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The much-anticipated 16th SAARC Summit was held in the Bhutanese capital Thimpu on April 28 and 29. In line with the theme of the summit - "Towards a green and happy South Asia," leaders pledged support and cooperation for the welfare and socio-economic advancement of the people of the region.
Reflecting the host country Bhutan's ideology of GNP-Gross National Happiness - there was much talk about fulfilling the aspirations and social and economic needs of the people of South Asia. Ironically, however, so far the common man does not see much hope for himself across the region. Politicians in Nepal continue to wrangle over drafting a new constitution, Pakistan continues to face a volatile internal situation, the insurgent Naxalites are gaining strength in India apart from the country's other serious problems, the gulf between the Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka still needs to be bridged, the Maldives and Bangladesh face serious climatic threats while the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan hardly spells any happy prospects for the people at large.
Therefore, all that the people of South Asia can hope for is that this organization of regional cooperation is taken seriously by its member states, particularly the bigger players. While the organization provides an opportunity for the leaders to meet at least once a year, it is the people to people integration that can do wonders towards building the much sought after mutual cooperation that South Asia so badly needs.
In this context, particularly with reference to India and Pakistan, Track II has recently witnessed lots of positive results. Furthermore, the SAARC Chamber of Commerce holds periodic seminars and brainstorming sessions on trade facilitation in the region while SAARC speakers and parliamentarians meet quite regularly to discuss collaborative engagements. Similarly, South Asian painters and artists showcase their works in each other's countries and South Asian food festivals are regularly held in all major capitals.
Besides institutions and individuals, international organizations, educational institutions and NGOs, recognizing the growing importance and strategic significance of South Asia, have begun supporting a number of initiatives. Some German institutions such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) and Hans Seidel Foundation (HSF) have helped in promoting track II dialogue between South Asian academics, strategic analysts and think-tanks.
A Consortium of South Asian Think-tanks has been established with the support of the KAF-India office which met recently in Dhaka. Likewise, many globally renowned universities in the U.S., UK, Japan, Singapore and China have now opened up South Asia departments or institutes for the study of South Asian culture, religion, politics and economy.
The question is that if individuals can contribute so much to the cause of South Asianness, why cannot states go the extra mile to simplify visa procedures, facilitate people to people exchanges, ease travel restrictions and create a political atmosphere of trust and brotherhood?
Interestingly, while people within the region lament the lackluster performance of SAARC, countries located much afar, such as Mauritius, Iran, Australia and the Republic of Korea have attained observer status in SAARC and more countries are interested in joining it.
Why is it then that South Asian students still queue up for visas to study abroad while western students wish to learn our languages and culture? What is in our own region that we have forgotten to appreciate? When was the last time that we praised a fellow South Asian? And why is it that an informal approach has become more effective rather than the formal SAARC process?
The answer lies in the eyes of a small girl doing a painting at the Wagah border for a more peaceful and prosperous South Asia.
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