SOCIO-CULTURAL VISION OF SAARC IN THE TIDRD DECADE

This article articulates a socio-cultural vision for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as it approached its third decade. It argues that for SAARC to become a genuine community, it must move beyond a narrow focus on economic and technical matters to actively promote social and cultural cooperation. The study envisions a future South Asia where there is a free flow of ideas, information, and people across national borders. The research proposes a range of initiatives to realize this vision. These include the establishment of a South Asian university, the promotion of regional tourism, the creation of a regional media platform, and the organization of regular cultural and sporting festivals. The paper posits that such initiatives are not "soft" options but are essential for building a sense of a shared South Asian identity and for creating the grassroots constituencies for peace and cooperation. The analysis concludes that fostering a vibrant socio-cultural community is a prerequisite for the long-term success of the SAARC project.

While economic integration is a stated goal of SAARC, the creation of a true South Asian community requires a much deeper focus on social and cultural cooperation. This paper articulates a bold vision for this dimension of regionalism as SAARC entered its third decade. The study begins by arguing that South Asia possesses a unique and rich shared civilizational heritage, which provides a powerful, yet underutilized, foundation for building a regional identity. The core of the article is a detailed proposal for a series of concrete initiatives aimed at fostering a "people-centric" SAARC. A key proposal is the creation of a South Asian University, which would serve as a center of excellence for regional studies and as a meeting place for the next generation of South Asian leaders. The paper also makes a strong case for the liberalization of visa regimes to facilitate easier travel for students, academics, artists, and ordinary citizens, arguing that direct people-to-people contact is the most effective antidote to the mistrust and stereotypes that have long plagued the region. Further proposals include the establishment of a South Asian television channel to promote the cross-cultural exchange of news and entertainment, and the strengthening of existing SAARC cultural forums. The findings of the paper point to a clear conclusion: the project of building a South Asian community cannot be a purely top-down, state-led enterprise. It requires a bottom-up process of social and cultural engagement that can create a shared sense of belonging and a common stake in a peaceful and cooperative future.