South Asia should embrace the bellwether moment

IN 1971, it was our view that when a neighbour is under a genocidal attack, it is our responsibility to liberate it with support from its beleaguered masses for an enduring political settlement. It was a humanitarian intervention. The Pakistani surrender then was to a Joint Command.

Besides liberation, an update to the UN Charter took birth. It led to the UN enunciating the principle of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’. In Michael Walzer’s seminal work, Just and Unjust Wars, it was ‘a just war’.

Among the many strategic lessons (so eloquently articulated in the article by Asoke Mukerji, published in The Tribune on August 12), we also provided an object lesson in POW treatment with implicit application of the Geneva Convention. Also, that in conflict situations, military rule will always be bested by democracies, especially when barbarism is countered by humanism — our core value.

Additionally, the world also witnessed that religious exceptionalism notwithstanding, the fight for equity and human dignity is supreme. Everything else is secondary.

Half a century later, in 2024, it is time to build on it because the world has changed. Echoing our PM — “this is not an era of war” — it is again time to set the course. The canvas of operations has widened.

The movement in Bangladesh, and in large tracts of our neighbourhood, is a turning point for South Asia, as it is in most parts of the world.

The happenings across the world are a reminder that peace, prosperity and development cannot be sacrificed at the altar of security threats, both imagined and real.

Covid-19, climate change and conflict have already taken their toll, with the last two seeing a rise each passing day. The worst is yet to come.

In each case, the greatest loss is to the citizen. The citizen should be the nucleus around whom we need to build a security wrap or else the edifice will fall. Material gain and territory cannot replace the primacy of the citizen. Of course, territory is linked to self-esteem; it can never be conceded, but there are times when the citizen occupies primacy of place. That time is now.

Every democracy should use the moment to introspect, apply self-correctives and then help carve a trajectory that is both instructive and exemplifies the idea that the world is one. Unity in diversity is the key and the wellbeing of the citizen, above all else, is the first call of any elected government.

We are blessed — our foundation is rooted in diversity. We cherish democracy. Now the largest in the region both in size and economy, we also have a responsibility. We need to embrace the moment and help make South Asia a knowledge powerhouse — first for the good of all within, and in so doing share its contribution beyond.

There will be buy-in from the youth everywhere — if it brings for them a civilisational touch; not mercantilist, but principled and based on values. A renaissance, not a revolution, a tide that is seen as lifting all boats within and without.

All our neighbours stand at a Y junction — in the enlightened interest of the two billion that reside here, we have a shared responsibility. If we, the 1.4 billion, don’t take the lead, the military-industrial complexes of the world will ready the altar — and then feast — because we can’t unite at the civilisational level.

We now need a ‘South Asia Peace Prosperity Democracy Zone’ (SAPPDZ), with every member reserving the right to join whatever else, with the proviso that it is not inimical to the democratic interests of the zone.

We have been ambivalent about having such a structure of dialogue and cooperation take root in South Asia. Our participation in the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) from 1999 was with this in mind. Unfortunately, not many practitioners in India are interested in this.

Our preference is for bilateral diplomacy, even though, at times, it has negative consequences. Our experience in Kabul in August 2021, then in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and now Bangladesh all illustrate this. Perhaps a South Asian structure will help call the bluff among those neighbours who use threat as an alibi for gaming others.

As the world’s largest democracy, and soon to be the third largest economy, we have a responsibility to help raise the South Asian flag as a model for the world.

The SAPPDZ charter should at the minimum include the following:

Fostering inclusivity: Advocate policies that reduce inequality, ensuring that economic growth benefits all segments of society in the region.

Championing education and innovation: By supporting education and technological innovation, India can help transform South Asia into a hub of knowledge and creativity.

Cultural diplomacy: India should leverage the region’s rich cultural heritage to build stronger ties with its neighbours, fostering a sense of regional identity and unity.

Shared progress: All nations should contribute to making the region a model for the world in terms of peace, prosperity and sustainable development.

Respect for sovereignty: Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, encouraging dialogue over disputes rather than conflict.

Commitment to democracy: Promote democratic values based on equal participation in the region, expecting neighbouring countries to uphold human rights, hold free and fair elections, ensure transparent governance and an apolitical military.

Cooperation: In regional projects that aim at shared prosperity, such as infrastructure development and healthcare.

Sports: With India setting its sights on hosting the 2036 Olympics, it should be our joint vision to see every South Asian nation on the podium. Nothing unites people more than sports.

Disaster relief: With disasters, both natural and man-made, on the rise, this should be the ‘911’ for the region.

Mao Zedong is famously supposed to have said: “The East wind prevails over the West wind”, and it is TN Ninan’s view that in the global power balance now, “the East wind is blowing harder than before”.

However, as the world’s largest democracy, India needs to make a stronger contribution to the East wind. A globalisation of our civilisational thought — non-aggressive, benign, non-threatening, sharing and caring, blowing East and West — with knowledge as the legal tender.

We have a proud track record. With the contribution of the concept of ‘zero’, our wind blew East and West. Imagine where the world would be without it. Now, it is time to generate the next wave — knowledge-led.

It should be South Asia’s contribution to the East wind that blows in all directions to bridge the yawning happiness gap for all those left behind — in India and in our neighbourhood, not forgetting the Global South.

The author is a member of the Tribune Trust