SOUTH ASIA'S SECURITY: EXTRA-REGIONAL INPUTS

This article analyzes the significant impact of extra-regional powers on the security environment of South Asia. It examines how the strategic interests and policies of the United States, the Soviet Union, and China have shaped the security perceptions and policies of the states within the region. The study focuses on the dynamics of the Cold War rivalry as it played out in South Asia, including the US-Pakistan alliance, the Indo-Soviet relationship, and the Sino-Indian and Sino-Pakistani axes. The research argues that these external inputs have often exacerbated regional tensions, fueled arms races, and complicated the resolution of bilateral disputes like the Kashmir issue. The paper concludes by assessing how the changing global landscape of the late 1980s, particularly the winding down of the Cold War, might reconfigure the role of extra-regional powers and create new opportunities for regional security cooperation.

The security complex of South Asia cannot be understood in isolation; it has been profoundly shaped by the "inputs" of extra-regional powers. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of this dynamic. The study is structured around the roles of the three principal external actors during the Cold War: the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. It begins by examining the US strategy of containment and its alliance with Pakistan, which had a transformative effect on the Indo-Pakistani military balance. It then analyzes the corresponding Indo-Soviet relationship, codified in the 1971 Friendship Treaty, which provided India with crucial strategic backing. The paper also delves into the complex role of China, a regional power with extra-regional influence, focusing on its strategic partnership with Pakistan and its long-standing rivalry with India. The core argument is that these external linkages, while providing security benefits to the respective client states, have collectively intensified the regional security dilemma. They have internationalized local conflicts, accelerated military modernization, and imported global superpower rivalries into the subcontinent. The concluding section speculates on the future, suggesting that the impending end of the Cold War and the Sino-Soviet rapprochement could fundamentally alter these traditional alignment patterns, potentially creating more space for indigenous, intra-regional solutions to South Asia's security problems.