The Taliban’s comeback in Kabul, after two decades, lends credence to a statement of sovereignty, autonomy, and independence of statehood in international relations. Geopolitical rivalry cannot be tantamount to supremacy or superior footing in vulnerable and sensitive geography in the world. Resistance and revolt occur if self-determination is trampled or subverted. Monetary support does not yield a good omen to fix the state and society mired in conflict and war. This dark episode of Afghanistan resulted in a graveyard of countries tempting to be like imperium. China suddenly calculated the regime change in Kabul and India had concern over its fallout to its northern frontiers where Islamic insurgency would cripple its security system. International interests converge where national interests storm, form, and norms diplomatic conduct and adjust, adopt and adapt foreign and security policy compass. South Asia is the hub of activity where poverty needs to be supplanted by prosperity, well-being, and progress. There is tremendous potential for the region to enhance interdependence and interconnection based on equality, recognition, cooperation, benefits, issues, and interest – mutual and reciprocal.
Current affairs of other South Asian countries are showing no signs of recovery and its normalization of the public and political issues. Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are facing challenges in domestic affairs despite all of them having experienced illiberal democracy for more than three decades. There is a democratic paradox when the political system becomes captive of parties that are becoming authoritarian and discretionary. A major challenge is to democratize democracy meaning the government’s outreach to margins or fringes of central or federal preoccupation. Additionally, international relations impinge on the state of affairs that either complicates central or federal politicking or overlooks global policy intruding on local affairs.
Likewise, the Ukraine question in the United Nations Security Council has a different Foreign Policy position in South Asia. While international power politics exacted the problematic position of every small state of South Asia, high-level visits of officials from great powers spotlights preferences, interests, and agendas to assuage concerns from foreign and security policy threats, risks, and prospects. Russia’s war in Ukraine has raised many eyebrows and wariness of managing, administering, and policy prudence in liquid politics and international relations. Times are interesting but the tide is overwhelming due to COVID 19 Pandemic fallout, climate change repercussions, and down-beaten economics around the world.
A principal issue is how to uplift from a doom and gloom situation where many public intellectuals foresee the end of the world. However, the world is running in its natural course of action every day, pessimism and optimism are to be balanced given the state of global nature and the state of human nature. Positivism and normativism mold into objective and subjective conditions and putting this perspective in the right blend is the art and science of politics. Governance and government are witnessing a loss of control and oversight and self-correcting mechanism to raise its quality and benchmark in public policy delivery.
Given this state of affairs where domestic determinants are getting disarray and erratic as media reports of the price of ignorance, non-responsiveness and apathy. These issues are marginalized when the national governments’ focus is to handle and administer law and order immediately and pursue options and choices to further national goals, vision and mission. Foreign and security policy takes into account ground reality and updates status to navigate foreign affairs to its enlightened national interests. So it is not only great powers’ interests but also maneuvering and middling roles of small states to capitalize on goodwill and cordial understanding without compromising norms and values the country espouses.
Negotiating and bargaining power is increasing when skilled and shrewd policymakers are adept at getting goodies and largesse to multiply wealth and sustain economic affairs. Aid is still on the topmost checklist while its replacement in trade is high premium economic diplomacy. It is hinted that SAARC is sidelined when BIMSTEC is energizing to connect South Asia to South East Asia. Regionalism is finding corridors to strengthen bonds transcending fixation and attachment to a particular geographical region. This diplomatic process and political interests will certainly add value to promote peacebuilding and prosperity broadly. Such avenues and ventures attract advanced industrial countries to invest and enhance human capital too.
Leadership is getting positive to provide impetus to regional interests and cooperation. At the same time democracy and capitalism function well and progress to outreach places where it needs the most. Due to demographic pressures and migration challenges, regionalism at least pacifies economic needs. Many issues surface and such issues are common and need collective solutions. This would strengthen bonhomie and the regional fraternity to concentrate resources and means potently. It can transform the region and make a century profiting ideals and reality – local and global.
Peace can advance in prosperity, and progress depends on an open society that is competitive and cooperative. Declaration, commitments, and resolution need translation and internalization. Epoch is getting vocal to listen to the future. Certainly, this is a new century and a renewed sense of the dawn of political will. To put it bluntly, in the phenomenon and flux of current affairs, current history is rare like the classical era. It is time to respond consistently to achieve liberty, happiness, and truth against autocracy, pessimism, and falsity.
