SOUTH ASIA: THE SECURITY ROUTE TO COOPERATION

This article presents a counter-intuitive argument regarding regional cooperation in South Asia, positing that a "security route" may be a more effective pathway to cooperation than the traditional economic-first approach. It critiques the functionalist logic that underpins SAARC, which assumes that cooperation in "low politics" (like trade and culture) will eventually spill over into "high politics" (security and political issues). The study argues that in a region as deeply divided by security conflicts as South Asia, this model has proven ineffective. The research proposes an alternative approach: that directly addressing the core security concerns and building trust in the security domain is a prerequisite for any meaningful economic or social cooperation. It suggests that a focus on confidence-building measures (CBMs), nuclear risk reduction, and transparent military doctrines could create the enabling environment needed for broader cooperation to flourish. The paper concludes that while politically difficult, tackling the security issues head-on may be the only viable route to unlocking the full potential of regionalism in South Asia.

The conventional wisdom on regional integration, largely derived from the European experience, holds that cooperation should begin with economic matters and gradually spill over into the more sensitive political and security domains. This paper challenges the applicability of this model to the unique context of South Asia. It begins with a critical assessment of the performance of SAARC, arguing that its progress has been consistently stymied by the overwhelming weight of the region's political and security conflicts, particularly the Indo-Pakistani rivalry. The core of the paper is the articulation of an alternative strategy: the "security route to cooperation." This approach inverts the functionalist logic, arguing that in South Asia, a modicum of trust and stability in the security sphere must be established before any significant economic integration can take place. The study outlines a practical agenda for such a security-first approach. This includes the negotiation of a wide range of military confidence-building measures, the establishment of a regional crisis management center, and a sustained high-level dialogue on nuclear doctrines and risk reduction. The paper posits that such measures, by reducing the pervasive atmosphere of mistrust, would lower the political barriers that currently inhibit economic cooperation. The findings lead to a provocative conclusion: for South Asia to move forward, it must have the courage to put the most difficult issues on the table first. Progress on security is not a distant outcome of cooperation, but its essential precondition.