Contemporary South Asia 

What is South Asia

It is a region where rivalry and goodwill, hope and despair, mutual suspicion and trust coexist. It includes the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Himalayas in the north and the vast Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal in the south, west and east respectively provide a natural insularity to the region, which is largely responsible for the linguistic, social and cultural distinctiveness of the subcontinent. The various countries in South Asia do not have the same kind of political systems. Sri Lanka and India have successfully operated a democratic system since their independence from the British. Pakistan and Bangladesh have experienced both civilian and military rulers. Nepal was a constitutional monarchy with the danger of the king taking over executive powers. In 2008, the monarchy was abolished and Nepal emerged as a democratic republic. Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008. Under the leadership of the king, it emerged as a multi-party democracy. The Maldives, an island nation was a Sultanate till 1968 when it was transformed into a republic with a presidential form of government. In June 2005, the parliament of the Maldives introduced a multiparty system.

Experience of Democracy

Pakistan

After Pakistan framed its first constitution, General Ayub Khan took over the administration of the country. Dissatisfaction against his rule gave way to a military takeover once again under General Yahya Khan. After this, an elected government under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power in Pakistan from 1971 to 1977. The Bhutto government was removed by General Zia-ul-Haq in 1977 and he faced a pro-democracy movement from 1982 onwards. An elected democratic government was established once again in 1988 under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto. This phase of elective democracy lasted till 1999 when the army stepped in again and General Pervez Musharraf removed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan continued to be ruled by the army, though the army rulers have held some elections to give their rule a democratic image. Since 2008, democratically elected leaders have been ruling Pakistan. 

Factors responsible for failure of democracy in Pakistan: 

(i). The social dominance of the military, clergy, and landowning aristocracy has led to the frequent overthrow of elected governments. 

(ii). Pakistan’s conflict with India has made the pro-military groups more powerful.

(iii). The lack of genuine international support for democratic rule in Pakistan. For example: The United States and other Western countries have encouraged the military’s authoritarian rule for their own interests.

Despite this, there has been a strong pro-democracy sentiment in the country. Pakistan has a courageous and relatively free press and a strong human rights movement.

Bangladesh 

Independence of Bangladesh

Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan from 1947 to 1971 and it consisted of the partitioned areas of Bengal and Assam from British India. They resented the domination of western Pakistan and the imposition of the Urdu language. They protested against the unfair treatment meted out to the Bengali culture and language. They also demanded fair representation in administration and a fair share in political power. In the 1970 elections, the Awami League led by Sheikh Mujib secured a majority in the proposed constituent assembly for the whole of Pakistan. But the West Pakistani leadership refused to convene the assembly and Sheikh Mujib was arrested. Under military rule, the Pakistani army tried to suppress the mass movement of the Bengali people and killed thousands. This led to a large scale migration into India, creating a huge refugee problem for India. India supported the demand of the people of East Pakistan and this resulted in a war between India and Pakistan in December 1971 that ended in the surrender of the Pakistani forces and the formation of Bangladesh.

Evolution of Democracy

Bangladesh drafted its constitution declaring faith in secularism, democracy and socialism. However, in 1975 Sheikh Mujib amended the constitution to shift from the parliamentary to presidential form of government and abolished all parties except his own, the Awami League. This led to conflicts and tensions and he was assassinated in a military uprising in August 1975. The new military ruler, Ziaur Rahman, formed his own Bangladesh National Party and won elections in 1979. Later, he was assassinated in another military takeover. The people of Bangladesh soon rose in support of the demand for democracy. Elections were held in 1991 and since then representative democracy based on multi-party elections has been working in Bangladesh.

Nepal

Nepal was a Hindu kingdom in the past and then a constitutional monarchy in the modern period for many years. The king accepted the demand for a new democratic constitution in 1990. In the 1990s, there was a violent conflict between the Maoist guerrillas and the armed forces of the king. In 2002, the king abolished the parliament and dismissed the government, thus ending even the limited democracy that existed in Nepal. In April 2006, there were massive, country wide, pro democracy protests led by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), the Maoists and social activists.

Constitution of Nepal

Some sections in Nepal thought that a nominal monarchy was necessary for Nepal.  The Maoist groups agreed to suspend armed struggle and they wanted radical programmes of social and economic restructuring. In 2008, Nepal became a democratic republic after abolishing the monarchy. In 2015, it adopted a new constitution.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has retained democracy since its independence in 1948. But it faced a serious challenge, from an ethnic conflict leading to the demand for secession by one of the regions. Representatives of the majority Sinhala community were hostile to a large number of Tamils who had migrated from India to Sri Lanka and settled there. The Sinhala nationalists thought that Sri Lanka should not give ‘concessions’ to the Tamils because Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhala people only. The neglect of Tamil concerns led to militant Tamil nationalism. From 1983 onwards, the militant organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fought an armed struggle with the army of Sri Lanka, demanding ‘Tamil Eelam’ or a separate country for the Tamils of Sri Lanka. The armed conflict came to an end, when the LTTE was vanquished in 2009. There is considerable pressure from the Tamil people in India to the effect that the Indian government should protect the interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. In 1987, India signed an accord with Sri Lanka and sent troops to stabilize relations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils which was not liked by the Sri Lankans. In 1989, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) pulled out of Sri Lanka without attaining its objective. But, despite the ravages of internal conflict, it has maintained a democratic political system.

Economic Success of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was one of the first developing countries to successfully control the rate of growth of population. It has had the highest per capita gross domestic product (GDP) for many years right through the civil war.

India- Pakistan Conflicts

Soon after the partition, the two countries got embroiled in a conflict over the fate of Kashmir. The 1947-48 war resulted in the division of the province into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Indian province of Jammu and Kashmir divided by the Line of Control. In 1971, India won a decisive war against Pakistan but the Kashmir issue remained unsettled. India’s conflict with Pakistan is also over strategic issues like the control of the Siachen glacier and over acquisition of arms (for example- nuclear weapons). After the Nuclear tests in the late 1990s, the possibility of a direct and full-scale war between India and Pakistan has declined. The Indian government has blamed the Pakistan Government for helping the Kashmiri militants with arms, training, money and terrorist strikes against India. Pakistan had also aided the pro Khalistani militants with arms and ammunitions during the period 1985-1995. The government of Pakistan, blames the Indian government and its security agencies for fomenting trouble in the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan. In 1960, with the help of the World Bank, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty but there are some minor differences about the interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty and the use of the river water. There is disagreement on the demarcation line in Sir Creek in the Rann of Kutch.

India and its Other Neighbor's

Indo-Bangladesh Relations

The issues include the sharing of the Ganga and Brahmaputra river waters. The Indian government has been unhappy with Bangladesh’s denial of illegal immigration to India, its support for anti-Indian Islamic fundamentalist groups. Bangladesh refuses to allow Indian troops to move through its territory to northeastern India. Its decision not to export natural gas to India or allow Myanmar to do so through Bangladeshi territory is also an irritant in the relationship. On the other hand Bangladesh thinks of India as a bully in river water sharing, encouraging rebellion in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, trying to extract its natural gas and being unfair in trade.

Cooperation:

(i). Economic relations have improved considerably in the last 20 years.

(ii). Bangladesh is a part of India’s Look East (Act East since 2014) policy.

(iii). On disaster management and environmental issues, the two states have cooperated regularly.

(iv). In 2015, they exchanged certain enclaves and resolved the boundary issue.

Indo-Nepal Relations

A treaty between the two countries allows the citizens of the two countries to travel to and work in the other country without visas and passports. The Indian government has expressed displeasure at the warm relationship between Nepal and China. Nepal government’s inaction against anti Indian elements is another issue. Many leaders and citizens in Nepal think that the Indian government interferes in its internal affairs, has designs on its river waters and hydro-electricity They think that India prevents Nepal, a landlocked country, from getting easier access to the sea through Indian territory. Trade, scientific cooperation, common natural resources, electricity generation and interlocking water management grids are areas of cooperation

Indo-Sri Lanka Relations

The issues involve ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka over the Tamil issue and China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka. India signed a free trade agreement with Sri Lanka, which strengthened relations between two countries. India’s help in post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka has also brought the two countries closer.

Indo- Bhutan Relations

India enjoys a very special relationship with Bhutan. The efforts made by the Bhutanese monarch to weed out the guerrillas and militants from northeastern India have been helpful to India. India is involved in big hydroelectric projects in Bhutan and remains the Himalayan kingdom’s biggest source of development aid.

India- Maldives

In November 1988, when some Tamil mercenaries from Sri Lanka attacked the Maldives, the Indian air force and navy reacted quickly to the Maldives’ request to help stop the invasion. India has contributed to the island’s economic development, tourism and fisheries. The smaller countries fear that India wants to be a regionally-dominant power and India often feels exploited by its neighbor's.

Peace and Cooperation

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a major regional initiative by the South Asian states to evolve cooperation but due to persisting political differences, SAARC has not had much success. SAARC members signed the South Asian Free Trade (SAFTA) agreement which promised the formation of a free trade zone for the whole of South Asia. The Agreement was signed in 2004 and came into effect on 1 January 2006. SAFTA aims at lowering trade tariffs. Some of our neighbor's fear that SAFTA is a way for India to ‘invade’ their markets. India thinks that a region that trades more freely will be able to cooperate better on political issues.

Efforts to Improve Indo-Pak Relations

Confidence building measures to reduce the risk of war. Social activists and prominent personalities have collaborated to create an atmosphere of friendship among the people of both countries. A number of bus routes have been opened up between the two countries. But China’s strategic partnership with Pakistan remains a major irritant. The US has had good relations with both India and Pakistan since the end of the Cold War and increasingly works as a moderator in India-Pakistan relations. However the future of the region depends more on the people and the governments of the region than any other outside power.  

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