South Asia: Sub-Regions and regional connectivity
The Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) has just concluded a regional dialogue in Thimpu in Bhutan on connecting South Asia within and with the neighbouring regions. Undoubtedly, problems are plenty in connecting the region within and with Southeast Asia and Central Asia, but what needs to be done? Neither the ASEAN nor the European Union got integrated in a day; can South Asia learn from the other regions, and devise its own strategies to connect within and with the neighbours? In particular, what role could the sub-regions of every country play in connecting with the other country?
The fact that the South Asians have to use Bangkok or Dubai to travel within the region will highlight how poorly we are connected. Consider the following: if someone has to travel from Pakistan to Maldives or Bhutan, he or she will have to travel to Dubai or Bangkok first, before returning to South Asia. Or, for someone to fly from Colombo to Kathmandu, they will have to go via Singapore or Bangkok. Infact, Thai Airways fly to most of the capitals in South Asia, than any of the national airlines in the region.
Why we are so poorly connected? Given the low cost for air travel and budget flights, the cost cannot be a reason for poor connectivity. Despite the market, there is not much of movement within South Asia. Travel restrictions, especially the tough visa regime in South Asia play a crucial role in the low connectivity within the region. When compared to Southeast Asia or Europe, South Asia should have the poorest visa regime, obstructing travel within. While the travel between Nepal, India and Sri Lanka are relatively easier, there is hardly any legal movement between Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
While there are multiple reasons for the above problem, the objective of this commentary is to focus on what the sub-regions within each country in South Asia could do to pressurize their national capitals to move faster in linking the region within and with the neighbours. For example, J&K, Sikkim, West Bengal and Northeast in India will have to play an active role in convincing New Delhi to open up to the neighbouring countries.
The neighbouring regions and countries will appear differently when seen from Guwahati, Kolkata, Srinagar, Leh and Gangtok. These regions may be far both physically and emotionally from New Delhi, but closer to the neigbours. For example, flying from Chennai to Singapore, or Guwahati to Bangkok may be faster than flying to Delhi. Emotional, cultural and historical linkages between the Northeast and Southeast Asia may be substantial from the rest of India. Similarly Ladakh and Sikkim will have more linkages with Tibet than the rest of India. The monasteries, art, paintings, religion, history and legends in Sikkim, Ladakh and Tibet will tales of interconnectivity that existed until the last century. Same will be the case between West Bengal, Bangladesh and Northeast.
While New Delhi views the neighbours primarily through a political prism and bilateral relations, sub-regions of India have failed to come up with an actionable plan that could pressurise India to take this connectivity forward. It is more in the interest of the sub-regions of India than New Delhi, that the borders are better connected and economically inter-linked. While an open border and unlimited travel across them may be ultimately desirable, it may not take place in the near future. However, what we could work towards is for more connecting points, better movement across the border, and economic integration of the border regions. Border trade could easily be managed across the existing boundaries.
While the political relations between India and the neighbouring countries will play a crucial role in how New Delhi perceives these border interactions and economic integration, one should also agree that the perceptions in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) have changed considerably in the last few years, and remain positive today. Hence, there is a window of opening and opportunity to prepare an actionable plan that India could consider implementing vis-a-vis the neighbours in terms of border connectivity and economic integration of the sub-regions across the national boundaries.
While the secretariat and chief ministers in the sub-regions are more politically intertwined with the home and defence ministries, their interaction with the foreign ministries have been insignificant. The States will have to exert more pressure on the Centre; for example, the PDP and NC regimes have taken up cross-LoC interactions the bus service and the trade, but will have to play a proactive role in taking them forward. The cross-LoC trade for instance, could be strengthened with more items and proper financial facilities to facilitate the process further.
In the case of border trade in Sikkim (vis-a-vis Tibet) and cross-LoC trade in J&K, it is easier to blame New Delhi for taking this process in the right direction. Rightly so. But besides blaming the other and accusing of failing to protect the regional interests, what positive contributions have been made so far? Preparing a memorandum of what should be done, or what is the local perception is not sufficient. There is a need to attempt a roadmap, with tangible goals and economic benefits; if this could be linked to a positive political fallout in bilateral relationships, it would take the process a long way.
The academic institutions and media have a very important role to play in this process. Unfortunately, our University PhDs are looking into historical connections and contemporary political problems, rather than attempting benefits of linkages, and innovative ways to make the borders as bridges vis-a-vis the neighbouring regions. The media is so embroiled in what is going wrong than what could be a way out. The research institutes and think tanks in regions are non-existent, or have limited capacity to influence.
The sub-regional initiatives then will have to get integrated with regional networks. The Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) is one such regional network, attempting to bring the region closer.
Brining South Asia together should be the objective of everyone; the sub-regions will have to play an active role, for they are the bridges. Historically, culturally and economically, they have remained the bridges and gateways. Let us work together the re-ignite the past glory.
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