Preparing for SAARC 2.0 (Mint)

Mains Paper 2:International Relations 
Prelims level:SAARC 2.0 
Mains level:India and its neighbourhood relations 

Context:

• India has shown diplomatic resilience and leadership by forging unity in the neighbourhood in the war against COVID-19. 
• A tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi resulted in the first-ever virtual summit of SAARC leaders on March 15.
• Their deliberations reflected a recognition of the serious menace posed by COVID-19 and the need for robust regional cooperation to overcome it. 

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What has happened to this innovative exercise in health diplomacy since then?

• Considering that SAARC has been dormant for several years due to regional tensions, it is worth stressing that the fight against COVID-19 has been taken up in right earnestthrough a series of tangible measures. 
• All the eight member-states were represented at the video conference — all at the level of head of state or government, except Pakistan. 
• The Secretary General of SAARC participated. They readily agreed to work together to contain the virus, and shared their experiences and perspectives. 
• India’s proposal to launch a COVID-19 Emergency Fund was given positive reception. Within days, all the countries, except Pakistan, contributed to it voluntarily, bringing the total contributions to $18.8 million. Although it is a modest amount, the spirit of readily expressed solidarity behind it matters.
• The fund has already been operationalised. It is controlled neither by India nor by the Secretariat. It is learnt that each contributing member-state is responsible for approval and disbursement of funds in response to requests received from others. 

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Key challenges: 

• SAARC members have committed rather limited resources for a grave threat have a point. But they need to study the latest figures which reveal an interesting picture. 
• So far, South Asia has not exactly borne the brunt of the pandemic. Of the total confirmed cases in the world that stood at 12,89,380 on April 6 (according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resources Center), SAARC countries reported only 8,292 cases, representing 0.64%. 
• Whether the low share is due to limited testing, a peculiarity of the strain of the virus, people’s unique immunity, South Asia’s climate, decisive measures by governments, or just good fortune is difficult to say. But it is evident that India’s imaginative diplomacy has leveraged the crisis to create a new mechanism for workable cooperation. 
• It will become stronger if the crisis deepens and if member-states see advantages in working together. Seven of the eight members already do.

A new SAARC?

• SAARC is now returning to an active phase on a broad front may, however, be premature. 
• In the backdrop of political capital invested by New Delhi in strengthening BIMSTEC and the urgings it received recently from Nepal and Sri Lanka to resuscitate SAARC.
• External Affairs Minister of India said that, India had no preference for a specific platform, but it was fully committed to the cause of regional cooperation and connectivity. 
• The challenge facing the region is how to relate to a country which claims to favour regional cooperation, while working against it. 
• India has little difficulty in cooperating with like-minded neighbours, as it showed by forging unity in the war against COVID-19. This is diplomatic resilience and leadership at its best.

Conclusion:

• A thought for consideration of ‘SAARC purists’ who maintain that all proposals for cooperation should be routed through the Secretariat and activities should be piloted by the incumbent chair. 
• Given what Pakistan has done to harm India’s interests since the terrorist attack on the Uri Army base in 2016 and its continuing resistance to cooperation against COVID-19, the purists’ scenario is unrealistic. 
• Both New Delhi and its friendly neighbours need to start preparing themselves for SAARC 2.0.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)Consider the following statements:
1. Section 188 Indian Penal Code deals with those disobeying an order passed by a public servant, and provides for imprisonment ranging from one to six months
2. Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, suit or other legal proceedings can lie against any person for anything done or intended to be done under good faith.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer....................

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Mains Questions:
Q.1)Is the covid-19 pandemic has provided India an opportunity to restart the bilateral relationship with SAARC nations?