Importance of Reviving SAARC

Importance of Reviving SAARC

India should play an important part in boosting the multilateral order and this can be done by restoring relations with Pakistan, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). India and Pakistan have been at the receiving end of criticism over the past year due to the surgical strikes by India on terrorist engineers was a successful surgical strike.

What is SAARC?

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations in South Asia. It was founded in 1985 with 7 member nations. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

What is the Significance of SAARC?

• SAARC was established to promote regional economic growth through active collaboration. But in past years there has been deadlock type condition especially due to India-Pakistan conflict.
• Founded in Dhaka, SAARC was conceived as an ambitious platform for regional cooperation in the Indian sub-continent.
• SAARC was basically made for enhancing the cooperation between the 8 south Asian countries , despite of so much tensions and conflict between all its nation.
• Formation of SAARC was very much beneficial for the small countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
• With the formation of SAARC a hope was created that it would help in overall development of these country.

Why SAARC failed?

It is unfortunate that the SAARC Summit was not able to produce results in the areas that were specified in the agenda. The last major summit of the SAARC was held in July 2014.

The main reason for dysfunctional SAARC is India and Pakistan don't recognize each other and their diplomatic relations are not solely defined by its bickering. India and Pakistan is one of the main reasons why SAARC is not prospering.

It is also said that the novel coronavirus pandemic and China’s aggressions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) put a new spotlight and shadows for SAARC meeting.

Why it is important to revive SAARC?

There have various reasons to revive SAARC which can be helpful in countering the common challenges. Some of them are-

• India-Pakistan issues have impacted other meetings of SAARC. This makes it easier for member countries and international agencies, to deal with South Asia as a fragmented group rather than a collective one. No other regional power is as disconnected from its immediate neighbourhood as India. This disconnect is a challenge to India’s economic and security interests.
• South Asia’s experience of the pandemic has been very unique. The COVID-19 has provided a window for introspection and for scaling up preparedness for inevitable pandemics in the future. 
• It is clear that tensions with Pakistan and Nepal amplify the threat perception from China, while other SAARC members (minus Bhutan), all of whom are Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partners of China will be hard placed to help individually.
• The economic consequences of COVID -19 on South Asia are proving to be even greater than the health Challenges in the region.