John Samuel
Imagine a New South Asia- where borders will be transformed in to bridges and bonding; where all children will go to school, where no one will go to bed hungry; where the human rights of minorities will be respected; where there will be more prosperity and peace, rather than war and violence; where people can rise above the narrow walls and interest to share a common destiny of the peoples’ of South Asia-one the biggest resources of people, culture and civilzational space in the world.
Let us imagine a new South Asia- that can transform itself and the world. Let us imagine with passion and conviction about the immense possibilities of a South Asia driven by prosperity, peace, democracy and mutual trust; a South Asia, where the autonomy and sovereignty of each country will be respected and at the same time we together seek to mould common futures based on shared commitment, interest , culture and a passion to transform our challenges in to opportunities, our poverty in to prosperity and our deeply entrenched mistrusts in to a sense of trust and mutual respect.
Many skeptics may say that it is a romantic dream- devoid of any sense of reality. However, dreams can be the beginning of a new dawn. In a growing climate of cynicism, young people should not lose the ability to dream about a New South Asia. Dreams can dare to challenge the constraints of past and present. We need to dream about a new South Asia- we need new dreams to heal the wounds that haunt us; we need a new dream that can transform our agonies and mistrust. My generation does not have to be the prisoners of the past. We can indeed be the shapers and makers of future- as shared sense of future of a New South Asia, with a new sense of political and poetical imagination. We need to rediscover a new poetry and politics in this primordial melting pot of cultures, languages, civilizations and human history.
The old South Asia is the balance sheet of the power equations that emerged out the rather the brutal process of decolonizing. Now it is time to outgrow from the past baggage of negativity - negatively defining our own different national identities- and of the deep mistrust that got nurtured by the powerful forces and countries of the world. As long as the countries in South Asia are more in to a mode of undermining each other and in to mindless arms race, we all will be dependent more on other powerful countries for aid, arms and arbitration. The issues of poverty, politics of exclusion, communalism, extremist nationalism, discrimination, and environmental crisis in the region are very much interwoven and intermingled. While the neo-liberalization had created a minuscule minority of upward mobile urban upper middle class, the balance sheet of neo-liberal policy prescriptions does not look bright. There is growing inequality, displacement, trafficking, conflicts and violence. The aggressive neo-liberalism not only undermined the small farmers, and small scale agriculture, it has also created a large vulnerable middle class- who have not gained much out of the of the economic globalization. More deprived rural farmers and an increasing number of vulnerable middle class, particularly young among them, fall pray to various kind of religious fundamentalism. The reactionary politics of “negativism’ and religious fundamentalism is often turned against the immediate “other” or the “other” neighboring country. This negative sense of identity and “patriotism’ perpetuates a social psychology of mistrust as well as a tendency to “externalize” the problem and blame it on the immediate neighboring country. It is an easier short-cut for a political class who will rather blame others rather than taking responsibility to address problem or an issue with a positive agenda. It is easier to mobilize the people against a perceived “other” or an “imagined” enemy. Such politics of hate and mistrust tend to mobilize the semi-literate or illiterate masses against another country- or an imagined enemy within or across the border. They transplant their “patriotism’ to a game of cricket or to allegation against “illegal” migrants from across the border. In most of the countries in the region, national identity or “patriotism’ is not defined in terms of positive identification with culture, people and history. Patriotism” is often identified in negative relation to another country in the region. So the “indianess” is defined in negative relation to Pakistan or Bangladesh or the other way around. It is important to develop a sense of South Asian identity beyond our own sense of imbibed sense of “nationalism”. We need to exorcise the ghosts of the past within our mind and political discourse. We, as South Asians, have much more in common – in terms of language, culture, food, music and tastes- than any set of people in this world. Hence, it is important to find lasting solutions based on mutual cooperation, collaboration and joint efforts to address the issues of inequities, injustice, mistrust and conflicts in the region.
The fact of the matter is that largest number of poor people live in South Asia. We as a region is most vulnerable to natural, social and political disasters. There is whole range of violent politics and range of extremism and terrorism in South Asia. Conflicts over natural resources, identity and inequality are on the rise in South Asia. While most of the governments give lip-service about SAARC, no one seriously invest in making SAARC a viable and effective South Asia forum. Unless we challenge and change this situation, South Asian countries will remain poor, with a growing club of few billionaires. The growing sense of injustice and inequality will perpetuate new conflicts, spiraling defense expenditure and undermine democracy and development across South Asia.
The primary responsibility of challenging and changing the condition to a large extend will depend on the attitude and approach of India to its neighboring countries. India is perceived as a hegemonic and arrogant power by most of the people and governments in South Asia. And there is a deep sense of mutual mistrust and mutual undermining between Pakistan and India. Such a situation makes SAARC as one of the most ineffective regional forums in the world. Transforming this situation demands a transformation of the approach and attitude of the government of India. India, with a growing economy, technology, and a democratic polity, can indeed play a much more enabling and empowering role in South Asia, instead of a hegemonic role and rather aggressive posturing. The first step towards lasting peace in the region is to develop workable and realistic solutions to entrenched conflicts in Kashmir and Sri Lanka, without undermining the sovereignty and integrity of the countries involved in the conflicts. This also means evolving a broader framework for addressing issues of conflicts within countries.
However, the firs step towards such a process should involve developing a set of positive social and cultural agenda that can be owned by all countries of the region. It is important for India and Pakistan to reach a common minimum programme to reduce the conflicts and mistrust. Though there has been significant improvement in the relationship between these two countries, they are not good enough to transform rather depressing situation of the region. Once there is more trust and mutually enabling attitude between these countries divided by a sort of iron curtain, it is indeed possible to develop a clear South Asian agenda and joint programme, with support of Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives, to ensure poverty eradication, universal education, technology transfer and disaster mitigation initiatives. It is also imperative for South Asia to develop a framework for human rights.
While a South Asian Federation may be an idea whose time has come, it is important to work towards creating enabling conditions for such process among the peoples and governments of South Asia. It is important to unleash our positive potential on a set of positive social and political agenda. The first step towards is to create enabling environment for free movement of people, and to begin with provisions for visa on arrival in all countries.
Here are seven possible policy options towards paving the way for a New South Asia:
1) A South Asian People’s Parliament. It is indeed possible to conceive a South Asian people’s parliament where there will be a sense of equal grounding for the big and small countries of the region- where different sections of the people can be represented. This process can evolve over a period of five to ten year, though it is possible to make a modest beginning of South Asian People’s Parliament. One can learn lessons form European Parliament and Africa Union. This parliament can discuss key issues that confront the region and come out with common policy framework and solution on social and economic sectors.
2) A South Asian Education Fund: The key for unleashing the potential of South Asia lies in univeralisation of education and a joint investment in higher education, science and technology. This would enable the emergence of an educated middle class across South Asia. The presence of educated, enlightened and liberal middle class is indeed important for the sustenance and growth of democracy and economic development in the region. India can play a role in initiating this Fund, and also helping to establish Institutions of excellence for science, technology and management in different countries of South Asia.
3) South Asian Climate Change Management and Disaster Mitigation Framework. The issues of climate change and natural disasters in the region will have an impact across the borders. Environmental impacts and natural disasters do not respect any national “borders” and hence there is a need for a joint fund and mechanism to address the causes and consequence of environmental crisis and natural disasters.
4) South Asia Poverty Eradication Programme. Poverty is one of the crucial stumbling blocks for peace and regional cooperation in South Asia. If there is a joint fund, joint framework and joint effort to address issues of poverty through shared policy framework and approach that can indeed bring positive dividends for peace and prosperity in South Asia. As long as our countries have entrenched poverty, inequality and injustice, we will not be able to move towards a vision of peaceful, prosperous and peoples’ South Asia.
5) A South Asian Charter on Human Rights will help to develop a framework to protect the rights of minorities in each of the countries, and also ensure a framework for realizing the Economic, Social and Cultural rights of people.
6) A South Asian Economic Management Framework. This could include a mutually enabling and supporting trade framework, a shard framework for fiscal policy, a possible South Asian currency and a joint framework for supporting economic growth of each country through developing knowledge, technology and an optimal market.
7) A South Asia Charter on Human Right to Food for supporting small agriculture and regional buffer stock of food to address potential food crisis.
The idea and imagination of a New South Asia will have to be discussed and debated among peoples of South Asia. People across South Asia will have to be mobilized for towards a new vision of peaceful, prosperous and peoples South Asia- a South Asia without poverty where every person and community can live with a sense of dignity. It is imperative for India to bring about a paradigm shift in its approach in the region, to transform itself from a hegemonic and arrogant power to an enabling and supporting country that can treat all its neighboring countries as equal in letter and spirit.
It is time to rediscover the dream of Rabindranath Tagore:
WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
It is time to rekindle a politics of hope. We need to go beyond the politics of protest and mistrust to a new politics of proposals and politics of transformation. We need to make a new tryst with destiny in South Asia.
Imagine a New South Asia- where borders will be transformed in to bridges and bonding; where all children will go to school, where no one will go to bed hungry; where the human rights of minorities will be respected; where there will be more prosperity and peace, rather than war and violence; where people can rise above the narrow walls and interest to share a common destiny of the peoples’ of South Asia-one the biggest resources of people, culture and civilzational space in the world.
Let us imagine a new South Asia- that can transform itself and the world. Let us imagine with passion and conviction about the immense possibilities of a South Asia driven by prosperity, peace, democracy and mutual trust; a South Asia, where the autonomy and sovereignty of each country will be respected and at the same time we together seek to mould common futures based on shared commitment, interest , culture and a passion to transform our challenges in to opportunities, our poverty in to prosperity and our deeply entrenched mistrusts in to a sense of trust and mutual respect.
Many skeptics may say that it is a romantic dream- devoid of any sense of reality. However, dreams can be the beginning of a new dawn. In a growing climate of cynicism, young people should not lose the ability to dream about a New South Asia. Dreams can dare to challenge the constraints of past and present. We need to dream about a new South Asia- we need new dreams to heal the wounds that haunt us; we need a new dream that can transform our agonies and mistrust. My generation does not have to be the prisoners of the past. We can indeed be the shapers and makers of future- as shared sense of future of a New South Asia, with a new sense of political and poetical imagination. We need to rediscover a new poetry and politics in this primordial melting pot of cultures, languages, civilizations and human history.
The old South Asia is the balance sheet of the power equations that emerged out the rather the brutal process of decolonizing. Now it is time to outgrow from the past baggage of negativity - negatively defining our own different national identities- and of the deep mistrust that got nurtured by the powerful forces and countries of the world. As long as the countries in South Asia are more in to a mode of undermining each other and in to mindless arms race, we all will be dependent more on other powerful countries for aid, arms and arbitration. The issues of poverty, politics of exclusion, communalism, extremist nationalism, discrimination, and environmental crisis in the region are very much interwoven and intermingled. While the neo-liberalization had created a minuscule minority of upward mobile urban upper middle class, the balance sheet of neo-liberal policy prescriptions does not look bright. There is growing inequality, displacement, trafficking, conflicts and violence. The aggressive neo-liberalism not only undermined the small farmers, and small scale agriculture, it has also created a large vulnerable middle class- who have not gained much out of the of the economic globalization. More deprived rural farmers and an increasing number of vulnerable middle class, particularly young among them, fall pray to various kind of religious fundamentalism. The reactionary politics of “negativism’ and religious fundamentalism is often turned against the immediate “other” or the “other” neighboring country. This negative sense of identity and “patriotism’ perpetuates a social psychology of mistrust as well as a tendency to “externalize” the problem and blame it on the immediate neighboring country. It is an easier short-cut for a political class who will rather blame others rather than taking responsibility to address problem or an issue with a positive agenda. It is easier to mobilize the people against a perceived “other” or an “imagined” enemy. Such politics of hate and mistrust tend to mobilize the semi-literate or illiterate masses against another country- or an imagined enemy within or across the border. They transplant their “patriotism’ to a game of cricket or to allegation against “illegal” migrants from across the border. In most of the countries in the region, national identity or “patriotism’ is not defined in terms of positive identification with culture, people and history. Patriotism” is often identified in negative relation to another country in the region. So the “indianess” is defined in negative relation to Pakistan or Bangladesh or the other way around. It is important to develop a sense of South Asian identity beyond our own sense of imbibed sense of “nationalism”. We need to exorcise the ghosts of the past within our mind and political discourse. We, as South Asians, have much more in common – in terms of language, culture, food, music and tastes- than any set of people in this world. Hence, it is important to find lasting solutions based on mutual cooperation, collaboration and joint efforts to address the issues of inequities, injustice, mistrust and conflicts in the region.
The fact of the matter is that largest number of poor people live in South Asia. We as a region is most vulnerable to natural, social and political disasters. There is whole range of violent politics and range of extremism and terrorism in South Asia. Conflicts over natural resources, identity and inequality are on the rise in South Asia. While most of the governments give lip-service about SAARC, no one seriously invest in making SAARC a viable and effective South Asia forum. Unless we challenge and change this situation, South Asian countries will remain poor, with a growing club of few billionaires. The growing sense of injustice and inequality will perpetuate new conflicts, spiraling defense expenditure and undermine democracy and development across South Asia.
The primary responsibility of challenging and changing the condition to a large extend will depend on the attitude and approach of India to its neighboring countries. India is perceived as a hegemonic and arrogant power by most of the people and governments in South Asia. And there is a deep sense of mutual mistrust and mutual undermining between Pakistan and India. Such a situation makes SAARC as one of the most ineffective regional forums in the world. Transforming this situation demands a transformation of the approach and attitude of the government of India. India, with a growing economy, technology, and a democratic polity, can indeed play a much more enabling and empowering role in South Asia, instead of a hegemonic role and rather aggressive posturing. The first step towards lasting peace in the region is to develop workable and realistic solutions to entrenched conflicts in Kashmir and Sri Lanka, without undermining the sovereignty and integrity of the countries involved in the conflicts. This also means evolving a broader framework for addressing issues of conflicts within countries.
However, the firs step towards such a process should involve developing a set of positive social and cultural agenda that can be owned by all countries of the region. It is important for India and Pakistan to reach a common minimum programme to reduce the conflicts and mistrust. Though there has been significant improvement in the relationship between these two countries, they are not good enough to transform rather depressing situation of the region. Once there is more trust and mutually enabling attitude between these countries divided by a sort of iron curtain, it is indeed possible to develop a clear South Asian agenda and joint programme, with support of Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives, to ensure poverty eradication, universal education, technology transfer and disaster mitigation initiatives. It is also imperative for South Asia to develop a framework for human rights.
While a South Asian Federation may be an idea whose time has come, it is important to work towards creating enabling conditions for such process among the peoples and governments of South Asia. It is important to unleash our positive potential on a set of positive social and political agenda. The first step towards is to create enabling environment for free movement of people, and to begin with provisions for visa on arrival in all countries.
Here are seven possible policy options towards paving the way for a New South Asia:
1) A South Asian People’s Parliament. It is indeed possible to conceive a South Asian people’s parliament where there will be a sense of equal grounding for the big and small countries of the region- where different sections of the people can be represented. This process can evolve over a period of five to ten year, though it is possible to make a modest beginning of South Asian People’s Parliament. One can learn lessons form European Parliament and Africa Union. This parliament can discuss key issues that confront the region and come out with common policy framework and solution on social and economic sectors.
2) A South Asian Education Fund: The key for unleashing the potential of South Asia lies in univeralisation of education and a joint investment in higher education, science and technology. This would enable the emergence of an educated middle class across South Asia. The presence of educated, enlightened and liberal middle class is indeed important for the sustenance and growth of democracy and economic development in the region. India can play a role in initiating this Fund, and also helping to establish Institutions of excellence for science, technology and management in different countries of South Asia.
3) South Asian Climate Change Management and Disaster Mitigation Framework. The issues of climate change and natural disasters in the region will have an impact across the borders. Environmental impacts and natural disasters do not respect any national “borders” and hence there is a need for a joint fund and mechanism to address the causes and consequence of environmental crisis and natural disasters.
4) South Asia Poverty Eradication Programme. Poverty is one of the crucial stumbling blocks for peace and regional cooperation in South Asia. If there is a joint fund, joint framework and joint effort to address issues of poverty through shared policy framework and approach that can indeed bring positive dividends for peace and prosperity in South Asia. As long as our countries have entrenched poverty, inequality and injustice, we will not be able to move towards a vision of peaceful, prosperous and peoples’ South Asia.
5) A South Asian Charter on Human Rights will help to develop a framework to protect the rights of minorities in each of the countries, and also ensure a framework for realizing the Economic, Social and Cultural rights of people.
6) A South Asian Economic Management Framework. This could include a mutually enabling and supporting trade framework, a shard framework for fiscal policy, a possible South Asian currency and a joint framework for supporting economic growth of each country through developing knowledge, technology and an optimal market.
7) A South Asia Charter on Human Right to Food for supporting small agriculture and regional buffer stock of food to address potential food crisis.
The idea and imagination of a New South Asia will have to be discussed and debated among peoples of South Asia. People across South Asia will have to be mobilized for towards a new vision of peaceful, prosperous and peoples South Asia- a South Asia without poverty where every person and community can live with a sense of dignity. It is imperative for India to bring about a paradigm shift in its approach in the region, to transform itself from a hegemonic and arrogant power to an enabling and supporting country that can treat all its neighboring countries as equal in letter and spirit.
It is time to rediscover the dream of Rabindranath Tagore:
WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake
It is time to rekindle a politics of hope. We need to go beyond the politics of protest and mistrust to a new politics of proposals and politics of transformation. We need to make a new tryst with destiny in South Asia.
1 comment:
This is a good idea.Congrats and wish success.I had an idea I devoloped Ten acres of Land 27 buildings,aplace to live 100 persons,46 orphans and mentaly,socially,suicide tendency people Lived peacefully.NOCERGRAAM is closed in the name of a Labor strike.Kerala has some more difference from other parts of the world,I wam at kannur and your Dreams at pathanamthitta.It will success since one of the Richest district in India,Less political Goondaisam,Less religious action and GREAT ABOUT 30 LAKHS COMING From all over the world to see LORD AYYAPPA and 20 lakhs for the Maramon Convention.The Biggest Church in Kodumon,the Chilanthi kshetram only one temple at Kodumon,You can connect all this for a GREAT SUCCESS.Congrats once more.nocermathew(Ashokafellow)
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