The twice-postponed summit meeting of SAARC leaders is slated for Dhaka in November, and will take place barring natural or manmade disasters. It was in this city 20 years ago that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was born, bringing to reality the statesmanlike vision of the late president Ziaur Rahman.
It needs no elaboration to say that SAARC has yet to fulfil its original commitment to promote mutual trust and confidence and to enhance economic cooperation in the region. Certainly, some of this can be blamed on the adversarial relationship between India and Pakistan over the past two decades, which has often dissipated much of SAARC's potential energy into meaningless polemic, benefiting none. But maybe it is also time for some real introspection: to see whether, in this age of globalisation, every SAARC member has adequately addressed its responsibilities to strengthen its neighbouring relationships. SAARC's success in promoting Southasian development and a Southasian voice continues to rest in the sum of its bilateral relationships.
By virtue of its size, population and location in the middle of the Southasian landmass, India's regional role remains of the most significant interest. While there is (and must be) parity of sovereignty between India and her neighbours, the latter cannot expect parity of power and influence. At the same time, we must keep in mind that any diminishment of India will also affect the Southasian dynamic as a whole. This is particularly so if, as suggested recently by the president and prime minister of Pakistan and India, the borders become 'softer' and there is more social, cultural and economic give-and-take. More simply, political instability in India, or an economic slump in this leviathan, would impact all the neighbours and their populations.
Within India, a degree of political mismanagement, coupled with the assertion by smaller groups of their individual identities, has led to a rash of insurgencies that have lasted for decades, sapping the energies of the people and the state alike. On the other hand, the recent success of the Indian economy has created an increasing number of stakeholders keenly interested in the country's future. It is important for India's neighbours to become stakeholders as well, for a large growth-engine like India offers immense benefits for others.