SUB-REGIONAL COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA: ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

This article examines the growing trend of sub-regional cooperation in South Asia as an alternative and more pragmatic pathway to integration. It analyzes the rationale for sub-regionalism, which is to allow smaller, contiguous groups of countries to move forward with cooperation on specific projects, thereby bypassing the political deadlocks that have often stalled the pan-regional SAARC process. The study focuses on the key sub-regional initiatives, particularly the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) grouping. The research identifies the major issues and challenges for these initiatives, such as the need for massive investment in infrastructure, the harmonization of regulations, and the management of domestic political sensitivities. The paper also explores the policy implications, particularly the need for a more flexible and multi-speed approach to regionalism in South Asia. The analysis concludes that sub-regional cooperation represents the most promising and realistic avenue for building a more integrated and prosperous South Asia.

The history of regional cooperation in South Asia under the SAARC framework has been one of unfulfilled promise, largely due to the political conflict between India and Pakistan. This paper analyzes the emergence of "sub-regionalism" as a more pragmatic and promising alternative. The study begins by providing a conceptual and theoretical justification for a sub-regional approach, arguing that it allows like-minded and geographically proximate countries to cooperate on issues of mutual interest without being held hostage by the political problems of the wider region. The core of the article is a detailed case study of the most significant sub-regional initiative in South Asia: the BBIN grouping. The paper analyzes the key focus area of this initiative, which is the enhancement of connectivity through projects like the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement. It explores the immense potential of this initiative to create a seamlessly integrated economic space in the eastern subcontinent. However, the paper also provides a sober assessment of the formidable challenges. This includes the sheer scale of the required infrastructure investment, the complex task of harmonizing regulations across four different countries, and the need to address the domestic political concerns, as was seen in the case of Bhutan's initial difficulty in ratifying the MVA. The findings suggest that while sub-regionalism is not a magic bullet, it offers a more flexible and results-oriented "bottom-up" approach to integration. The paper concludes that the success of initiatives like BBIN will be a critical test of whether South Asia can finally begin to overcome its long history of division.