A South Asian Union like European Union with a single Currency (South Asian Rupee) like Euro
 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday said he envisaged mutual security cooperation, open borders and even a single currency in South Asia in the long run. Vajpayee was inaugurating a two-day conference on 'Peace Dividend -- Progress for India and South Asia'.
He called for promotion of peace in South Asia and cited the increased people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan as a reflection of an "intense desire for amity and goodwill."
Vajpayee said if the SAARC countries -- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives -- provide legitimate avenues of free commercial interaction, they could eradicate black market and underground trade.
Is this possible – feasible in the context of South Asia and her complexity? It is possible if and only if India decides to act as a generous super power without a show of power or fiscal strength. One thing Iraq war has done - it made Pakistanis all on a sudden realize the dark days of British Raj and the fact India “may” not be the real danger to their causeses and principles. India’s refusal in sending Army to Iraq made reluctant Pakistan realize that it does not have to send Army to another Islamic nation. Even the religious leaders in Pakistan have understood that India after all is an “arrogant” brother and not an aggressive stranger. Now how can this EU type integration be possible? Each of the countries in SAARC (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives) can maintain their own armies while a NATO type central command can establish the desired security umbrella of the whole region – yes it will be a “Nuclear Umbrella”. The best thing that has happened for South Asia in the last ten years is the fact that the World overlooked the nuclear capability of India and Pakistan thinking it as a case of ultimate rivalry between the two nations. While Kashmir gave the necessary camouflage, India and Pakistan did the “Nuclear” thing – the one that Saudis are dying to get (they are ready to leak Pakistan’s feet for providing the necessary Nuclear umbrella), Iran and North Korea struggling to establish, Saddam tried for fifteen years – did not get and lost his country, and the rest of the world admires with awe. Even Israel with all its political and military muscle has to hide its Nuclear capability. If the SAARC countries can preserve their individuality, the EU type integration is very possible. A single passport, a single currency, unbounded transportation, strong defense for the region (deterrence for US, China and Russia to venture in the region), freely accessible jobs especially the infamous outsourcing jobs from the West would be the immediate benefit for all these nation.
So what is the next step? Very simple. If India can demonstrate that its economic prosperity through outsourced jobs from the West and even China can be shared with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and take a eldest brother’s role in the family, common people in South Asia will force their leaders to go for the integration. When people are ignorant and less educated, “religious advantage takers” always use them as weapons. That is exactly what is happening in South Asia everywhere in the last sixty yeras. But people are getting more educated and are slowly realizing the marvel of “economic prosperity”. Have you ever visited the endless queue in front of US consulates in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives? The reason for this is the dream of “economic prosperity”. The South Asian men and women believe in family, compassion and a better life for them and their children and children’s children. And that is what is going to make all these counties form the South Asian Union (SAU). Recently the Euro currency has sky rocketed against dollar ( $1.23 equals one euro today). Can we envision the same kind of performance one day by the SAU rupees against dollar and euro?