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Kathmandu Sunday January 06, 2002 Paush 22, 2058.
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SAARC for regional cooperative system
By Hiranya Lal Shrestha
In old days, we find the Mouryan, Mugol and British imperial
systems operating in South Asia. Even after the independence of countries, some dominant
countries of South Asia sought to assert a dominant position along a hegemonic model due
to the legacy of the past. As a result, wars, contradictions and diplomatic clashes took
place against that tendency. A need for regional cooperative system was felt in the
process of a search for a new paradigm in order to lead South Asia to a new age of
prosperity against violence and wars. The emergence of the SAARC was the result of this
realization. In hegemony, one powerful country dictates while others are expected to
follow it, whereas in cooperative systems, collective leadership prevails.
According to the SAARC Charter, the objective of the
organisation is to promote peace, stability, amity and progress in the region. The Charter
requires all the countries of the region to follow the principle of transition from SAPTA
to SAFTA eventually leading to an economic union like European Union. However, the journey
towards it cannot be completed without peace, security and an environment of understanding
in this region. Thus cooperative politics and cooperative economics are simultaneously
necessary in this region. For this, an appropriate social environment is also necessary.
The South Asian society should be developed in an all-around way by removing gender
discrimination, ameliorating the status of children and improving the quality of education
and skills.
In order to orient SAARC towards a new regional cooperative
system, people’s participation should be enlisted in its movement. The SAARC leaders,
who were supposed to meet at least once in a year, are meeting only in three and a half
years this time. In fact, only formal declaration is not enough. Nor can SAARC acquire a
new dynamism only by creating a conglomerate of South Asian desks at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the countries of the region. Similarly, the mobilization of limited
manpower and resources at the disposal of the SAARC Secretariat is also not enough. A
feeling of being South Asians should be inculcated among the people of this region and
they should be involved in the participatory process. We must realize that tomorrow’s
SAARC cannot operate without a SAARC Parliament.
In order to nurture South Asian people-oriented cooperative
system, a commitment towards the value of freedom, justice, equality, cooperation and
progress is necessary. SAARC should incorporate in itself the process to empower the
people of South Asia. There should be meetings and interactions not only among the leaders
and bureaucrats of this region, but also among academicians, technicians, writers,
journalists and other people of diverse fields. The people-oriented development of SAARC
is possible only if its activities are transparent and it is responsible to the people. It
is necessary for all the countries of South Asia to maintain the universal standard of
human rights. Neither the state nor the non-state actors can violate the human rights. A
South Asian Regional Human Rights Commission is necessary to monitor the violation of
human rights and to bring those involved in such activities to justice.
The SAARC nations should not keep the bilateral or regional
issues pending. They should march forward by solving these problems. The emphasis being
given from Male summit to discuss bilateral issues even if informally is appropriate and
it should be promoted. The decision of the People’s SAARC group in its Delhi meeting
in 1995 that "the SAARC Charter must be revised to allow the discussion on bilateral
issues and must reflect the aspiration of the South Asian people," should not be
overlooked.
If we review the activities of SAARC since its founding
seventeen years ago, we find that its progress is rather slow. The preparatory phase was
based on gradual step by step approach to initiate regional cooperation, mostly in
non-controversial and peripheral as confidence- building measures. The integrated program
of action is an example of such an approach.
According to GEP report, the second phase was expansionary
phase in which regional cooperation was expanded both with social and economic sectors.
Many major commitments with far-reaching implications for the region, including SAPTA and
poverty eradication programme were undertaken.
The eleventh SAARC summit must address terrorism which has
currently posed a global challenge. India and Pakistan, which are competing to help the US
in curbing terrorism, should work together to eradicate it in their own region. The SAARC
leaders should express collective commitment to fight against terrorism and work in this
field with word, mind and action.
On the political front, institutionalized regional
cooperation has generated greater confidence amongst the countries of South Asia. It has
provided framework for frequent and regular contact at various levels, including at the
highest political level, which has offered opportunity for better bilateral relations
through informal political consultations. The expectation of the people of South Asia is
that India and Pakistan should make the best of the opportunity in the Kathmandu summit to
lessen mounting tension prevailing between them. No one should take the risk of spoiling
the SAARC spirit of cooperation and understanding for their petty national interests.
(The author is former member of parliament)
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