Seven proposals

Imagine a new Southasia, where borders are transformed into bridges and bonding, where all children go to school, where no one goes to bed hungry, where the human rights of minorities are respected, where there is prosperity and peace, where people are able to rise above the narrow walls and interests to share a common destiny. Let us imagine a new Southasia, one that can transform itself and the world. Let us imagine the immense possibilities of a Southasia where the autonomy and sovereignty of each country will be respected, even as we seek to mould common futures based on shared commitment, interest, culture and a passion to transform our challenges into opportunities, our poverty into prosperity and our deeply entrenched mistrusts into a sense of trust and mutual respect.

Sceptics can call all of this a romantic dream. But dreams can also be the beginning of a new dawn. In a growing climate of cynicism, young people should not lose the ability to dream about a new Southasia. Dreams, after all, can dare to challenge the constraints of past and present alike. Right now, we need new dreams to heal the wounds that haunt us. While a South Asian Federation may be a fantasy, it is important to work towards creating enabling conditions for such processes among the peoples and governments of the region. It is important to unleash our positive potential on a social and political agenda. The enabling environment for this will come first from the free movement of people, beginning with provisions for visas on arrival in all countries. Here are seven policy options towards paving the way for a new Southasia.