The creation of SAARC has been the work of the political elite and bureaucrats of South Asia. It has yet to make its existence felt by the people with its meaningful deeds. Critics call it a behemoth in size and a laggard in achievement. The huge human and natural resources available in the region are a powerful pointer to the tremendous progress the region can achieve, but an inducement to greater cooperation is still trailing far behind the desired goals. True, SAARC has a life, but it lacks life-growing ingredients.

Experts say that a commonality of deep concern for challenges and threats works as a catalyst for the growth of regional integration. But this regional grouping has more divisive issues among its member states than common concerns and interests that can unite them together to move ahead for common goals. More importantly, awareness of human progress and well-being is highly crucial to any integrated journey in the region that contains numerous nationalities, ethnic and linguistic groups, several religious sects and so on. But such awareness is hard to become prominent in the vast region of human diversity and dissent.

The sluggish growth of SAARC shows an utter lack of cohesive approach — a vital deficiency that has visibly stalled its onward movement. Its larger members have been paying only scant attention to it. To make the life of SAARC more active and fruitful, better ties between India and Pakistan undoubtedly remain a primary condition. Interestingly, the last few years have witnessed a greater thaw in the Indo-Pakistani relationship. More recently, the ferocity of the natural calamity of the earthquake has also pushed them to work together further. At this moment, the issue of Kashmir seems to be on the backburner. Happily, the Islamabad summit of 2004 could produce some significant agreements on SAFTA, Social Charter and other development-related concepts. But experts cast doubt on their timely implementation.

South Asian interstate relationship still remains unpredictable. But the prevailing situation is the opportune moment to make SAARC more achievement-oriented in substance towards regional integration. In a liberalised context, government efforts alone will hardly be adequate. State, civil society, political organisations and other institutions have their responsibility to bear. For any better feat to be accomplished, people-oriented organisations with socio-economic interests need to play greater roles in reinforcing the government efforts to expand wider webs of economic linkage and build more extensive networks of trade and business activities among member states. This is an indispensable way to arrive at firmer layers of regional integration for mutual benefits. Such development is certain to take place, as the tendency of every nation state now is to go ahead for economic betterment. Experts feel a need for regional institutes for study and research to generate fresh ideas for launching better programmes for socio-economic integration. An environment should be created for educational centres, academia, media and other similar organisations to help them disseminate ideas and information considered helpful for regional integration.

Most people of South Asia are still unaware of the ideal message of the end objectives of SAARC for peace, prosperity and well-being for them as a whole. Only true democracies with an appropriate environment can take this message to the people. The more a democracy remains vibrant, the more regional integration will move ahead. A mature EU has amply demonstrated this irreversible trend. Every democratic organisation of SAARC must brace up to instil in people its importance and utility extensively. They should think of it as their responsibility, not as a burden.

SAARC has made an often-interrupted journey for two decades depending on the regional political situation. For SAARC to proceed, genuine political commitment matched by perpetually enthusiastic actions from all sides must be continually made to contribute in a concrete way. Perfunctory rituals done at the summits and other meetings will be of no use to this poverty-afflicted region.

Furthermore, the organisational structure of SAARC only confined to mundane administrative work will have to be elevated to greater heights with a much stronger and effective set-up, equipped with greater authority. Men of ideas and actions headed by a visionary person with greater political clout and better regional connection must lead this organisation, if SAARC is to contribute as enshrined in its charter.

Two decades ago, Nepal with its diplomatic capability contributed to ensuring the beginning and continued growth of SAARC with its headquarters in Kathmandu. It is now crucial that Nepali diplomacy should exhibit its ability to make sure that SAARC is revitalised, despite its domestic situation remaining sapped by political imbroglio and security threat.

Shrestha is ex-foreign ministry official