Inter-State Conflicts and Contentious Issues in South Asia Challenges and Prospects for SAARC

154 Pages·2016·1.751 MB·English

by  Emanual Nahar

INTER-STATE CONFLICTS AND CONTENTIOUS ISSUES IN SOUTH
ASIA:
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR SAARC
INTER-STATE CONFLICTS AND CONTENTIOUS
ISSUES IN SOUTH ASIA:
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR SAARC
Edited By
Emanual Nahar
©Author
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publishers are not in any way liable for the same.
ISBN: 978-93-5128-169-6
First Published, 2016
Published by
Kalpaz Publications
C-30, Satyawati Nagar,
Delhi – 110052
E-mail: [email protected]
Ph.: 9212142040
Printed at: G. Print Process, Delhi
Cataloging in Publication Data—DK
Courtesy: D.K. Agencies (P) Ltd. <[email protected]>
Inter-state conflicts and contentious issues in South Asia challenges and prospects for SAARC / edited by Emanual Nahar.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 9789351281696
1. Conflict management—South Asia. 2. National security— South Asia. 3. South Asia—Politics and government. 4. South Asian cooperation.
I. Nahar, Emanual, editor.
JZ5584.S64I58 2015 DDC 327.170954 23
Contents
List of Contributors
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
1. SAARC and Indian Ocean: An Agenda for Action
— Mohammed Khalid
2. South Asian Security Perspective (Role of SAARC)
— K.S. Sidhu
3. SAARC: Challenges of Human Trafficking, Illegal Migration and Human Security
— Rajesh Kumar
4. Afghanistan: 8th Member of SAARC
— Surinder K. Shukla
5. Small States and Regional Organisations: Case Study of Bhutan and SAARC
— Mathew Joseph
6. Non-Tariff Barriers to Indo-Pakistan Trade
— Davinder Kumar Madaan
7. Indo-Pak Disputes: Bumpy Road Ahead For SAARC
— Emanual Nahar
8. India’s Security Concerns: Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia
— Kuldeep Singh
9. Theorising India’s Role in SAARC
— Pushpinder Kaur
10. Strengthening SAARC: India-Sri Lanka Experience
— Gurnam Chand
11. Curbing Transnational Terrorism in South Asia: A Regional Concern
— Kanwar Deep Singh
12. Climate Change and SAARC: The Politics of Regional Cooperation
— Rajnish Saryal
13. Trends of Regional Integration and SAARC
— Hari K. Sharma
14. Mapping SAARC’s Role in the Changing Geopolitical and Geostrategic Landscape
— Bawa Singh
15. Terrorism in South Asia and its impact on Indian Security
— Madhu Chopra
16. Mapping SAARC: Towards a Cooperative Security Framework in South Asia
— Sujit Lahiry
17. Indo-Pak Disputes: Impact on Regional Cooperation in South Asia
— Harinderjit Kaur
18. Regionalism in the Age of Globalisation: Reinventing the SAARC through New Regional Approach
— Rajiv Kumar
19. China’s Attitude and Perceptions towards SAARC: An Overview
— Shayama Bangar and Priyanaka
20. SAARC at Twenty-Eight: Bridging Bridges through Energy
— Reema Duggal
21. India’s Approach Towards SAARC
— Anjna Malhotra
22. Approaches to Regionalism in the Post-Cold War Era: An Assessment
— Sheveta Sehgal
23. Economic Integration among SAARC Countries: From SAPTA to SAFTA
—Vipin Sharma and Dr Vinod Kumar
List of Contributors
1. Professor Mohammed Khalid is Professor in Political Science, Department of Evening Studies Panjab
University, Chandigarh.
2. Professor K.S. Sidhu is Professor in Defence Studies (Retd.) Punjabi University, Patiala.
3. Dr Rajesh Kumar is Assistant Professor in Political Science, School of Social Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev
University, Amritsar.
4. Professor Surinder K. Shukla, Professor in Political Science-USOL, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
5. Dr Mathew Joseph, Associate Professor, M.M.A.J. Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia
Islamia, New Delhi.
6. Professor Davinder Kumar Madaan is Professor of Economics & Head-School of Social Sciences, Punjabi
University, Patiala.
7. Professor Emanual Nahar, Fellow and Professor in Political Science- USOL, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
8. Dr Kuldeep Singh, (Fellow P.U.) Associate Professor, PG dept. of Political Science, G.N.N. College,
Doraha.
9. Dr Pushpinder Kaur, Assistant Professor, University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University,
Chandigarh.
10. Dr Gurnam Chand, Associate Professor and Head Department of Political Science, M.R. Govt. College,
Fazilka.
11. Kanwar Deep Singh is a Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
12. Dr Rajnish Saryal, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Panjab University Regional Centre, Ludhiana.
13. Dr Hari K. Sharma, Assistant Professor in Political Science, NCWEB, Hansraj College, University of Delhi.
14. Dr Bawa Singh is teaching as Assistant Professor in the Centre for South and Central Asian Studies, School
of Global relation, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.
15. Dr Madhu Chopra is Assistant Professor, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies Kurukshtra
University, Kurukshetra.
16. Dr Sujit Lahiry is Assistant Professor in Political Science, Panjab University Regional Centre, Sri Muktsar
Sahib, Punjab.
17. Harinderjit Kaur is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Government College, Sri Muktsar
Sahib, Punjab.
18. Rajiv Kumar is Assistant Professor Department of Political Science Panjab University Constituent College
Nihal Singh Wala, Moga, Punjab.
19. Shayama Bangar is a Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
20. Priyanka is an Assistant Professor, Rayat and Bahra College, Ropar (Punjab).
21. Reema Duggal is a Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
22. Anjna Malhotra is Assistant Professor in Political Science, S.D.A.M. College, Dinanagar, Punjab.
23. Dr Sheveta Sehgal is Assistant Professor of in Political Science, A.S. College, Khanna (Punjab).
24. Vipin Sharma, Research Scholar, Deptt. Of Evening Studies-MDRC, P.U., Chandigarh.
25. Dr Vinod Kumar, Assistant Professor, P.U. Regional Centre, Sri Muktsar Sahib
Foreword
Richness in material and human resources has warranted a constant interaction between countries in South Asia and the
outside world. South Asian states have also been aware of their geopolitical advantages and the perceptions. Efforts were
made early to create institutional mechanisms for regional integration to enable the fostering of a common regional identity
and a cooperative growth strategy making optimum use of inter-regional trade and social and political development. A
culmination of such an understanding was the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The organisation of eight South Asian nations, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with observer nations, Myanmar, China, Iran, the European Union (EU) and the United States, to
name a few, is known as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It was established at the first
summit in Dhaka on December 7-8, 1985. India, significantly, constitutes 70 per cent or more of SAARC’s area and
population. Seven of them have common borders with India but not each other. All have a shared culture, ethnicity and
experienced long interactive historical events including British imperialism and its consequences.
Over the years, SAARC has attempted to address several regional problems, for instance drug and human trafficking,
economic cooperation among south Asian states and the forging of a south Asian social identity and most recently efforts
have been made to tackle the menace of terrorism in the region. Despite its stated intentions SAARC as a regional body
has for years grappled with inter-state, intra-state and regional conflicts. Since its existence in 1985, SAARC has been
criticised for its failure to forge an effective regional identity. Inter-state conflicts and the bilateral interests of member states
have a decisive influence on the achievements of SAARC; the regional body has also been influenced by external players
and other regional organisations. In an interdependent and swiftly globalising world, it would be unrealistic to believe that
SAARC can prosper in isolation. South Asian integration efforts are often influenced either directly or indirectly by great
power politics and alliances in other regions. It has now become necessary for SAARC to rise above bilateral conflicts and
to foster closer relationships with other regional and international organisations, in order to evolve into an effective regional
organisation.
SAARC, regrettably, has yet to develop into a conflict-mediating or conflict-resolving institution both on multilateral and
bilateral issues. It has succeeded however in evolving as a forum and a framework but one which does not have the
capacity to devise instruments and techniques for consultations on bilateral and multilateral political and security problems.
While it is common to lay the blame at the door of Indo-Pakistani rivalry, the reasons for SAARC’s failure are in fact
deeper and structural in nature. A constellation of geographical, ethnic, historical and political factors have gridlocked
SAARC. International borders in South Asia are still not all settled beyond dispute, and conventional conflicts are not
decreasing in shared border areas. The destiny of South Asian nations today is to either swim together or risk sinking
separately in the battle against poverty and unemployment as well as in meeting the challenges of the environment, national
security, and globalisation.
This publication is a by-product of a very successful ICSSR sponsored National Seminar organised by the Department
of Political Science — University School of Open Learning, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The book comprises of papers
presented during the National Seminar from learned and distinguished experts, academicians, and research scholars. This
study evaluates SAARC, as a living and developing organisation and efforts have been made to cover all the aspects in an
objective manner.
This edited work is an attempt to bring to light the debilitating effect of inter-state conflicts in South Asia on regional
cooperation. Analyses has focused primarily on the negative association of interstate conflict and regionalism in South Asia,
however this study also discusses how other regional cooperation mechanisms in South Asia have coped with such
challenges to promote a vibrant regional identity. The edited work also offers some solutions in the form of
recommendations, to contribute in the process of regional cooperation in South Asia. It gives an in-depth historical and
analytical account of conflicting issues and security concerns in the South Asian region. The study also analyses various
development policies and confidence building measures initiated by the respective governments, and provides useful
suggestions and policy recommendations to tackle the concerned challenges in South Asia. The objective of this book is to
highlight various trends, problems and also the peace processes in operation in South Asian Region. Thus, this book should
serve as an import ant source as it provides a wealth of information about the existing issues of contentious prevailing in
South Asia, that have been continuously hampering the process of regional economic cooperation and integration under the
forum of SAARC. It will be highly useful for all the individuals engaged in research and teaching work related to issues,
problems and conflicts in South Asia.
Vice- Chancellor
Panjab University
Chandigarh
Preface
Problems in South Asia have become more acute not only because of the historical and political relations but also due
to many other factors such as different attitudes and perceptions of SAARC members, economic disparities, political set up
of institutions, preponderance of India in South Asia, super-powers rivalry in South Asia.
The disparities in the economic field are hindrance in the way of SAARC. SAARC members have neither equal per
capita income nor equal growth rate in the industrial and agricultural sector. The Pattern of development, rather
underdevelopment is more or less the same.
The problems concerning small nations of SAARC is even greater because they do not have sufficient productive
capacity in the fields of agriculture and industry. They lack the economic strength to make significant contribution to the
programme activities.
There are many critical problems among South Asian countries related to the difference in their perception about
nature, role and structure of SAARC. Most of these differences arise because of different vintage points determined by
their respective national interests with which each nation views SAARC.
Bangladesh is primarily interested in management of river water, Pakistan’s approach is mainly political and it seems to
be the least interested in regional interactions. Nepal joined the SAARC only to demand that it should be a zone of peace.
Sri Lanka’s main interest is to solve domestic problems with the cooperation of SAARC countries.
Most of the crucial problems faced by South Asian countries are internal and structural in nature. Wide disparities in the
economic and political set-up do not provide favourable ground for useful regional cooperation.
However, SAARC is an essential regional organisation for the overall development of the South Asian Region. The
most important factor needed to make SAARC a successful Regional Model is to remove fear and distrust among the
member states. The success of SAARC will depend on whether the member nations will show prudence and wisdom to
resolve bilateral disputes and differences, and thereby creating a state of regional cooperation, peace and stability.
—Emanual Nahar