Saarc summit

By Tapader Md Khalilur Rahman Mirpur, Dhaka.
12 February 2005, 18:00 PM
The scheduled date of the Saarc summit was shifted due to Tsunami. The shifting was appropriate as three out of seven member countries were affected. To offer the guests all possible security and all the needed facilities is a duty of the host country. When the host ensures safety and the guest raises the question of inadequacy, the former is embarrassed. Almost every country in the world has internal chaos, but that is not preventing holding of summits.

Had there been no security problem in a country, then nobody would bear the huge costs of maintaining security forces. India is a vast country. It has its problems at Jharkhand, Assam, Kashmir and elsewhere. Still they are in a continual process of hosting international seminars and summits. None of the guests ever question the security arrangements. But the decision of India as a large and important country not to attend the summit at the eleventh hour does not convey a cordial message to a small neighbour.

This was really unfortunate.