an independent
sovereign country, was non-aligned in the past, and has been a member of SAARC
since 2007. As a matter of fact, the situation in Afghanistan should goad New
Delhi into building a South Asian identity strong enough to rebuff outside
interventions.
Do we need a South Asian identity? Yes,
certainly we do, for the following reasons. One, South Asia is quite integrated
geographically, member country share borders. So from the security point of
view, if one the South Asian countries faces security threats, internal or
external, the other countries will feel the same as spill-over or snow-ball effect.
Second, for trade and economic transactions, integration is an imperative. The
SAFTA- South Asian Free Trade Area is a good development in this regard, it
will be better if it is made more functional.
Third, after the demise of Marxism, cultural
factors have re-emerged in a big way to constitute identity politics. The
governments, politicians and statesmen will have to reckon with the identity
formation and interaction in national and international politics. Hence,
instead of allowing the identities to clash at home and abroad, it is wiser to
transcend identities and create bigger ones that will subsume regional sub-identities.
Does India need a South Asian identity and
how should New Delhi be more proactive in building it? To add to what was said
before on India’s stake in a South Asian identity, New Delhi must have friendly
neighbours before it launches-on to the world stage. No doubt, India is on the
cusp of being a world power. India has had all the ingredients to become one. It
was just the laggard economy holding it back. Now it is the fifth largest,
about to overtake Germany and Japan to become third. India occupies 72% of land
surface and 77% of population of South Asia, which constitutes about 40% of the
world population.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon had said, “The world is looking at India to advance peace, stability, and
prosperity. A secure regional economic development will also help India reach
its ambitions development goals.” Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
while championing good neighbourhood policy had famously said, “You can change
your friends, but you cannot change your neighbours”. Implied in this sagacious
saying is the strategy of staying at peace and in understanding with the
neighbours.
How do we build a South-Asian identity? There
are political, economic, security imperatives, which should help forge the South
Asian solidarity. But they have not been enough to do so. India did not have
the absolute and adequate economic strength to carry her South Asian neighbours
at the times of their needs and to meet demands of their development. That is
why, despite India’s good intentions, her neighbours have turned to other
economies mainly China, which is on the prowl to grab the countries into a
debt-trap. As India’s economy grows, and it must grow fast if the leaders are
perceptive and visionary enough, then the burden of South Asian development can
be borne by India.
More important strategy in the interim is to
revive the cultural identity of South Asia. It is easier to do. Out of eight countries
in SAARC in the ancient past, except for Maldives, rest were one country, one
culture defined in Sanatan Dharma. We have dealt with this in the last
piece in this column. In modern history, three countries were one seven decades
ago. India continues to share deep cultural links, religion, language etc. with
three more -- Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. There are marital arrangements
taking place between Indians and Nepalese, and Sri Lankans.
The way to go for retrieving and re-asserting
the cultural identity is to re-interpret the history. Our historical texts
still reflect the wounds and scars of the partitions, and ethnic differences.
They should be rewritten to bring out the common past and common identities.
That will recreate the sense of sameness and a South Asian identity.
In order to reinforce the cultural
re-definition, the persisting border conflicts will have to be resolved. The Gujral
Doctrine is one model to follow. The other is continuous dialogue between the
governments. While New Delhi can think of balance of power with China, India
having security partners to match the Chinese might; it must initiate a
dialogue with Pakistan. With confidence-building measures, bringing in the
emotional dimension of divided families living in both countries, India and
Pakistan can come together. Kashmir should be put on the table for discussion,
not just the Indian part but the part in Pakistan as well. Let this be resolved
through dialogue. A South Asian identity will be created by rebuilding the
past, and co-creating the future. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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