As with any region of similar size, scope and history, it is difficult to characterise 'Southasia'. Common threads do run through this part of the world: shared histories, common religions, entwined cultures, interlocking geography. Yet any one of these is inadequate in defining a binding, region- wide character.
Perhaps an answer lies not just in the past that Southasia's people share, but in the common challenges they face in the future. The creating of lasting and well-functioning democracies, eradicating illiteracy and poverty, finding development approaches that are sustainable in terms of both energy and environment, and battling terrorism and sectarian violence – all of these are problems for the region as a whole. One particularly crosscutting question is how best to tackle population growth, how to draft policies that are sensitive to the realities of population character, change and trend – referred to collectively as the study of demographics.
While the size and structure of a population – as well as how this is expected to change – affects virtually every aspect of a society, in general too little attention is focused on demographic factors when framing national policy. This is particularly true, and critical, in the case of India, where significant population growth is inevitable, making it particularly important to invest in the young people of today. While the focus here is India, it is important to realise that much of Southasia is undergoing and facing similar processes and questions.
Population bomb?