Editorial
Addu summit reinforces Saarc idea
Organisation must regain momentum
The just concluded Saarc summit in the Maldives acquires a degree of significance for what the organisation plans on doing in the immediate future. The public perception that Saarc may have lost some of its steam, owing to reasons both internal and external, has been there for quite a while. In an important sense, events in South Asia have largely seemed to pass it by, with the result that member-states have all too often fallen back on bilateral links to develop their ties. Even so, the fact that Saarc has been instrumental in forging closer links among the states of the region can hardly be denied. With Afghanistan taking its place in the body sometime ago and with talk of Turkey being given observer status, it is obvious that Saarc retains the potential to play a vital role in the region.
And this is borne out by the twenty-point Addu declaration, which essentially is a reinforcement of the Saarc idea itself. The emphasis placed on such areas of common concern as the economy, connectivity, climate change and food security is reflective of the wider inter-regional network the organization aims at weaving for itself, given the manifold crises weighing down on the globe at this point of time. A prime Saarc endeavour has been a promotion of people-to-people links. While such links have indeed become somewhat easier, there is yet a lot more that remains to be done. For a long time, there has been talk of visa-free travel, especially in the case of certain categories of people. The idea needs to be worked on.
There is little question that climate change and food security are fundamental concerns. In this context, a concerted effort is called for, especially within the ambience of a collective approach to the issues. With the global economy in free fall, South Asia needs to come closer through connectivity in handling its economic affairs. Moreover, Saarc must re-emphasise its role in neutralising such threats as militancy, of all kinds, in South Asia. Overall, Saarc must regain the momentum generated when it came into being in 1985.
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