South Asia: Can it become a super power?

Sensing that this has the potential to become a super power one day, a ploy has been on to create internal dissension and weaken its unity. If you ask if the SAARC will last, political leaders of this region keep mum on the issue. The same is the case with the OIC. Mahathir's lament is echoing around the globe.

How to get out of this colonised stupor? The original Pakistan lasted for only one generation -- creating Bangladesh in 1971. Currently Pakistan continues to struggle to find political stability in a feudal environment (zamindari system). Nepal in the sub-Himalayan range is in trouble with the Maoist creed (vs. monarchy). In the South, Sri Lanka is bleeding for a generation. And, in over crowded Bangladesh, good politics is a mirage. Further to the east, NE India is in turmoil, with various tribal communities having their own dreams. Even Chittagong in Bangladesh is passing through a turbulent phase.

The islands of the Indian Ocean are also drawing attention. Diego Garcia is too far south from the main continent to suit US' international diplomacy. Burma and Afghanistan also cannot settle down to peaceful living. The latter (as a corridor) has now been occupied by the United States. The US is interested in a naval base in the Bay of Bengal (the Russians came earlier into the Andamans). Since India has switched camp, China's Himalayan diplomacy is being watched with interest by analysts.

The Europe and the West are declining economically and the US is being beaten militarily by guerrilla warriors of the Muslim world. The prevailing situation is weakening Japan and N Korea too, due to their economies' integration with that of the US.. Singapore is in the slow lane, and Russia cannot make its presence felt as a super power (internally, its economy is gloomy, but not much news is coming out) any more.

The US struck when the iron was hot, and occupied Iraq, the most powerful Muslim country defying the US (after having used Saddam for ten year against oil-rich Iran). Iraq is also the oldest civilisation of the world and it has second largest oil reserve in the world. The CIS is full of natural energy resources. Hence, Iran is once again the target of the powerful West who wish to use it as a second corridor to move into the land locked CISs lying up the north.

India being a vast territory with a billion population, is not subject to the same political saguaros as the small states around her. But question remains whether she is playing the right role as a big brother in South Asia. If India plays its cards right, South Asians can comfortably close ranks to emerge as the next super power of the world.