Contemporary South Asia — Democracy, Conflict and Cooperation
Conflicts and Agreements
The deepest conflict in the region is between India and Pakistan. Soon after partition the two fought over Kashmir in 1947–48; they went to war again in 1965, in 1971 (which produced Bangladesh) and fought the Kargil conflict in 1999. Both tested nuclear devices in 1998. Yet they have also made agreements and kept them, the most durable being the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, mediated by the World Bank, which divided the use of the rivers of the Indus system. Each side has accused the other of supporting groups that act against it, and the book presents these as each government’s position.
| Neighbour | Points of difference | Points of cooperation |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Sharing of the Ganga and Brahmaputra waters, migration, boundary issues | A Ganga waters treaty (1996), trade, disaster management, cooperation against extremism; part of India’s Look East / Act East approach |
| Nepal | Concerns over Nepal’s ties with China; differences over trade and over Indian interest in Nepal’s politics | An open border, a 1950 treaty that lets citizens of each live and work in the other, trade, hydropower |
| Sri Lanka | The ethnic conflict and the IPKF intervention of 1987 | A free trade agreement, trade and reconstruction help |
| Bhutan and the Maldives | Few major differences in the book’s account | Hydroelectric projects in Bhutan; India’s help to the Maldives in 1988 against an attempted coup |
Regional Cooperation — SAARC and SAFTA
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was set up by the seven South Asian states in 1985 — its first summit was held in Dhaka — to build cooperation by peaceful means; Afghanistan joined in 2007, and the secretariat is in Kathmandu. Political differences, above all between India and Pakistan, have limited what it can do. Its main economic achievement is the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, signed in 2004 and in force from 2006, which aims to reduce tariffs on trade within the region. Some smaller neighbours have worried that SAFTA would let Indian goods dominate their markets, while India’s view is that open trade benefits everyone in the region.
Key takeaways
- South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with Afghanistan often included.
- Pakistan alternated between elected and military rule — Ayub Khan 1958, Zia-ul-Haq 1977, Musharraf 1999.
- Bangladesh became independent in 1971 under the Awami League of Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman; democracy was restored in 1991.
- Nepal: democratic constitution 1990, Maoist insurgency, April 2006 movement, monarchy abolished in 2008.
- Sri Lanka: Sinhala–Tamil conflict, the LTTE, the IPKF from 1987; the LTTE was defeated in 2009.
- India–Pakistan: wars in 1947–48, 1965, 1971 and Kargil 1999, but the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 (World Bank) has endured.
- SAARC 1985 (secretariat Kathmandu, Afghanistan joined 2007); SAFTA signed 2004, in force 2006.
Practice questions (8)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
Which South Asian country abolished its monarchy in 2008 and became a democratic republic?
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Answer: C — Nepal
After the April 2006 movement led by the Seven Party Alliance, Nepal’s monarchy was abolished in 2008. Bhutan is the tempting choice because 2008 is also the year of its first elected parliament — but Bhutan kept its king as a constitutional monarch.The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan was signed in 1960 with the mediation of:
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Answer: B — The World Bank
The World Bank brokered the Indus Waters Treaty, which divided the use of the Indus system’s rivers between the two countries. The Soviet Union is the trap: it mediated the Tashkent Agreement after the 1965 war, a different settlement.The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement was signed in:
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Answer: C — 2004
SAFTA was signed at the SAARC summit of 2004 and came into force in 2006. 1985 is the founding year of SAARC itself, and 2007 is when Afghanistan joined — both are SAARC dates that are easy to confuse with the trade agreement.Consider the following statements:
1. The Awami League led the movement that resulted in the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
2. Pakistan has never experienced military rule since 1947.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?Show answer
Answer: A — Only 1
Statement 1 is correct: Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman’s Awami League led the struggle that ended in Bangladesh’s independence. Statement 2 is false — Pakistan came under military rule in 1958, 1977 and 1999, under Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and Musharraf.The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was sent to which country after an accord signed in 1987?
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Answer: D — Sri Lanka
The IPKF went to Sri Lanka under the 1987 India–Sri Lanka accord, in the conflict between the government and the LTTE, and was withdrawn by 1990. The Maldives is the trap: Indian troops did go there, in 1988, but briefly, to stop an attempted coup — that was not the IPKF.Match List I (country) with List II (event):
List I: A. Pakistan B. Bangladesh C. Nepal D. Sri Lanka
List II: 1. Seven Party Alliance movement 2. LTTE insurgency 3. Military takeover by General Zia-ul-Haq 4. Awami League’s victory in the 1970 electionsShow answer
Answer: A — A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
Zia-ul-Haq seized power in Pakistan in 1977; the Awami League’s 1970 victory was the start of Bangladesh’s road to independence; the Seven Party Alliance led Nepal’s 2006 movement; and the LTTE fought in Sri Lanka. Swapping the first two is the usual mistake, because the 1970 election was held while Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan.Where is the secretariat of SAARC located?
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Answer: B — Kathmandu
The SAARC secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal. Dhaka is the distractor that catches most candidates, because the first SAARC summit, at which the association was founded in 1985, was held there.Which of the following does the book give as a reason why democracy did not take stable root in Pakistan?
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Answer: C — The social dominance of the military, clergy and landowning aristocracy
The book points to the social dominance of the military, the clergy and the landowning aristocracy, along with conflict with India and outside support for military regimes. It explicitly rejects the idea that people did not want democracy — its survey finds broad support for democracy across the region, Pakistan included.