Sorrows of South Asia

When human rights defenders and social activists of South Asia get together, they have a lot to share about the sorrows of their respective societies. Yes, there is a strong historical and cultural bond and personal relationships are readily formed;it is usually an emotional experience that stays with you for some time.

But serious contemplation of the situation of South Asian countries todayinvariably breeds a sense of despair about our collective direction. It baffles the mind that a region with so much potential is afflicted with conflict, violence and social regression. This is the impression I have ofthe two days of intensive deliberations of the Regional Consultation of Citizens’ Voices held in Kathmandu this week (February 25-26),under the aegis of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR).

The idea was to bring civil society activists, lawyers, politicians, policy makers and media representatives together to explore various human rights issues faced by the region, and try to work out effective strategies to promote human rights and democracy. The consultation was meant to adopt a declaration based on the contemporary challenges faced by the people of South Asia. The question that permeated the entire proceedings was:how can we build a peaceful, people-centred, democratic and progressive South Asia?

It is difficult to answer this question, given the perspectives from each country thatwere provided by the delegates. There was an ideological bias to these perspectives because the common purpose of all the participants was to promote freedom and social justice in a liberal context. Most of the participants belonged to civil society organisations, social movements, labour unions and women’s rights groups.

A sense of gloom settled in my mind during the very first session, which was held after the inauguration, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Chandra Prakash Mainali of Nepal, and the keynote address delivered by Dr Hameeda Hossain of Bangladesh. This session was entitled Democratic Challenges and People’s Rights. Depressing portraits were painted of every country in certain presentations. The same mood persisted in other sessions. Everywhere in South Asia, people are struggling to find justice and peace.

Take, for instance, the questions that Dr Hameeda Hossain posed: can we challenge the impunity of lawless law enforcement by both state and non-state actors, who silence the voices of citizens? How can we revive a culture of tolerance that ensures the participation of all as equal citizens in raising shared concerns?

She spoke about the ‘national security’mentality that has allowed the arbitrary use of violence by state forces, which is evident in the narratives of encounter, crossfire, disappearances, custodial deaths and torture,“which have all been rejected as means of law enforcement by our constitutional and international guarantees undertaken by our states”.

South Asia, Dr Hameeda Hossain said, has not been immune to the arms race started by India and Pakistan because of their historical hostility since partition. Their pursuit of ‘national security’ by building their military capabilities has been a long standing threat to peace and stability. She quoted our economist Akmal Hussain: “These military expenditures, whose scale is unprecedented in the developing world, are being undertaken in the name of achieving national security in a situation where the majority of the population in South Asia is living below the international poverty line.”The importance of India-Pakistan relations in resolving the problems of South Asia was adequately stressed. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were also discussed.

Since the event washeld in Kathmandu, the sensitive geopolitical situation of Nepal was inevitably discussed. Incidentally, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returned to Kathmandu after his six-day visit to India on Wednesday evening and came to the hotel a few hours later.A joint communique was not issued.

During my flight from Doha to Kathmandu, I happened to read a long editorial in the New York Times on “India’s crackdown on dissent”. It noted: “India is in the throes of a violent clash between advocates of freedom of speech and the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its political allies on the Hindu right determined to silence dissent.”

This hard-hitting comment, which argues that Modi’s party is behind the mob violence against critics of the government,underlined the importance of the new developments taking place in a country that has been so proud of its democracy. In fact, this backward movement in the largest country of South Asia was a major point of reference during the consultation. There were intimations of fascist and communal politics. It was noted that there are similar trends in some other countries of the region.

Throughout the consultation, there were repeated observations about the regression of democracy in South Asia. In such a situation, the defence of human rights becomes an issue of life and death. There is a need for collective movements. But first, there is a need to forge a common vision for South Asia. In the view of the delegates, this vision could emerge from the people’s commitment to creating a secular, democratic, peaceful and just South Asia that promotes equality and is free from all forms of discrimination.

At the same time, one must recognise the rich diversity of cultures, religions, languages and identities that link the people of South Asia through their shared histories, geographies and cultural practices. Unity among the people is necessary for them to stand against oppression, discrimination and violence.

It is possible to question the ability of civil society activists or groups of concerned citizens to affect the fate of their nations in such consultations or discussions. But, raising the awareness of the people and leaders of our countries about fundamental human rights is necessary in a democratic setup. It is the primary responsibility of the state to promote and protect human rights. This is not possible without the active engagement of citizens.

A South Asia without armed conflicts and animosities would liberate and empowera significant part of the world’s population. What we have learnt from history should encourage us to believe that a different South Asia is possible. It does not have to be the most backward region in terms of human condition. And to make South Asia a happy place, we will need to develop a culture of tolerance and inclusivity.

Considering the present state of affairs in the countries of South Asia, there is an urgent need for the citizens to raise their voices and hold onto the promise of freedom with determination and courage.

The writer is a staff member.

Email: ghazi_salahuddin@hotmail.com