South Asia is one of the very few regions in the world with geographical contiguity as well as linguistic and cultural homogeneity. The region, inhabited by more than one-fifth of global population, is afflicted by a number of social, political and economic problems compounded by political mistrust and suspicion. The South Asian states are plagued by inter-state conflicts over boundaries. In addition, there is a sharp increase in unemployment, poverty, epidemics, drug trafficking, and environmental degradation etc. in the region which have internal and external dimensions. All these issues pose a far more serious and immediate challenge to the region.The South Asian region has potential to acquire a momentum of its own, leading to the total transformation of the region in the near future. The member states have to set aside their disputes, in order to improve their economic and trade relations. They have to realize that it is high time to shift their focus from the security of the borders to regional cooperation.The contributors in the volume–diplomats, academia and media–not only focused on the problems being faced by the South Asian countries; but also suggested the amicable solutions to overcome these problems and the possible ways to reconstruct a new South Asia. Thus, the main focus is to probe into various mechanisms to be adopted to make the South Asian region free from conflicts and enhance economic cooperation amongst the states, thereby improving the welfare of the people. While analyzing the conflicts and misunderstandings between/among the countries in the region, the volume tries to underline the issues related to human development, traditional and non-traditional security and the role of external powers in the peace process of South Asia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adluri Subramanyam Raju
Adluri Subramanyam Raju is Associate Professor of Political Science in the Centre for SAARC Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. Earlier, he was Honorary Academic Fellow at the Indo-American Centre for International Studies, Hyderabad. He is Associate Editor for an International Journal Indian Ocean Survey. Mr. Raju received his Ph.D. from the Department of Poltiical Science, University of Hyderabad. He was Saizburg Seminar Fellow (2006) and the recipient of the Kodikara Award (1998) and Mahbub Ul Haq Award (2003) cnferred by the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo and Scholar of Peace (2002) by Women in Security Conflict Management & Peace (WISCOMP), New Delhi. His area of research interest is on conflict resolution and cnfidence building measures with reference to South Asia. His publications include, Democracies at Loggerheads: Security Aspects of US-India Ralations, New Delhi and Colorado: South Asian Publishsers and International Academic Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2001; Third-Generation Indian Perceptions of the Kashmir Issue, Colombo: RCSS, 2001; Indian Women Scientists’ Perceptions of the Nuclear Issue, New Delhi; WISCOMP, 2005; co-authored, Maritime Cooperation between india and Sri Lanka, New Delhi; Manohar Publishers, 2006; (ed.), Nuclear India: Problems and Perspectives, New Delhi and Colorado: South Asian Publishers and Interantional Academic Publshers Pvt. Ltd. 2000; Terrorism in South Asia: Views from India, New Deli and Singapore; India Research Press and Marshall Cavendish Academic, 2004; and Reconstructing South Asia; An Agenda, New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2007.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR T. Nirmala Devi
T. Nirmala Devi, Professor in the Centre for SAARC Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. She has been working on South Asian studies for over two decades. She was a Baden-Wurttemberg University, Germany. Her other areas of interest are international economics, women's studies and demographic studies. Besides co-editing one book, she has published three books, authored six monographs and nearly sixty research papers on South Asia.
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