Reviving SAARC Summitry
Cautious Optimism In Order

By M. R. Josse

A NEWS report from Colombo dated 12 December 2000 had it that Sri Lanka, current chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), is initiating moves to revive the regional grouping which was unable to hold its 11th summit in Kathmandu in November 1999 because of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s publicly stated objection to sharing a common platform with Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharaff.

SRI LANKAN MOVE: Notably, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgama disclosed, as per that item, that he was soon to travel to Indian "primarily" to discuss issues relating to SAARC.

Kadirgamar was quoted in the same news story as saying that "in the past 18 months there has been no high-level meeting of SAARC" although smaller SAARC members—Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives and Nepal—have been pushing for it for sometime, now.

Even more notable is his 17-18 December 2000 visit to Kathmandu following his diplomatic mission to New Delhi, Significantly, while here he called on the prime minister, held talks with his counterpart and visited the SAARC secretariat.

Also worth recalling is that not long ago a two-day meeting in Kathmandu of the Citizens’ Commission for South Asia—chaired no less, by former Indian prime minister I. K. Gujral—urged that "the schedule of the SAARC summit and other meetings, as envisaged in the (SAARC) Charter should be maintained."

From the above alone, it is clear, then, that an endeavour is soon to be launched to revive the SAARC process—a diplomatic euphemism meaning that India should give up its no-talks-with-Musharraf stance and get on with the business of injecting a much needed dose of vigour to the fledgling, and flagging, South Asian regional institution which recently observed its 15th birthday.

It may thus be instructive to delve into what new regional and/or international factors have come to play, the collective impact of which has provided an impetus for the Sri Lankan demarche.

But, before that it will be germane to recall some events and utterances having a bearing upon the subject under discussion.

To begin, former SAARC Secretary-General Ibrahim Hussian Zaki declared before an international conference in Dhaka in October this year that SAARC is currently engaged in a "mental cold war" thus preventing it from functioning properly.

BACKGROUND: Incidentally, Zaki, who was here for the Citizens’ Commission for South Asia meeting referred to above, spoke volumes when, at a Shital Niwas reception, he recalled to this observer of regional affairs that SAARC first took off in Dhaka when Bangladesh was ruled by a military figure!

While Kathmandu, the venue the next SAARC summit and headquarters of the SAARC secretariat, is naturally keen that SAARC summitry is undisturbed, it bears recalling that SAARC Secretary-General, Nihal Rodrigo, confessed publicly, not too long ago: "I cannot give you the exact date of the summit. It will take place as soon as relations between India and Pakistan are normalised." (TRN, 20 June 2000).

Then, in August, came visits to New Delhi and Islamabad by Bangladesh Foreign Secreary Shafi Sami-soon after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s public statements that Dhaka would try to convenene the abortive SAARC summit.

While one does not know definitely what came of Bangladesh’s endeavour in that connection then it is illuminating that, a few months earlier—or in May to be precise—Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo Jigme thus down-played the significance of the Indefinite postponement of a SAARC summit:

"I see the postponement of the SAARC summit as a brief belt and the process would go on as it is in the collective interests of all member states....We are committed to SAARC and there has been no impact on cooperation because of the postonement of the summit, which is not essential
for cooperation as work continued under different sectors through committees."
As recently as mid-November this year, Kadirgamar, as per a news report from Colombo, gloomily told an extra-ordinary SAARC meeting of officials that "given the present circumstances...no meetings of the summit process are immediately envisaged."

At the same meeting Rodrigo, in sharp contrast with the sentiments expressed by Thinley as already mentioned, said that official level meetings of SAARC are no substitute for a summit, cautioning that member states should forge closer regional ties in the face of challenges posed by globalisation.

Clearly, then, new regional/international factors have come to play on the SAARC landscape since mid-November explaining, among other things, SAARC chairperson Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandarnaike Kumartunga’s statement, on SAARC’s 15th anniversary, that she was looking forward to the next SAARC summit in Kathmandu.

NEW IMPULSES: As far as one can make out, it is probable that the international impetus for reviving the SAARC summitry process is related, inter alia, to the November-end visit to South Asia of US Under Secretary of State for South Asia, Karl Inderfurth.

For, as Inderfurth stated here, "the United States is a strong supporter of SAARC. "We would like to see SAARC resumed." The "strong support" was also reportedly heavily underscored in his not-for-media speech at the SAARC secretariat during his trip.

Regionally, it would appear that India’s Ramadan ceasefire initiative in Kashmir and Pakistan’s move for "maximum restraint" along the Line of Control in that disputed territory, both of which have been lauded internationally, have helped to lower tensions between the two traditional South Asian rivals, as has perhaps also Musharraf’s recent decision to send jailed former premier Nawaz Sharif into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Hence, if it is premature to open champange bottles yet, there is some possibility that, sooner rather than later, the postponed SAARC summit will lake place. The key, of course, still lies in Vajpayee’s hands. Cautious optimism would seem to be in order.

Going Abroad? Think Twice

By Isha Acharya "Infinity"

THIS is the generation of great opportunities. The world is progressing each day and it is very hard for us, the people of third world, to keep up with the fast forwarding world. There is lots of competition in each and every field and hard work is very essential. Though material things have made life easy, we need to work hard to attain them. To keep up with the fast changing and progressing world and to make a good place in the society people go abroad to work or to study.

In Nepal, also, almost all the youth dream of going to developed countries to earn money or to study. We hear many people going out of the country every year The people who are very eager to go abroad are usually the young people who are interested to see the world and experience many things before settling down in a fixed corner. It is not that the people from other walks of life are not interested in going abroad but the zeal seems to be more in the younger generation. The young students have the vision of studying abroad and getting a good degree that so that can get a good job in reputed organisations and live happily in life. Other people who go there are young professionals who don’t have the intention of settling there or who are not interested in long-term career abroad but take the job there as an important part of their career development. This is mainly to broaden their experience and to improve their financial conditions as well.

Another group of people who would like to go abroad are the one who have already decided to take a career which will enable them to spend much of their life in foreign countries, in the diplomatic service or in other similar type of services. A fair proportion of these people will have had experience of living abroad and know more or less what to expect. The final category of the people who go overseas are ones who have never thought of going abroad but find themselves sent off to a foreign postings.

Even from Nepal, many people go to countries like U.S.A. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Gulf countries to work, study or to settle there. But going to foreign countries to work and to study is very different from a brief holiday visit to thinking that every foreign location is highly desirable by looking at the mangnificent scenes on television and looking at the glossy holiday brochures.

Going abroad is no haven for escapists, but requires realists who are able to meet the challenges of life from all sides, not just one. Life in foreign countries is not as easy as it seems to be. We need to learn new methods and become acquainted with new set of people, accept unfamiliar vistas, values and traditions and experience infinite variety of things. It is very necessary for us to adapt ourselves in it but it is very difficult to do so. We cannot at once change the values, beliefs and traditions in which we were reared up. Life is full of struggle there. The only things is our work is rewarded to its fullest. But reality is bitter. Life in advanced countries is different from what we imagine from here. When a person enters a completely new environment he experiences cultural shock. Cultural shock is often described as the stress caused by a sudden change of location. People have to go through various forms of strain, confusion, anxiety, disgust, indignation and the feeling of importance in first few months but one must make a positive effort to come to terms with the new environment. It is not easy to overcome all these things at once.

If the motive behind the work is good then it is fine but if the work is against the law and order then it is better not do such work. We hear many people from poor countries engaged in illegal acts like girls trafficking,drugs trans-portation, smuggling etc. just for the sake of money. This not only ruins the person’s life but also the life of his family as well as the image of the country. It is good to be involved in prestigious jobs in foreign countries and work there for the welfare of society, country and the world as a whole but to work illegally for the sake of money is not good. So, going abroad and fulfilling one’s dream with true effort is good but to sell one’s principals and values to earn money can not be accepted.