IMPLICATIONS OF "DALBHAT" FOR REGIONAL SECURITY IN SOUTH ASIA

This article explores the concept of "Dal-Bhat," a metaphor for basic human needs like food and livelihood, as a critical component of regional security in South Asia. It argues that traditional, state-centric definitions of security are insufficient for a region characterized by widespread poverty and underdevelopment. The study posits that food security, economic security, and environmental security are the real foundations of stability. The research examines how failures to provide "Dal-Bhat" for the masses can lead to internal instability, social unrest, and cross-border tensions. The paper advocates for a paradigm shift in regional security cooperation, urging SAARC and its member states to prioritize collaborative efforts in poverty alleviation, food security, and sustainable development as the most effective path to lasting peace. The analysis concludes that a region where the basic needs of all citizens are met will be an inherently more secure region.

In the discourse on South Asian security, which is often dominated by military doctrines and inter-state rivalries, this paper introduces a powerful and grounded alternative perspective: the security of "Dal-Bhat." This metaphor, representing the fundamental human need for sustenance, is used to argue for a human-centric approach to regional security. The analysis begins by critiquing the limitations of the traditional, state-centric security paradigm in the context of South Asia, where the most immediate threats to the majority of the population are not military invasion but hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation. The core of the article is an exploration of the causal links between the denial of basic needs and the rise of conflict. It examines how resource scarcity, economic marginalization, and food insecurity can fuel social unrest, ethnic conflict, and extremism, which in turn can destabilize states and spill over into inter-state tensions. The paper then shifts to a prescriptive agenda, advocating for a reorientation of regional cooperation under SAARC. It calls for the creation of robust regional mechanisms for food security, joint management of water resources, and collaborative poverty alleviation programs. The findings lead to a clear conclusion: for South Asia, the ultimate guarantee of regional security lies not in missiles and armies, but in the collective ability of its states to ensure "Dal-Bhat" for all their peoples. This human security approach, the paper argues, is the most pragmatic and sustainable path to peace.