At a time when the idea of secularism is undergoing massive onslaught in the hands of fundamentalist, communal and ultra-conservative forces in the South Asian region, Pahalgam terror attack, one of the heinous and atrocious acts against humanity in the present times, has added fuel to the fire and brought communal politics to the fore. Undoubtedly, considering the cruelty of the act in which twenty-four tourists lost their lives, the perpetrators in specific and terrorism in general should be dealt with heavy hand, yet, it is also important to keep an eye on and curtail the misinformation that is being spread on the social-media platforms that is flaring up the hatred and intolerance among the citizens.
At a time when secularism and tolerance are deemed as cuss words, misleading information, if left uncontrolled, will turn into a deadly weapon in the hands of jingoistic forces and divide the country as well as the South Asian region along religious lines. The social media campaign that is being carried out by the hate-mongering miscreants and fundamentalist groups cutting across the religious lines is not only filled with distorted facts but also encourages the bloodshed in the name of religion.
Secularism and inclusivity form the bedrock of modern India, and the same are the founding principles that differentiate India from its South Asian peers who share the common colonial history and have started their post-independence journey at the same time as the former. While India, a nation known for its cultural and religious diversity and remarkable resplendence, adopted an inclusive and accommodative approach after attaining freedom from its colonial masters given the wide range of geographical, ethno-cultural, linguistic, regional, religious and economic differences and stood as an epitome of unity in diversity, most of the other nations in the sub-continent have failed to take a queue from the South Asian giant and are crippled by wide-scale sectarian, religious and ethnic conflicts. On the internal front, the aforementioned elements have been taking toll on peace, growth and prosperity within the member nations, and on the external front, border disputes, terrorism in the name of religion, cross-border migration, infiltration, ethnic conflicts, and others have been breeding the mistrust among the member countries, thereby, accentuating the geopolitical tensions.
The domestic politics in most of the sub-continent countries, including the big brother in the region, India, are driven by contestation and confrontation on numerous fronts rather than on collective and accommodative spirit. It is this power struggle among the political parties along the lines of religion, region, sects, ethnicity and others in the region that is creating a myriad of fault lines among the South Asian societies, thereby creating the tremors of turmoil and turbulence. As a result, the ties among the South Asian countries are characterised by bitter hostility and belligerence. Moreover, the influence and involvement of the Western powers in the internal affairs of the member nations, complemented by the power struggle between India and China to exercise their dominance over the Indian Ocean region, are negating and nullifying the initiatives that are aimed at bringing together the South Asian nations.
Misinformation that is largely being spread by religious extremists using social-media platforms only fuels the tendencies of tyranny and totalitarian regimes under the religious card in the region. It is worth mentioning here that trust among the citizens of different faiths, harmony, and tolerance are vital to drive the economic engine of South Asia.
Contrary to popular perception, South Asia has never been a land of single or one faith throughout its history. As a matter of fact, it is a land of dichotomies and different faiths ever since history has been recorded. It is this assimilation of different religions, both ingrown and outgrown, that has given the land its peculiar nature and at the same time a one-of-a-kind demographic profile. In addition, most of the faiths and their distinct features or tenets have undergone a massive blend on the land called South Asia. Till the end of the colonial era or before the advent of modern states along the nationalist lines, South Asia had been a different entity, given its distinctive geographical and aforementioned cultural variables. To say, almost all faiths have become accustomed to each other and made themselves more adaptable to the people in South Asia.
The use of majoritarian card by the prevailing regimes in the member nations in the region has not only redefined the course of the region as a whole, sadly from bad to worse, but also blurred the elements like trade, cross-cultural ties, support in the arenas like climate change, healthcare, technology, science and education among many others that play a vital role in the progress and prosperity of the region. It is preposterous on the part of nations in the region for not using the trans-national connections and common heritage that they have inherited for the benefit of the region, but for the purposes that are of no use. From the idea, though not utopian, of having a common currency in the early 2000s to a dystopian outlook amid the war-like situation at present, South Asia’s path of regional integration has been marked largely by unwarranted differences over petty issues.
Cultural sensitivity and human rights are often neglected entities in South Asia. Removal of history topics that deal with other faiths from school curriculum, censorship on the features that reflect secular ideals and the interpretation of history from religious lines rather than through a rational lens fuel the contempt owing to unawareness, insensitivity and serve the interests of hardliners and war-mongers.
As the adage goes, “one can change friends but not neighbours”, India and Pakistan, the key players and the only nuke powers in the region, need to chalk out a long-term solution with regard to the bones of contention between them. It seems foolish on the part of those who are aspiring for the war between India and Pakistan, given the scale of weaponry that is lying in their military harbours of both countries. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth policy, though it may appear a right step in the short run, given the heightened tensions on both sides, has proven and will prove as catastrophic if one goes through history. A right and effective counter-terrorism strategy needs a collaborative and clever approach to yield desired results. Since the domain of foreign policy is an area where logics outplay emotions, it is vital to opt for the course that gives the best results with minimal or zero collateral damage. For sustainable peace to flourish in the region, it is wiser to look at economics and trade as weapons to achieve the desired outcomes, which may not be possible through military means.
It is a no-brainer to say that in the age of neo-realism that the economic powers try to exercise their hegemony over the weaker nations. Loans with lesser interest rates, grants-in-aid, & other monetary measures serve as tools in the hands of neo-imperial powers. The same is the case with the nations in the region, at least with smaller nations that have weaker economic fundamentals. In the wake of volatile economic situation at the global scale owing to the United States’ conservative approach, thanks to Donald Trump’s economic policies, the ongoing tense situation in South Asia derails the aim of players in the region of economic growth and development and also limits their bargaining power on collective basis vis-a-vis global economic policies.
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