Soft, Porous or Rigid? Towards Stable Borders in South Asia

Abstract

Numerous suggestions and proposals have been made on how to manage the borders in South Asia. This article analyses these proposals, including soft and open borders, fencing and making borders irrelevant. With the concept of borders undergoing a tremendous change in the last two decades, the article first looks at how the concept of security has evolved and the role that borders play in the new strategic calculus. The article then adopts a historical perspective on the geopolitical and strategic ground realities relating to borders in South Asia. How did borders evolve in South Asia, what kind of movements have been taking place ever since, and how have these two factors shaped the security concerns of respective governments relating to borders? Finally, the article studies the applicability of various proposals and assesses the best border policy options available to states in South Asia, given the ground realities.