CLASS
- XII
SUBJECT
- POLITICAL SCIENCE
CONTEMPORARY
WORLD POLITICS
-:CHAPTER-CONTEMPORARY WORLD
POLITICS:-
Conflict and peace efforts and
democratization in South Asia: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Maldives.
South Asia:
The term South Asia is often used for seven countries located in the southern
part of the continent of Asia, which include India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. On a
larger scale, sometimes Afghanistan and Myanmar are also included in South
Asia.
In South Asia,
the period of conflict and cooperation goes on simultaneously, sometimes there
is tension in this region and sometimes mutual cooperation in this area is also
at the highest level. China is not included in the countries of South Asia.
South Asia refers to a geographical and
political region:
South Asia is a
distinct geographical region of the continent of Asia that includes India,
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The term Indian subcontinent
is also sometimes used for this specific region. The
unity of the geographical nature of South Asia can be understood from the fact
that there is a huge
Himalayan mountain range in the north of South Asia and the Indian Ocean in the
southern direction, similarly the Bay of Bengal is situated in the east of
South Asia and in the west. It is situated in the Arabian Sea. Thus,
due to this specific geographical feature, South Asia is considered to be a
geographical region which is used for all these seven countries.
Different
systems of governance exist in these different countries of South Asia, but it has been seen that
in all these countries the democratic system of governance is particularly
preferred, which gives a political uniqueness to the region. In this
way, we can say that South Asia represents a distinct geographical and
political region, while different types of diversity are seen in it.
Political system in the countries of South
Asia:-
These seven
countries of South Asia do not have a single type of governance system.
If we talk
about India
and Sri Lanka, the democratic system exists here since
independence.
Both democracy and military rule
have existed in the countries of South Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
If we talk
about Nepal,
initially there is a monarchy in Nepal and then constitutional monarchy and in
the present time there is a democratic system.
The monarchy
system of governance still exists in the country of Bhutan.
The country of Maldives
was under Sultanate
rule till the year 1968 and after that democratic governance system has been
established.
Various points of South Asia conflict and
tension:-
Border disputes are
a major cause of conflict and tension in the countries of South Asia.
Terrorist incidents in
the region have also contributed to increasing conflicts and tensions of
various kinds.
The problem of sharing the water of
rivers is also seen in many countries of South Asia.
Business in
the countries of South Asia is also not fully successful.
Bilateral issues are
also one of the reasons for conflict and tension in the countries of South
Asia.
South Asia and Democracy :-
Democracy has
gained wide public support and confidence in most countries of South Asia.
The people of
South Asian countries have expressed their desire for democracy and have also
supported representative institutions of democracy.
The experience
of democracy in South Asia has broken the prevailing misconception about
democracy that democracy can develop only in the wealthiest countries of the
world.
Sequential analysis of countries of South
Asia :-
-:Pakistan (Military and Democracy
Governance System):-
Pakistan is an
important country in South Asia. With independence on 14 August 1947, Pakistan
also declared itself a parliamentary democratic country.
The democratic
system in Pakistan could not last long and in the year 1958, General Ayub Khan
took over the reins of governance and thus military rule started in Pakistan
for the first time.
Corruption
increased to a great extent during the reign of Ayub Khan in Pakistan, due to
which Ayub Khan had to give up power and after that General Yahiya Khan was handed over the
charge of governance.
During the
reign of General Yahya Khan, there was a war between India and Pakistan over Bangladesh
in which the Pakistani army was defeated and East Pakistan came into existence
as an independent country which we call Bangladesh.
In the year
1971, Yahya Khan had to leave power and an elected government came to power
under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but this government too could only last
for a few years and fell in the year 1977.
In 1977, Zia-ul-Haq took over the reins
of Pakistan and abrogated the democratic
constitution, but the movement in support of democracy was gaining momentum in
Pakistan, meanwhile, in 1988, General Zia-ul-Haq was killed in an air crash.
Once again democracy was restored
in Pakistan and the democratic government functioned from 1990 to 1999.
In 1999, Pakistani General Pervez
Musharraf took over the reins of power and in
2002 declared himself the President of Pakistan. Musharraf remained in power in
Pakistan till 2008.
Since then the
elected government of Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan has worked in Pakistan and at present Shahbaz
Sharif is serving as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif's
government was formed in the year 2013, but in the year 2017 Nawaz Sharif was
found guilty in the case of financial corruption in which Nawaz Sharif was
removed from office and sentenced to 10 years.
Some of the major factors responsible for
the weakening of democracy in Pakistan or the failure of democracy in
Pakistan:-
Due to the intervention of the
army in the politics of Pakistan, the roots of democracy have not
been completely permanent here.
Intervention of religious leaders
inside politics and influencing policies is also a major factor for the failure
of democratic government in Pakistan.
Large landowners and landlords are
also responsible for the failure of democracy in Pakistan, who influence the
decisions and policies of the elected government.
The strained relations between India
and Pakistan also have an impact on the
government of Pakistan, due to which the elected government here has to face
additional pressure.
The lack of awareness
among the people for the failure of democracy in Pakistan is also a major
factor in the weakening of the roots of democracy.
One of the
reasons for the failure of democracy in Pakistan is that there is enough corruption in
political parties, which does not create a healthy public opinion.
All the above
reasons have not allowed the roots of democracy to be strengthened in Pakistan,
as a result of which democracy has never been established permanently in
Pakistan, an important factor is more responsible for this, in which the countries of the West,
especially America, have made their own efforts. Military rule was
promoted for programs, which weakened the democratic government in Pakistan and
encouraged military rule.
Military conflict between India and
Pakistan:-
In the year 1947-48,
there was a war between India and Pakistan in which the Indian Army was
victorious and Pakistan had to face defeat.
Pakistan again
attacked India in
the year 1965 and this time also the Indian Army defeated Pakistan.
In the year 1971,
Mrs. Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to go to war for the creation of
Bangladesh and the Indian Army easily defeated Pakistan once again.
Once again the
Pakistan Army showed audacity in Kargil in 1999 but the Indian Army defeated
Pakistan once again.
Relations between India and Pakistan:-
Mostly tense
relations between India and Pakistan are seen and many reasons are also
responsible for this but it does not mean that efforts have not been made for
good relations of India with Pakistan. Agreements have also been made so that
relations can be improved. The points of cooperation and tension between India
and Pakistan can be understood as follows-
Factors of stress and conflict:-
The Kashmir issue is
also one of the main reasons for the strained relations between India and
Pakistan and this issue is disputed till date, due to which there exists
strained relations between the two countries.
Terrorist incidents
along the border between India and Pakistan also play an important factor in
increasing the tension.
India's propaganda by Pakistan at the
international level for the strained relations between
India and Pakistan is also considered a major factor in the tension between the
two countries.
There is also a
dispute regarding the sharing of river water between India and Pakistan, in which
there is a dispute especially regarding the water of the Indus river.
Issues like Siachen Glacier and
Sir Creek are also disputed between India and Pakistan and these add
to the tension between the two countries.
The economic and military aid given by
China to Pakistan also strains relations between the
two countries.
Efforts for cooperation and cordial
relationship:-
Various efforts
have been made to improve relations between India and Pakistan, some of which
are as follows:
In the year 1960, the Indus River
Water Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan with the help of
the World Bank, so that the relations between the two countries could be good.
In the year 1966, the Tashkent
Agreement between Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and
Pakistani General Ayub Khan was also signed to improve relations between the
two countries.
In the year 1972 Shimla Agreement
was signed between the two countries in which talks were held between Indian
Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In the year 1999,
Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji also took a Lahore bus tour
to sweeten the relations between the two countries.
Some of the major factors showing the
prospects of cooperation and cordial relations between India and Pakistan are -
Both India and
Pakistan were the same country earlier, so the historical heritage of both
the countries is almost the same which is very helpful to bring the two closer.
Films, music etc. can
also become an important area of potential within the cultural sphere between
India and Pakistan.
Both India and
Pakistan can also come closer to each other through sports in which sports like
cricket and
hockey can play an important role.
Trade is also an area of
possibilities between India and Pakistan, through
trade both the countries can come closer to each other and the situation of
tension can be removed.
India and
Pakistan are two important countries of South Asia and both countries can work
together in many areas in which technology and economic development are key.
-:Nepal:-
Nepal is an
important country in South Asia. Nepal is also known as the only Hindu country
in the history of the world.
Monarchy was
established in Nepal for many years. In the 1990s, there was a wave of democracy in
Nepal and the people of Nepal started demanding democracy.
In the year
1990, King Virendra, in view of the growing movement, announced a new
constitution in Nepal and recognized a limited constitutional monarchy and multi-party
democratic system.
In the 1990s,
Maoist movements began to grow rapidly in many places in Nepal.
Despite the
demands of the political parties and the people for responsible governance, the
king had established complete control over the government with the help of the
army.
Nepal King
Birendra was assassinated by a conspiracy in the year 2001, the new king Gyanendra
dissolved the parliament in the year 2002 and ended the democratic
governance system.
For some time
there was a triangular
struggle between the Raja's army, pro-democracy and Maoists.
King Gyanendra took over governance in
February 2005 by dismissing the elected
government of Sher Bahadur Deva, leading to nationwide pro-democracy
demonstrations in 2006 and thousands of people were killed in these
demonstrations.
Then in April
2006 there were nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations. As a result, the Parliament
was restored by King Gyanendra.
The demonstration was organized by a coalition of seven
parties, Maoists and social activists.
In the context
of the establishment of democracy in Nepal, some important changes took place
such as Parliament took away all the rights of the king, Parliament was
considered supreme and the Maoists also agreed to join the interim government.
Girija Prasad
Koirala became the Prime Minister of Nepal in 2006 and Nepal became a
Democratic Republic in 2008.
In the year 2015, a new constitution
has been adopted in Nepal and at present
Sher Bahadur Deuba is the Prime Minister of Nepal. Vidya Devi Bhandari is
currently the President of Nepal.
-:Relations between India and Nepal:-
Nepal and India
have almost always had good relations. Nevertheless, the tension between the
two countries persists on some issues.
-:Good or cooperative relationship
People from
both Nepal and India can come to each other country without a visa.
Many people
from Nepal are in India and many people from India are involved in jobs and
employment in Nepal.
Very good
relations can also be seen between Nepal and India in the field of electricity
and trade.
With the
establishment of democracy in Nepal, both the countries have come closer and
both the countries are also members of SAARC.
-:Area of bitterness or tension:-
Sometimes
border disputes are also seen between India and Nepal, such as recently Nepal
had shown
Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh in its map, which soured the
relations between the two countries.
Due to the increasing friendship
of Nepal with China, the relations between the two countries also
deteriorate.
There is also a
tussle between Nepal and India over river water and power projects.
Nepal also feels that India does not even trade properly with Nepal.
-:Bangladesh:-
Bangladesh is a
country in South Asia and before 1971 it was known as East Pakistan as
it was a part of Pakistan.
This region of
East Pakistan was carved out of the divided parts of Bengal and Assam during the time of
British rule.
The people of
East Pakistan were opposed to the domination of West Pakistan and the imposition of Urdu language
on themselves. The people of East Pakistan were not at all in favor of
giving up the Bengali culture and the Bengali language.
The people of
East Pakistan started expressing their opposition as soon as Pakistan was
created. The people of the region also demanded their just representation in
the administration and equal share in political power.
The mass
struggle against West Pakistan was led by Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman, leader of the Awami
League.
Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman demanded the autonomous rule of East Pakistan and under this, Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman's party won all the seats in the elections held in 1970.
Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman's Awami League party got a majority in the proposed Constituent Assembly
for the whole of Pakistan, but due to pressure from the leaders of West
Pakistan, the
government refused to convene this Constituent Assembly and Sheikh Mujib was
arrested.
General Zia
Khan of Pakistan tried to crush the movement of Bengali people by Pakistani
army and in this action thousands of people were killed by Pakistani army and
many people from East Pakistan migrated to India.
The problem of
handling these refugees from India arose. The Government of India supported the
demand for independence of the people of East Pakistan and also provided them
financial and military assistance.
This resulted
in a war between India and Pakistan in the year 1971 and India defeated the
Pakistani army and Bangladesh came into existence as an independent country.
Bangladesh declared itself a secular
democratic and socialist country by making its own independent constitution.
In the year
1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman amended the constitution of Bangladesh to recognize
presidential system in place of parliamentary system and abolished all
political parties except the Awami League party.
This policy of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led to tension and conflict situation in Bangladesh and
the army revolted against him and in this dramatic development Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman was killed by the army.
After Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, the new military ruler in Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, took the
throne and formed his own Bangladesh National Party and won the 1979 election.
After the
assassination of Ziaur Rahman, another military regime came to power in
Bangladesh under
the leadership of General HM Ershad.
But the people
of Bangladesh had now stood up in support of the democratic governance system
and due to the students' movement, General HM Ershad gave freedom to political activities to
an extent.
After this,
General Ershad was elected to the post of President for 5 years but due to
widespread public
opposition, Ershad had to leave this post in 1990.
Elections were
held in 1991 and after that a representative democracy system based on multi-party elections
has been established in Bangladesh.
At present, Sheikh Hasina, the leader
of the Awami League party, is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Mohamed Abdul
Hameed is the President of Bangladesh.
Analysis of relations between
India-Bangladesh:-
Areas of cordial or cooperative
relationship:-
Very good and
cordial relations are seen between India and Bangladesh at many points, some of
them are as follows:
India was the first country to
recognize Bangladesh as an independent country and
establish diplomatic relations with it in December 1971.
India and
Bangladesh also conduct
joint army exercises and navy exercises in the defense sector which
shows the cordial relations between the two countries.
India and
Bangladesh share
a border of about 4096 km with each other which is the longest border line with
any country.
The bilateral Joint River Commission
between India and Bangladesh has been functioning since June 1972 to improve
the relations between the two countries.
Trade between
India and Bangladesh is also very high and Bangladesh is also India's largest
partner in South Asia.
Since 2011,
duty free trade with Bangladesh under the South Asian Free Trade Area has
established cordial relations between the two countries.
Railway links, inland water transit and
an important road project (BBIN) have also been
set up to improve connectivity between India and Bangladesh.
India and
Bangladesh are also member countries of SAARC and BIMSTEC.
The two
countries have established cooperative relations in the field of disaster management
and environment.
Bangladesh is
also important to India because it is also an important country in India's Look East
policy.
Areas of tension or dispute:-
Tension also
persists between India and Bangladesh over the use of the waters of the Ganges and
Brahmaputra rivers.
Illegal refugees from Bangladesh known
as Chakmas play a major role in de-stressing
the relations between India and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a
major recipient of materials including Chinese military submarines in the defense sector,
which is a matter of concern for India.
The National Register of Citizens to
identify Indian citizens in Assam and Bangladesh
have previously expressed concern that relations between the two countries have
soured.
Incidents of hatred and hatred towards
Muslims in India affect public perceptions in Bangladesh.
-:Sri Lanka:-
Sri Lanka is an
important country in South Asia. Sri Lanka became independent in the year 1948 and since independence there is a democratic system of
governance in Sri Lanka.
Since
independence, Sri Lanka has been facing ethnic conflict and this concern is present
even in the present times.
Sri Lanka was earlier called Ceylon. Sri
Lanka is mainly divided into two communities consisting of Tamils and Sinhalese.
Since
independence, the
Sinhalese community has dominated every area in Sri Lanka as it is
the majority community and these communities live in opposition to the Tamil
community who settled in Sri Lanka.
Sinhalese are native to Sri Lanka and
Tamils have migrated from India and settled in Sri Lanka.
About 18
percent of the population of Sri Lanka are Tamils of Indian origin who are
settled in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
The people of the Sinhalese speaking
community in Sri Lanka believe that Sri Lanka is only for Sinhalese speaking
people and there is no place for Tamils here.
Due to this
behavior of Sinhalese speaking people Tamil speaking people are facing a lot of
neglect. Tamils in Sri Lanka have also faced favoritism in government jobs and
educational institutions etc.
Such
discriminatory and partisan behavior has paved the way for a militant Tamil
nationalist movement in Sri Lanka and in this series the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which has been fighting an armed conflict with the Sri
Lankan army since 1983.
The LTTE was
demanding a separate country for the Tamils in Sri Lanka and therefore took
control of the north eastern part of Sri Lanka.
This ethnic
conflict of Sri Lanka is with the Tamil people associated with India, so there
is a lot of pressure from the Tamil people on the Government of India because
the Tamil people of Sri Lanka demand from the Indian government to protect the Tamil
people in Sri Lanka and stop this discrimination.
In this
episode, in
the year 1987, the Indian government sent its peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka
to stop the Tamil conflict, but the situation there became more
tense and the Indian peacekeeping force had to return without achieving any goal in
the year 1989.
The incident
made the people of Sri Lanka very angry with the Indian government and they
also alleged that the Indian government was trying to interfere in the internal affairs of
Sri Lanka.
Many efforts
have also been made to stop this violent ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka, in which
countries like Norway
and Iceland are also playing the role of mediator at the international level.
Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict almost came
to an end in 2009 as LTTE leader Prabhakaran was killed in an army attack. In
this way the situation of the long-running civil war almost came to an end.
Sri Lanka is the first country in South
Asia to liberalize its economy despite ethnic
conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities, and with this Sri Lanka's GDP rate
is considered one of the highest in South Asia.
Sri Lanka has successfully worked on
population control despite these conflicts and is also
the first country in the developing world to do so. Sri Lanka's GDP per capita is also one
of the highest in South Asia. Despite so many struggles, Sri Lanka
has maintained its democratic system, which is a commendable thing.
Points of difference or tension between Sri
Lanka and India:-
An area of
contention between India and Sri Lanka is also the determination of the maritime boundary.
India and Sri Lanka are connected through the Pak Water Treaty and there is also a dispute
between the two over the maritime boundary.
The Tamil problem is
also a major factor in the tension between India and Sri Lanka. The Tamil
community is also a major factor responsible for ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka
and India's policy towards Tamils strains relations between the two
countries.
Due to Sri Lanka's
inclination towards China and its growing ties with Western countries,
the relations between the two countries continue to be strained.
There is also a
problem of
fishermen between India and Sri Lanka, under which the fishermen of
both the countries violate each other's border for fishing.
Good or co-operation areas:-
Both India and
Sri Lanka are one of the important countries of South Asia and both countries
have been democratic
countries from the beginning.
The commercial relationship
between India and Sri Lanka is also very important. Sri Lanka is India's second largest
trading partner among the countries of South Asia, which shows that
both Sri Lanka and India are very close commercially.
India has
consistently worked for positive cooperation on the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka and in
the same sequence, India has also worked on a plan to build about 46000 houses
for Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The cultural ties between India and Sri
Lanka are also seen to be intensified, with the
national presidents and government heads of both countries visiting each other,
so that the relations between the two countries remain alive.
-:Maldives:-
Maldives is a
country with a chain of islands located to the south of India. It is an
important country located in the Indian Ocean through which many trade routes
pass.
Maldives became
independent from British rule in the year 1965 and after that Sultanate system was
established in Maldives which lasted till the year 1968.
In the year 1968, the Presidential
system of government was adopted in Maldives and declared a republic
country.
In 2005, the Maldivian Parliament voted
unanimously in favor of adopting a multi-party system and declared the Maldives
a multi-party system.
In Maldivian
politics, the dominance
of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the country's political
affairs is clearly visible.
Democracy in
Maldives was further strengthened after the 2005 elections as the opposition parties were
given legal recognition in this election for the first time.
In 2012, Maldivian President Nasheed
was removed and Mohamed Wahid was made the new President of Maldives,
leading to a crisis of political stability in the Maldives.
At present, Ibrahim Mohamed is the
President of Maldives which belongs to the Maldivian Democratic Party.
Relations between India and Maldives:-
The relations
between India and Maldives have been very cordial and good. We can understand
these relations between India and Maldives through the following points:-
In 1988, when
some mercenary Tamil soldiers from Sri Lanka attacked the Maldives, India responded
quickly to the Air Force and Navy and assisted the Maldives.
India and
Maldives also have very good relations in tourism and fisheries and both countries
continue to cooperate with each other in these areas.
India has consistently assisted in the
economic development of Maldives and has also
signed a number of bilateral agreements with it.
India has signed four MoUs with
Maldives in November 2020 which are as follows:-
Two MoUs have
been signed for high impact community development projects.
An MoU has been
signed between Maldives India on cooperation in sports and youth affairs.
An MoU has been
signed for a grant of US$ 100 million as a part of India's US$ 500 million
package for GMCP
(Greater MALE Connectivity Project).
-:Bhutan:-
Bhutan is a
small country in South Asia. Monarchy system has been established in Bhutan from the
very beginning. The constitutional monarchy was established in
Bhutan in the year 2008 and it has emerged as a multi-party democracy under the
leadership of the king.
India and Bhutan Relations:-
India and
Bhutan have very warm and good relations. India is helping Bhutan a lot in hydroelectric
projects in Bhutan.
The extremists and gorillas from
Northeast India, who were conducting their operations from Bhutan, were
expelled from its territory by Bhutan, which
established further cordial relations between the two countries.
Most of the financial assistance for
Bhutan's development works is done by India,
which brings the two countries closer.
Skeptical attitude of small countries of
South Asia towards India:-
Often the
relatively small countries of South Asia have a suspicious attitude or behavior
towards India and many reasons are responsible for this, some of which are as
follows -
India is the largest country in
South Asia and it is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of area.
For this reason also the small countries of South Asia have a skeptical
attitude towards India.
India is one of
the largest
military powers in the world and due to this also small countries of
South Asia remain apprehensive about India.
The population of India is the second
largest population in the world and this is
also a big factor due to which the countries of South Asia remain apprehensive
towards India.
India is one of the fastest growing
economies of the world, thus India is a
country with a huge economy and this is also a huge factor that keeps the
relatively small countries of South Asia scared of India.
Small countries
of South Asia are also apprehensive of India because India's technology is very
developed from other countries.
One of the
reasons for the apprehensive behavior of the relatively small countries of
South Asia is that India has a prominent place in world politics and India is currently
taking the lead in international politics.
Measures to enhance peace and cooperation
in South Asia:-
These countries
need to further liberalize
free trade to enhance peace and cooperation in South Asia.
There is an
urgent need to adopt
a cooperative approach to enhance peace and cooperation in South
Asia and also to address the poverty and unemployment prevailing in the region.
Bilateral
disputes are seen in abundance in the countries of South Asia and due to this
tension and conflict situation remains in the region, so these countries need
to resolve their bilateral disputes expeditiously.
Political instability is
found in many countries in South Asia, due to which there is a situation of
conflict and tension in these countries, so political stability is also needed
to establish peace and cooperation in this region.
The countries
of South Asia are mainly facing a terrible problem which is called terrorism
and due to this tension and conflict situation prevails in the countries of
South Asia, therefore all forms of terrorism are there to increase peace and
cooperation in South Asia. It is necessary to end the forms.
It is very
important for the countries of South Asia to understand that any of their disputes or issues
should be resolved jointly and not by the intervention of any other
external power.
Quiz related to Contemporary South Asia:-