Circus of SAARC -Biplab Pal, 8/6/2008 Washington DC South Asian Association of regional co-operation (SAARC) just ended its summit. Endless scintillating flashes on our Prime ministers, resolution against terrorism, resolve for counter terrorism, cornering of Pakistan are all but gallant achievement of regional leaders while India, Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to bleed profusely from the wound called Islamic terrorism organized by none other than rogue Pakistani outfit-Inter Service Intelligence. Collaboration between ISI and Taliban are so real, even Bush had to call Gillani and give him ultimatum--control your outfit or pay the price for being one of the Taliban consort. In last three decades, Pakistan has never been pushed so hard to the wall as we all know the very country is the most fertile ground for global terrorism. Being in India, we just happened to be at its unfortunate doorstep. Millions of Soviet arms after the collapse of USSR have been dispersed among warring tribes of Afghanistan and North Eastern Provinces of Pakistan. Whether Taliban is an outcome of Islamic extremism for a planned game for necrotic business is between our rational and imaginative mind. But we all want to know what is the outcome of 10 Billion dollar US aid given to Pakistan by USA for eliminating terrorism? Instead of sign of relief, Swat valley is under the control of extremists despite heavy aerial bombing. How can you stop these Taliban when millions of them are produced in Pakistani Madrases on regular basis? Both America and Pakistan are doing nothing against mushrooms of terror incubators. Apparently , it is like burning a bush while spreading its seeds elsewhere so that multiple times more thickets can grow. And we call them to clean again by American tax payer's money! It is a vicious cycle of terrorism which can not be eliminated without eradication of its ideology of Khilafat, diluting the Taliban friendly Pakistani officials and addressing the genuine grievances of Muslims in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Let ask ourselves point blank-what SAARC has done to ameliorate bilateral relation between India and Pakistan? Between India and Bangladesh? We will do a simple case study on India-Bangladesh relation. Bangladesh is landlocked by India and upstream of all its major rivers are controlled by Indian territory. Strategically, for food, for water and even for medicine, Bangladesh is heavily dependant on India. Expectation of strong succorance from India has snowballed into a vulnerable relationship because Bangladesh does not have strategic asset to assert its interest on India. Take the case of Farrakka dam-India is supposed to supply a minimum of 34,000 cu secs during summer. Due to illegal extraction of water in UP & Bihar, the barrage is not receiving even 24,000 cu secs before it can even split the water for Bangladesh! Now who would stop illegal extraction by UP farmers? If Bangladeshi people think, Indian Government should clean it-it will be a total Utopian concept since such action against farmers in India is nearly impossible. Even Jyoti Basu badly wanted this action against illegal canals in Bihar in 1987-solely for West Bengal. But he failed because Bihar and UP have more MP seats than West Bengal. This single incident would tell you impractical nature of any treaty between India and Bangladesh since Bangladesh has no strategic control over India. We have never bothered to act in the best interest of Bangladesh after its birth because there is nothing to be forefeited from a fallout of bilateral relation. This is extremely unfortunate but hard truth that needs to be analyzed if we want any meaningful relation. Many of Bangladeshi intellectuals have urged to raise the issue in UN for violating international river treaty by India .But most of them even do not understand that UN is another circus when it comes to take action against any super power since all the member countries are more interested to please the super powers for pocketing material benefit. Most of the UN members have no interest other than how their political elites would benefit by acceding to the desire of rich and powerful countries. Given the current status of India which has second highest economic growth and nearly all the world want to invest in its market, it is very unlikely that UN could take any resolution against India favoring Bangladesh. Then what are the options left before Bangladesh to bring India to round table? Apparently none and exhaustion of tangible options works as the fastest catalyst for anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. Existence of strong anti-India feelings has been exploited by ISI to recruit local Bangladeshi Jihadis for subversive terror activities in India. Question that SAARC must address-given such a huge disparity of strategic balance, how India and Bangladesh can go forward? Lip service of India-Bangla friendship could serve no purpose unless a strategic balance in the relationship is restored. Creation of such balance has never been discussed in SAARC. Only option left to restore strategic balance is economic co-operation and creation of a free economic trade zone in SAARC countries. If Bangladesh workers and products have access to Indian market, Bangladesh economy would benefit from multitude of opportunities. At present, it is an arid destination for large FDI. But the moment such free zone would come to existence and the investors would sense that by setting up a factory in Bangaldesh their product can be marketed in India as well, prospect of FDI in Bangladesh would enhance by ten folds. India would benefit both politically and economically from free trade in South Asia. If Bangladesh becomes a lucrative investment destination for Indian capital, business lobby of India would protect the interest of Bangladesh in Indian politics to further their investment. This would restore some level of strategic balance for Bangladesh. At the same time, people of Bangladesh would grow their concern for Indian economy since their livelihood would depend on this integrated market. This would be propitious for India for eradicating terror outfits. In last two years, India Inc. invested more than 13 billions in North American market. It is therefore unfortunate, that despite Bangladesh being so close, India Inc could not be allured to Bangladesh for investment due to hostile anti-Indian sentiment. SAARC never addressed this issue-as the organization merely opted for a ceremonial existence. Every modern theory in social science concludes the dissolution of nation states in future with the rise of information highway and transport facilities. Since in long run, neither India, nor Bangladesh nor Pakistan will exist as separate state and all of the countries in the world would merge into a single nation, sooner we would work towards this unification, better will be the future of our children. North Americans are merging through NAFTA--Europe through European union-but SAARC in last two decades failed miserably to gain any momentum towards meaningful unification. Blame game is easy to play-soul searching and analysis of the current situation is the name of the game we want in SAARC. There is no doubt India has failed to give leadership to SAARC by its indifferent stoic attitude towards the neighbors. Being a large mass it never felt the need for such integration. On the other hand, political leadership of our neighbors, although felt very strongly for economic integration, weighed their bait more balanced towards anti-Indianism for securing winning political support. They have exploited the anti-Indian emotion for securing political future at the expense of ruining a robust economic growth that was very real. I sincerely believe there is nothing wrong in taking anti-India stance politically since India has not done justice to them, but extending that anti-Indian politics to prevent Indian capital flow is disastrous and counter productive to their economy. Idealism is always a set of ideals to look forward and not to leap backward. | 
