Experience of SAARC has not been encouraging: Hamid Ansari -Governance Now

Experience of SAARC has not been encouraging: Hamid Ansari

Idealism has to be tempered with realism and common action is easier done in areas of convergence than of divergence

Geetanjali Minhas | December 29, 2016 | Mumbai

#Hamid Ansari #Sudheendra Kulkarni #SAARC #book launch

Vice President Hamid Ansari has called for a practical, accommodative and inclusionary approach to ease negative perceptions of post partition tensions between India and Pakistan.

Emphasising that political commitment and modalities were needed to resolve outstanding areas of disagreement, Ansari said that foremost amongst these is what the Simla Agreement of 1972 called ‘a final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir’.

Addressing a gathering on Wednesday after releasing the book ‘August Voices: What they said on 14-15 August 1947’ by Sudheendra Kulkarni, Hamid Ansari said: “The State is doing all that is necessary to confront and repel terrorism. The State also has a duty to ensure that the rights and dignity of our citizens in the State are respected and ensured and shortcomings effectively addressed.”

The book explores, thoughts, actions and writings of, among others, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah as well as Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad on August 14-15, 1947.

The vice president said the experience of SAARC has not been encouraging and therefore alternate strategies need to be explored. He added that the proposed new structure would have to be voluntary and devoid of overt or covert coercion. There may be lessons to be learnt from other regional organizations.

“Idealism has to be tempered with realism and common action is easier done in areas of convergence than of divergence. This convergence is to be sought by moving beyond the traditional paradigm of conventional security into those of human security and human wrong. Both are ignored by the governments and societies in our region; there is a crying need for the recognition and implementation of both,” added the vice president.

“A beginning therefore has to be made in regional cooperation with a focus on human security problems, on movement of people and on trade without unreasonable restrictions. The common traits in cultural traditions and historical narratives need to be transmitted to younger generation through conscious promotion rather than studied prevention of cultural exchanges, films, and other cultural activities,” he said.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, author of the book and chairman, Observer Research Foundation, told Governance Now: “The book aims to correct the mistakes of the past and the manner in which two partitions took place in the years in 1947 and 1971 which have created problems for three countries. The partitions cannot be undone but the negative effects of the partition should be undone by bringing the three countries together in a confederal framework so that all the three nations are separate, yet together.”

Comments

Other News

‘World’s biggest festival of democracy’ begins

The much-awaited General Elections of 2024, billed as the world’s biggest festival of democracy, began on Friday with Phase 1 of polling in 102 Parliamentary Constituencies (the highest among all seven phases) in 21 States/ UTs and 92 Assembly Constituencies in the State Assembly Elections in Arunach

A sustainability warrior’s heartfelt stories of life’s fleeting moments

Fit In, Stand Out, Walk: Stories from a Pushed Away Hill By Shailini Sheth Amin Notion Press, Rs 399

What EU’s AI Act means for the world

The recent European Union (EU) policy on artificial intelligence (AI) will be a game-changer and likely to become the de-facto standard not only for the conduct of businesses but also for the way consumers think about AI tools. Governments across the globe have been grappling with the rapid rise of AI tool

Indian Railways celebrates 171 years of its pioneering journey

The Indian Railways is celebrating 171 glorious years of its existence. Going back in time, the first train in India (and Asia) ran between Mumbai and Thane on April 16, 1853. It was flagged off from Boribunder (where CSMT stands today). As the years passed, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway which ran the

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: How to connect businesses with people

7 Chakras of Management: Wisdom from Indic Scriptures By Ashutosh Garg Rupa Publications, 282 pages, Rs 595

ECI walks extra mile to reach out to elderly, PwD voters

In a path-breaking initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI), for the first time in a Lok Sabha Election, has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with 4