Revitalizing Moribund SAARC
Is SAARC still functional? If no, then will this functional crisis manifest into an existential crisis.? These are the questions which the founding fathers of SAARC may had never envisaged to be confronted. But this is stern and lamenting reality. Whether it will dissipate turning obsolete or protract liveliness with robust survival, that is the question that will solely be answered by impending events. The last summit was held in Nepal in 2024, Since then no summit of SAARC is organized nor is seeming to be happened. The 19th summit was scheduled to be happened in Pakistan.
1977 is the important date for SAARC because Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev came up with concept of coordination for ungrounding the natural resources of South Asian country for their welfare. Later, as an outcome of 15 important discussions SAARC formally embarked its existence on 8th December 1985 signing charter. The SAARC used to be inflicted with a provoking tag "Poor Peoples Club", but the initiation that it incepted in various fields were apt to be bolstered, though progress strides were as same as tortoise walk.
Despite being built with such ambitions, it's a matter of abomination to witness this dilapidated and precarious future of this organization. It co-opts the both the nations, India and Pakistan between whom inimical and hostile relation exist since fraction of unified India. So the revival of SAARC imperatively depends on the amelioration of this hostility. Any sings regarding revamping of this relation are there or not? We can emphatically and indubitably say, "No". This may seem articulately apprehensive but the voices explicitly welling from Indian bigwigs resonates the latter answer.
March 2, 2024, while engaging in interactive session of a think-tank, the renowned figure of International diplomatic realm and Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar regarding the revival of SAARC made a statement, where he rules out rejuvenation of this regional organization inculpating Pakistan for backing terrorism. The largest contributor of SAARC has shown no interest towards leveraging it. The rusted engine is desperately demanding grease that can only be rendered at the cost of culmination of antagonizing situation of India and Pakistan.
India is trotting to be throned as the sole leader of South Asia. Pakistan, albeit doesn’t seem to be standing on the battle ground but the best option for India to seclude Pakistan yonder away from this race is to be part of organization where it can lead. "BIMSTEC is supplanting SAARC", this can be a hasty statement if any eccentric and supernatural event happened and get efficacy to turn SAARC functional, otherwise gazing at the looming scenarios it would be prudent and coherence statement regarding the future of this organization. BIMSTEC, a sectoral organization that is turning more effective in every passing day. SAARC if executed with joint synergy of all members then it holds copious potential greater than that of BIMSTEC. So, the moribund situation of SAARC at the same time nought or fiasco initiations from other members are becoming the salient factors to turn the situation into despair and foreboding reality. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is singed between signatories of BIMSTEC, at the same time on other flank SAFTA is turning impotence. Devise of transforming SAPTA to SAFTA to Custom union to free market to economic union to total integrated market among south Asian countries is becoming daydream of idle dreamers.
18 points agreement concluded during 18th summit in Nepal emphasized on steps to establish SAARC economic union and various points were concluded regarding the steps to come. All will be inane and futile if this caucus become shriveled in this short lifespan.
If SAARC members crave for the survival of this organization, then the contemporary necessity of time that is indispensable to be done is to have Summit Diplomacy. Making the top leaders to be perched in the meeting table for rectifying every issue of dissension and discord maintaining nexus of allegiance among each other.
If India has scorn to etch the trajectory and resurrect the organization, then no impetus can be of ample energy to drift towards its survival. So, ingratiating India is the sole medium. Does any SAARC member have that ability to conduct shuttle diplomacy to culminate this cold era? No, is the straightforward reply if not then this question is too intricate to answer. Because if any arbitrator hoists his hand, then he has to dealt with bond sullied due to tiff, terrorism, extremism, turbulence etc. So, it's insurmountable problem nonetheless not insolvable. Bangladesh though current Yunus interim government seems to adhere with Pakistan, its relationship with India is getting sabotaged every passing second. The facts insinuate Bangladesh isn't in the list. Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives also can't be co-opted in the list of arbitrators. Only remaining option is Nepal, and it is lamenting reality that we don't have such significance in atmosphere of South Asia as we used to. The attrition of Nepal's dialogue capacity and Diplomatic exercise can't endow us the power, not for sorting issues out but to forward proposals in table too. Absolutely our ambiguous relation with India that witness upheavals simultaneously with the change of government with different ideology. This hints the necessity of opting policies whose pivot and targets don't change in every nine months with opportunistic political realm.
SAARC must not be supplanted at any cost. But it's a matter of paradox that it is becoming feeble, and no treatment is making its acuteness 19 from 20. At present, espying the events that will go on developing is the only avenue to take on.
-Manoj Aryal
Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu
9867878854
(Dear Sir/madam, please consider publishing my article.)
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