Renegotiating Alternative Integration Model in the SAARC

Abstract

The regional cooperation process in South Asia had been triggered by failure of North–South Negotiations of the 1960s and 1970s; emergence of South–South Dialogues among the developing countries in the 1980s; urge to harnessing huge potentials of ‘region-ness’ and smaller countries’ bid to create regional platform to deflect and minimize their perceptions about Indian ‘hegemonic’ practices. Since the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was launched in 1985, 18 summit meetings have taken place and its declarations are perfect official documents. However, in achievement front, there is little to demonstrate. Nothing much has percolated down to societies and communities. Dismal commitments, protracted India–Pakistan imbroglios, principle of ‘unanimity’ and dearth of coordination among national and sectoral focal points have stunted its growth. Besides fear of Indian domination, severe institutional weaknesses, poor alignment of the SAARC issues with national priorities, absence of monitoring and evaluation and deficiency in acceptable and visionary regional leadership have added to its laggardness. Activities are just initiated as summit rituals. Model and existing mechanisms that have been used to develop SAARC itself have very strong limitations. Unless the regional partners rethink about the innovative model and pragmatic modalities, the SAARC would remain moribund and decrepit. In such an atmosphere, the extra-regional forces will inevitably emerge as another pole of attraction.