ON THE INTEGRATION OF SOUTH ASIA

This article provides a broad and reflective analysis of the challenges and prospects of regional integration in South Asia. It examines the reasons why South Asia, despite its shared history and culture, remains one of the least integrated regions in the world. The study analyzes the major obstacles to integration, with a primary focus on the deep-seated political mistrust and the unresolved conflicts that have plagued the region, most notably the India-Pakistan rivalry. The research also explores the structural economic barriers, such as the competitive rather than complementary nature of the economies and the significant non-tariff barriers to trade. However, the paper also argues that the imperatives for integration are growing stronger, driven by the forces of globalization and the recognition of shared challenges like poverty and environmental degradation. The analysis concludes by assessing the future of the integration project, suggesting that a more flexible, multi-speed approach, perhaps centered on sub-regional cooperation, may be the most pragmatic path forward.

The dream of an integrated South Asia has been a long-held aspiration, but the reality has been one of persistent division and conflict. This paper offers a wide-ranging reflection on the impediments to and the potential for regional integration. The first part of the study provides a powerful diagnosis of the reasons for the failure of integration. It argues that the "original sin" of a violent partition created a legacy of mistrust and enmity, particularly between India and Pakistan, that has poisoned the well of regional cooperation ever since. The paper provides a critical assessment of the performance of SAARC, which it characterizes as a hostage to these political realities. The second part of the paper, however, shifts to a more forward-looking perspective. It argues that in an era of globalization, the costs of non-cooperation are rising, and the logic of integration is becoming more compelling. The paper explores the potential of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) as a key driver of integration, while also realistically assessing the formidable political and structural barriers to its full implementation. In its concluding section, the paper speculates on alternative pathways to integration. It suggests that if the top-down, pan-regional SAARC process remains stalled, a more promising approach may be a bottom-up process of sub-regional cooperation, such as in the Bay of Bengal or the eastern subcontinent, where the political obstacles are less severe. The paper concludes that while the path to a fully integrated South Asia is long and arduous, the journey, however slow, must continue.