South Asia is facing a myriad of political and social challenges. Two prominent neighbours — Pakistan and India — recently scuffled over the Line of Control (LoC), which only served to escalate their already tensed relationship. Moreover, their internal problems are gradually rising. In Pakistan, the political crisis is entering its climax following the Long March fiasco that froze life in Islamabad for nearly five days. The recent wave of bomb blasts and political unrest in Pakistan prior to the upcoming elections are surely to leave an impact on Islamabad.
India, on the other hand, is still reeling from the brutal gang rape of a New Delhi student. The inhumane incident resulted in widespread protests across the country and in other parts of the world. The protestors and social activists demanded the Indian government to provide women with better security arrangements, especially those living in New Delhi. Political change is also making waves in India. The official appointment of Rahul Gandhi as the Vice President of the Indian National Congress is another event of political significance. Considered as the future prime minister of the country, Rahul will take forward the Gandhi family legacy at a time when India is in desperate need of young blood to resolve its major issues.
While talking about India and Pakistan we cannot overlook Afghanistan. In the post 9/11 scenario, the war-torn country is in control of the US-led NATO troops. However, the decision by the US to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2014 has raised doubts regarding security arrangements in Afghanistan. Recently, US President Barack Obama announced the ‘Zero Option’, which means that the US will not leave any troops behind. The international community fears for an unstable Afghanistan once the troops leave the country. This will certainly affect the South Asian region and would possibly compel the US to formulate a counter strategy to bring peace in Afghanistan in the post-2014 period.
Bangladesh is another elephant in the room. The country is fast progressing in all sectors with the vision of becoming the region’s economic hub. Bangladesh has a GDP of nearly $112 billion and yearly exports exceeding $24.28 billion. It recently signed a weapons deal with Russia worth one billion dollars, which shows the level of commitment Bangladesh has to lead the region, if not the world. Although the balance of power in South Asia rests with India, and to some extent with Pakistan, Bangladesh has the potential to become an influential player in the region.
All South Asian nations share a similar past. Either the British ruled over them or the natives lived under oppression from the neighbouring countries. Sri Lanka is no different in this regard. Where Pakistan and India gained independence in 1947, Sri Lanka, however, earned freedom from the oppression of the Tamil forces in 2008 following a decade-long civil war. The current regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is making efforts in steering Sri Lanka back towards democracy. However, the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake by President Rajapaksa is a major setback, which has put democracy in jeopardy and given the United National Party, the island country’s main opposition party, a chance to stir propaganda against the president over misusing his authority.
Another island nation of South Asia is the Maldives, which is coping with a political row with India. The latter has distanced itself with the Maldives following the ousting of India’s GMR Infrastructure from constructing the Male International Airport. The Maldives granted the GMR Infrastructure a $500 million contract to construct the airport during the former President Mohamed Nasheed’s tenure. However, current President Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik withdrew the contract after declaring it void. The India-Maldives relations became unstable following this decision. Moreover, Maldives is building its ties with China where the latter is providing the latter with IT and infrastructure support. India will have its concerns over Maldives’ newfound friendship at a time when it created diplomatic tension with India.
The two landlocked countries of South Asia, Nepal and Bhutan, are facing internal problems of their own. The legislative side of Nepal has been in jeopardy since May 2012 when Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai dissolved the Constituent Assembly. He was compelled to do so when the country could not formulate a constitution in a period of four years. Instability still looms over Nepal; however, the political deadlock may end as the government is making efforts to hold fresh elections for a new constituent assembly.
The least discussed country in South Asia is Bhutan. It experienced transition to a constitutional monarchy from an absolute monarchy in 2008 and will hold its second round of parliamentary elections in June 2013. Although formal structures of democracy have taken form in the country, Bhutan must adhere to the rules of constitutional monarchy and implement a democratic system. Bhutan is also the youngest democracy in the world, which is why paving way for an egalitarian system will be a challenge for King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Moreover, the King’s recent visit to India heralds an era of diplomatic ties that will strengthen Bhutan-India relations.
The South Asian region is of economic significance to the west and serves as a strategic geographical location for the purpose of trade and commerce. However, with political and economic challenges facing the region, the west will closely monitor South Asia where Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan will continue to serve as the region’s key players.
The writer is a Karachi-based journalist and writes on regional issues