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NEED FOR INTERACTIONS AT ALL LEVELS

SAARC Must Strive for Consensus for Economic Progress

by Kamal Hossain
AT the outset I would like to share with our readers what I had occasion to say at a recent SAARC seminar: The transition to democracy In Bangladesh coincides with similar transitions In our own region and In other parts of the world. The scale of the change globally suggests that we might be al a Juncture of history which marks a transition from one historical epoch to another. As we approach the beginning ot a new century and a new millennium, we find ourselves in the midst of change on an unprecedented
In the words of one per ceptive observer What was beyond the grasp of Imagine tion yesterday, except perhaps In the fertile minds of futurists and fiction writers, has already happened today ... Future shock is yesterday "
At the global level, there are assessments being made as to who will be winners and losers In the emerging dispensation. In these assessments most if not all of us In this region are counted among the losers. This should Impel us to concert our efforts with a sense of urgency to make our own assessments of regional cooperation which might improve our chances of being among the winners or at any rate to shape things tn a way that the gains and losses from global change arc more evenly distributed.
But let us turn to the challenges faced by our own societies. In a region which embraces one-sixth of mankind. We have in the past seen democracy which was achieved at great cost subverted by those who ^tood to lose If the peoples’ priorities were to be established. The post-colonial State had In many cases failed to fulfil what Independence had promised: freedom, equality and Justice for all.
While some of us have been more fortunate in having been able to maintain continuity of democratic institutions, there are others like ourselves who have suffered from repeated assaults upon democracy and Imposition of authoritarian regimes Thus for many of us the role of opposition has had to go far beyond the role of the opposition in an established democrac y In order to restore and sustain democracy, far greater risks have had to be taken, many lives have had to be sacrificed In opposing authoritarian regimes and the powerful interests which have sought to entrench themselves
Those of us who are In the midst of a transition from an authoritarian regime to democracy have an uphill and difficult task. Under authoritarian regimes tendencies which are subversive of democracy arc systematically nurtu-
red. Proteges of authoritarian regimes accumulated Illegally acquired wealth They In turn built up afmed squads and organized bands of musclemen, which arc used to subvert rule of law. which If established poses a threat lo those who had become accustomed to prosper beyond the pale of law Under authoritarian regimes the administration and law enforcing agencies have been perverted to serve the narrow Interest that such regimes present The role of the opposition in societies where we arc engaged tn a transition to democracy Involves constantly contending against those lega cies of authoritarian regimes, which present serious obsta cles, to the functioning of democratic institutions.
An equally negative legacy is the hangover of authoritarian attitudes and the absence of respect for democratic values on the part of elected governments and tn society at large. The opposition Is too readily Identified as the enemy of the state. The opposition is thus pushed Into a role of total opposition. which rules out the possibility of bl-partisanship, of building consensus on vital Issues needed to implement development strategies aimed to serve the people s Interests.
Today we need to assess our experience in order to Identify the main Impediments to nurturing democratic values and environment In which the rule of law. respect for human rights, a free press and other democratic Institutions can gather strength to make the State more responsive to peoples priorities, we need to adopt strategies to empower disadvantaged sections of the population
We need not only to
strengthen our own grassroots organisations, but also to promote popular unity and consensus and broadbased coalition of people of all sections. In support of democratic values and norms — of tolerance, respect for the rights of others, and a commitment to resolve differences through persuasion, negotiation and rational discussions and not by resort to violence. It Is only by doing so that we can exorcise the horrors of political assassl nation from our societies The oppositions of today can only become the governments of tomorrow If they can win the hearts and minds of people. They must develop moral au thortty and win confidence by demonstrating that they themselves practice what they preach. What Is needed Is empowerment of our people — who alone can protect democracy against the predatory elites who feel threatened by the establishment of genuine democracy
Wc need to explore the ways in which we can cooper-ate in strengthening democratic institutions In our respective countries and In our regions We should. I believe, support genuine movements for democracy and not hesitate to express our solidarity with those who are denied their human rights I think it was laudable that Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India supported the UN General Assembly resolution last year supporting the cause of democracy represented by Aung San Su Kyi in Myanmar, and a matter of sorrow that Bangladesh and Pakistan abstained
A recent practical step at the people’s level In regional cooperation was the exchange of regional teams of observers
In the elections held tn a number of our countries. Some of us had the privilege of being election observers In more than one of our neighbouring countries A regional human rights organisations to monitor human rights and the observance of certain shared values stemming from our common commitment to upholding universally recognised human rights might be another useful initiative that may be added to our agenda
What are the basic common objectives on which wc could arrive at a consensus? Clearly, the first on the list must be peace and stability In our region. The next would be development In the Interest of the people In each of our societies. A test of development put forward by one of our economists may well be commended: to what extent does such developments Improve the conditions of the bottom 50 per cent of our population?
These strategies of development would call for a greater degree of regional co-operation than political reah-Ues In our region have so far permitted. Unresolved issues and ethnic and sectarian conflicts have vitiated the political climate Political tensions have contributed to growth of military expenditures beyond accepted levels, and these in turn had led to the emergence of authoritarian structures. Such expenditures continue to divert resources away from priority areas of social and economic development
Our efforts should be directed to improving the politl cal environment in our region. We should move our governments to attach the highest priority, If this Is not already being done to a resolution of outstanding Issues and removal of sources of tension. Ethnic
con filets and revival of fundamentalists tendencies in some our societies not only threaten political stability, but by their very nature, also have a negative Impact on relations between countries. We must also do everything wc can within our countries to resolve ethnic conflicts and to contain the growth of fundamentalism
The building of such regional cooperation is premised on the conviction that such an environment would open up enormous possibilities for all-round cooperation Cooperation In generating the technologies of the future. In shared RAD and the development of South Aslan centres of excellence must be an Integral part of our strategics for the future. Developing common strategies on global and regional Issues will enable us lo secure our goals, nalional and regional, more effectively. Coordinated development strategics will help us lo optimise the use of resources and more effectively serve I he shared goals of development for the
benefit of all our peoples
The rhalien^cs that face us and the possibilities that exist are well encapsulated tn the words of George Verghese In his seminal study entitled Waters of Hope The glaring contradiction of the largest concentration of the world's most poor unable to garner the ounty of one of the world’s richest natural resource regions tn which they live is an Indictment that can no longer be evaded Not a little has been achieved over the past 40 years But not enough. Political stability and the social fabric are threatened as populations multiply and Justly demand equity and opportunity."
Thus, while the problems which face us are daunting and the record of the last four decades Is one of many failures and missed opportunities, nevertheless, through these four decades, we have through experiences are renewing our commitment to the common goal of peace and stability within our region and to economic and social change within our societies tn the interest of our peoples in a democratic political order. In pursuing these objectives, we believe more dialogues and increased Interaction between our peoples at all levels could significantly contribute towards building an environment for more effective regional cooperation In South Asia There should be active Interaction not only among political leaders. but at all levels, among leaders of professional organisations — lawyers, Journalists, university teachers and writers — among trade unions and students organisations and all other conscious sections — so that we can harness the Intellectual, material and above all. the moral resources of our peoples — meaningfully to respond lo the challenges of the future.
The article Is based on a speech delivered by the writer at the recent seminar of opposition leaders In Karachi, tn his capacity as a former foreign minister of Bangladesh.