Some thoughts on South Asia

South Asia is in the midst of bloody conflicts. A natural question which stems up in policy making circles is therefore what should be India's role. As Abdullah backs off from the runoff elections with Karzai, Afghanistan is all set for another phase off uncertanity. U.S it seems is all set to narrow down its goals and in the coming years India would be called in to shoulder a regional responsibility. India at present is giving some odd 1.2 billion dollar aid to Afghnaistan. Is it worth it? I think India should revisit its goals. The Afghan prblem is there to stay and all India can do is to support building capability of Afghans, which to an extent it is doing. The recent bomb blast in the Indian embassy is a reminder that difficult times lay ahead. the famous stratetegic depth in Afghanistan has become a mantra for all those who support the indian presence in Afghanistan, but is India really getting that strategic depth. I have always belived that India should engage with regional powers, particularly China, Iran and Russia on the issue of transboundary threats from Afghansitan. Only a shared approach can in coming years help India cope with the Afghanistan mess.
Come to think of it, what significance does Afghnaistan has for India. Obvious goals come to the mind..gate way to central asia, energy, containing Paksitan in some ways.....these I guess are hopeful goals, whcih India would like to cash on.Howver given the present realities, all of these seem too distant. I think India should refocus on its goals. Our priorities right now are our immidiate neighbours and our own internal security concerns. India should engage more with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and try diverting much of its energies both tangible and visionary to its South Asian neighbours in managing perception towards India.

Infortunately the discourse in United States sets the priorities for some of the Indian analysts and therefore raw ideas on managing Indian neighbours do not come to the fore. Manmohan Singh recently said, India and Paksitan are tied through their destinies, I believe in it cent percent , perhaps it extends to our other South Asian neighbours too. I read an interesting interpretation of the PD game by Amartya Sen. He wrote one of the ways for prisonors to cooperate in in the PD game is that they start thinking on altruistic lines. If their dominant thinking revolves around how to save the other , both wouls escape punishment. I feel rather therefore rather than pouring billions of money into Afghanistan and think wishfully that it would solve a strategic purpose, India should reorient itself tot he tenets of Gujral doctrine.

Medha Bisht