‘India hosted the least contentious summit’

NEW DELHI: If previous SAARC summits were held hostage to India-Pakistan animosities and smaller countries ganging up against it, the recently concluded summit in New Delhi certainly seemed to have no ill vibes by the end of it.

India’s foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee claimed at the wrap-up news conference at the end of the 14th SAARC jumboree that “this was the smoothest, least contentious summit ever”.

During the Dhaka meet last year, it was the King Gyanendra of Nepal backed by former Bangladesh prime minsiter Khaleda Zia who countered India’s backing for Afghanistan’s entry, with insistence that China must be given `observer’ status. Both happened but not without much back room manoeuvring by New Delhi.

When former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga was the chairperson of SAARC, she pushed for a conflict resolution clause into the SAARC charter, which would allow contentious bilateral issues like Kashmir become part of the deliberations.

Kumaratunga felt that South Asian nations must try to resolve neighbourhood conflicts through mediation. India, predictably was opposed to the move, fearing this was
Islamabad joining hands with Colombo to sneak in third party interference on Kashmir, a bilateral issue according to South Block.

India made a huge fuss, saying that SAARC was a block for economic integration and its charter made it clear that political bilateral issues were kept out. New Delhi succeeded in stopping what it thought was a dangerous move.

But this time around there is a sea change in the situation and SAARC member countries in transition have governments more inclined towards India. Afghanistan, the latest entrant to the South Asian club is a close ally of India. Hamid Karzai also does not miss any opportunity to needle Pakistan.

The interim administration is ready to go in for mutually beneficial programmes and would rather have New Delhi as a friend than an enemy. It may need India’s support to back its move to keep elections on hold till the system is cleaned out.

Bangladesh under the BNP rule has often been a thorn on India’s side. Even when India’s friend Sheikh Hasina was in control, she had to look over her shoulders at the BNP opposition, which tried to project everything she did as pro-India. As a result she was tentative over each issue. Today the military-backed interim government is willing to play ball with India.

Sri Lanka wants India’s support to solve its ethnic problem. More importantly, it needs New Delhi’s assurance that it will not back the Tigers.

Nepal under the monarchy was always playing games with India now with the King completely out of the picture, Delhi has excellent ties with the new democratic leadership. After a disastrous attempt at sticking to its two pillar theory of constitutional monarchy and multi party democracy, South Block has finally abandoned
the King.