Trust deficit in SAARC C.P. Bhambhri | The Pioneer | April 10, 2007
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=OPED&file_name=opd3%2Etxt&counter_img=3 India's foreign policy cannot move forward without the resolution of its disputes with Pakistan and China. This situation of 'neighbourly' distrust cannot be changed without overcoming the historical memories of the Jammu & Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan and China's ambitions of becoming an Asian superpower. The 14th SAARC summit has once again substantiated the fact that India, Pakistan and China are pulling in different directions. This is the reason why, unlike other regional associations, SAARC has always been engaged in discussing peripheral issues, leaving contentious ones for bilateral discussions. The eight-member SAARC summit ended without any fireworks or public display of inter-regional hostilities. This became possible because India and Pakistan have reached a conclusion that bilateral disputes can only be settled by long and rigorous negotiations. The two countries have realised that any war, conventional or otherwise, for conflict-resolution is no longer an option after the nuclearisation of the subcontinent. The New Delhi summit was held when every member-state is not only engaged in combating cross-border terrorism, but also facing challenges from domestic practitioners of violence. India is grappling with violence practised by Maoists, Sri Lanka is facing an ethnic civil war and Gen Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is riding dangerously on the back of Islamic fundamentalists. President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan is fighting a bitter war against Pakistan- based and indigenous Taliban groups. As far as Bangladesh is concerned, it has often been accused of being soft on Islamist terrorists, inimical to India's interests. South Asia is trying to grapple with the changed scenario of the 21st century. One aspect of the new reality was witnessed at the Delhi SAARC summit, in which China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union and the United States were invited as "observers". The very fact the Russia was absent from the summit is a clear evidence of the fact that a new global order has emerged after the collapse of erstwhile Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War has led to the emergence of the US-led unipolar world order. This new reality has impacted every country of the world and without exception, SAARC is keen to 'integrate' its economies and strategic doctrines with the sole superpower. The Karzai Government in Afghanistan and the military dictatorship of Gen Musharraf will collapse like a house of cards without the US's assistance. India has abandoned its traditional foreign policy of non-alignment and is negotiating with the US on the issue of nuclear energy. Without America's sanction, the Nuclear Suppliers Group will not cooperate with any country on the issue of nuclear energy. No wonder India, as a leading member of SAARC, has welcomed the US as an 'observer' for the summit. Every country in the South Asian region is standing in a queue to integrate itself with the US. In contrast, the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) has been facing difficulties in its implementation. This fact has been testified by a World Bank Study of 2007 on "South Asia Growth and Regional Integration". This World Bank report says that inter-regional and intra-regional trade promotion has many hurdles to cross before SAFTA can become an integrative force. The Annual Report of the Ministry of Defence Affairs, 2006-07, says, "India is continuing to have security concerns with Pakistan on cross-border terrorism. Terrorist groups continue to operate freely in Pakistan. They also find shelter, support and training for operations across the LoC from elements in Pakistan." India's worries about Pakistan do not end with the problem of cross-border terrorism. The Annual Report adds, "The Chinese assistance to Pakistan's nuclear and missile programmes has been a matter of concern as it has adversely impacted on India's national security environment. India keeps an eye on China's help to Pakistan's nuclear plan". So, the fact of the matter is that India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China are all facing a mutual "confidence deficit" which can only be overcome by sustained negotiations. It is too simplistic to suggest that growing economic interdependence in the region facilitates the emergence of good neighbourly relations. After all, politics, and not economics, alone can break barriers of mutual discord. Unlike the EU, SAARC was formed amid clouds of suspicion, hostility and fear. Its latest summit has clearly shown that a low level of confidence exists among the member-states which have to cross many hurdles before ushering in normalcy in the region.
