South Asia and Pakistan – The Students' Herald

Yubaraj Chaulagain

Many nations of the world during the period of early capitalism were forced to live under the colonial rule. Although colonialism had its brutal existence even from the early state of nations, but it got its different ideological and organizational shape in the early state of capitalist development. That time it was considered as the might of any state to capture others and control not only the natural and human resources but also to establish monopoly in the local markets to sell their own goods, earn profits and bring back to the colonial headquarters. As a mother of the capitalist mode of production, Britain would certainly had to lead the colonial era. So she did.

The British empire spread out in the world as a ruler. They enforced other nations to live under their dominance crossing all the limits of humanity and civilizations. Capturing the national treasury, victimizing the native people with high taxation and supplanting them form the land right, the British empire looted the then India for almost two centuries. But there were not only the British empire to supress India and Pakistan with the colonialism, but Portugal, France and Oman were also there with some parts of the then Indian land.

During the period of World War II, imperial rulers became weak due to the trap of war. In the contrary, there was a quest of independence among the masses of the people in the colonised land. The compiling of these two factors caused the downfall of the imperial rule and that brought the independence to the occupied nations.

In the due course, India and Pakistan got independence. Later it brought the independence of Bangladesh as well. The independence was not brought overnight or by some of the handful people of the limited section of the society but it was the eventual consequence of the restless efforts of the entire nation, the zeal of freedom of each and every people, and heroic struggles and martyrdom of the best sons and daughters of the land.

In the national independence day of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, we extend our warm greetings from the Himalayan nation of Nepal for the well-beings of every nationals, for the prosperity and success of nation and the people.

Nepal is one of the oldest countries of the world. It never colonised. Nepal confronted against then powerful British empires for 4 different times and places but every time they defeated and Nepal became successful to safeguard the national sovereignty but not the national integrity. Before the British invasion over India, Nepal was a larger country from Tista river in the East to kagada fort, the West. Many parts of today’s Bihar of India were with then Nepal. But it squeezed to the today’s size after the treaty of Sugauli in 1814 AD. That treaty was signed between Nepal and then British India which declared the borders between Nepal and India recognizing Nepal a sovereign country.

A lot of snow have been melted yet in the Himalayas and water ran in the current of Ganges till today from the date of independences. The consecutive 74 years have been passed out and nations with different images are now standing with the new images and strengths. The then same countries India and Pakistan have fought 2 high wars against each other and there are still tensions in between them. Actually, the politico-economic characteristics of the region South Asia has been determined by the relationship between these two neighbours who were once under a same map and the administration for the long history.

Actually, South Asian region is in the area of one of the core of interests for the power nations of the world today. Specially, the USA is in a state of difficult revelry with china specially in trade and political issue. Water way is the key and thus the Indian ocean is vital for them all. USA and China both are trying to make a favorable situation to cope up the new challenges emerged with the help of South Asian region. But the two major powers of the region, India and Pakistan are in the opposite direction tilted either with the USA or with China. India is actively harming Chinese interests provoking her with the active collaboration with the US allies like QUAAD. Recently, the speech by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in Brussels about the US plan to commence its army to India to provide support fighting against China denotes a very danger situation in the region. It doesn’t need to say that the US has no interest with India except provoking them against China and take a control over the Indian Ocean with the US navy. Providing security to the countries like India in the Indian Ocean region is not only the US interest but an Indian interest as well. Recently, US and India have agreed to bolster defense and trade ties with an aim to minimize China’s influence in South Asia. Beijing and Islamabad are forging their own alliance, which could increase tension in the region. India is being forced to enhance its defense budget and buy American-made equipment, such as that employed by the Indian Army’s 17 Corp and its airmobile capability of the Indian Air Force.

Strategically, Pakistan’s initiative to make a strong collaboration with China seems not bad to her as her rival India and the USA form a grand alliance to beat China. China also needs a reliable partner to face the challenges by US allies in the region and Pakistan seems to take such position. Other countries of the South Asian Region also getting closer to China for instance Sri Lanka, after the election of a few weeks ago, is said to be gone out of the hand of the US-Indo alliance.

We the South Asians have a low record of per capita income in the world. We face the same challenges of corruption, hypocrisy and the crony-capitalism in the state mechanisms. From Nepal to Pakistan and from Maldives to Bangladesh or Afghanistan, we have almost same problem of political instability, low performances of governments and feudalistic culture from society to the politics. We are in the land where one can’t trust only with the commitment of the leaders , but the need of the fair practice as there were unbelievable deceptions specially in political elites who ran the governments and there is a huge crisis of the trust building and cooperation making everywhere. So, there are many issues where South Asian countries can work together.

Understanding the current tensions and assessing the upcoming problems of the region is vital for any nations of the region. While celebrating the 74^th independence day, Pakistani peoples may able to understand and handle the situation well creating the new areas of friendship specially in the region and generally around the globe. We need peace and harmonious South Asia in general to seize the opportunities created by the changing dynamics of the world. Let’s hope as the world power shifts from west to the East, people of South Asian region may be able to heighten the every aspects of their lives.

I wish happy independence day to friendly Pakistan.

14 Aug 2020

Kathmandu, Nepal.