That Map!
At the India International Centre by the Lodhi tombs in New Delhi, the watering hole of India's, and now South Asia's, diplo-academic elite, workshops are held in a glassed-in chamber that is surrounded by grand trees. This one had been called to ponder on South Asia's future. As usual it had the usual mix of renegade academics and former diplomats (some arrogantly New Delhi-centric, others self-assuredly 'South Asian'). Plus add a bunch of academics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University's school of diplomacy.
From beyond New Delhi came academics — from Madras University, Bombay University and the University of Punjab — less encumbered by proximity to Raisina Hill, or being part of India's opinon-making elite, and hence willing to stick their necks out a bit. From the other South Asian countries came academics, some mildly critical of the 'state' but most of them without the 000mph to take the diplo-scholars who presume to represent newly resurgent India.
Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, who would probably be the overwhelming choice for Prime Minsiter of the Republic of South Asia if we had one, opened the meeting with a cautionary note. "In all the papers that I see here, there is diagnosis of the problem, but no prescription". Rather than discuss overarching solutions to the problems that dog interstate relations in the region, the conclave concentrated on the report of the "Eminent Persons' Group" meant to revive the SAARC organisation.
While Shri Gujral spoke on, JN Dixit, former Foreign Secy at South Block tried to pry open his bottle of Blue Lite mineral water. It was proving very difficult and CK Lal, the roads engineer-cum-columnist from KathmandOoined the fray and wrestled with the uncooperative bottle. Finally, the plastic wrapper came off , and they had their fill of aqua before their attention returned to the proceedings.
As Shri Gujral spoke, the incredibly varied birdlife of Lodhi Gardens kept banging against the windows trying to get in. There were what looked liked starlings, a rufus-backed woodpecker, turtle doves as large as turkeys, all of this ornithology wanting in on a piece of South Asian action. The woodpecker even had a go at the masonry outside, but the seminarians kept a straight face.
"The Andaman Sea is the only area of the world where fish die of old age," said the professor from Madras, who was plugging for a Bay of Bengal Community as a competitor to the non-starter SAARC. One reason the idea would work, he said, was that "there is no China or Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal". Interesting point of view. The professor from Bombay said one should learn from the United States, which had a self-correcting political mechanism and an ability to learn. He left it at that, but it seemed like he was taking a dig at someone.
It was only a Kathmandu-based engineer- economist, Deepak Gyawali who used the collective 'we' when referring to South Asia, but this is bound to be a growth industry. Till just the other day, people were finding it hard to twist their tongues 'South Asia'. Not any more, and the it is not long before the first person plural too makes 'us' all South Asian.
The poo really hit the fan when Himal's representative introduced his/ her presentation with its smart and smashing south-side up map of South Asia. A rude shock, therefore, to learn that some considered this an affront to India. "Why have you turned India upside down?" was the accusatory query of the editor of a South Asia journal no less. The response that not only India, but every other country too was similarly "upside down" did not make an impression.
The fact that Delhi The Rajdhani had got relegated to somewhere in the lower part of the map seemed to have irritated those who believed that top-of-page is sacrosanct. If a Dilli-wallah gets peeved with this new perspective, could the same be said also of Islamabad, which similarly is now towards the bottom of Pakistan? Besides, this reaction was not 'India-centricism' as someone suggested. It was northindia-centricism. Because, as was pretty clear, those from the South of the Vindhya were more than happy to find themselves 'on top'. For them, this was not anti-Indian sacrilege. Indeed, those who were most pleased were the Chennaian professor and the Sri Lankans, particularly the one from the southernmost town of Matara.
Thoughts on coming away from the workshop: being
critical of New Delhi's policy does not mean
- you are anti-national (if you are Indian),
- you are anti-Indian (if you are non-Indian), and,
- that you are pro-your-own-government from wherever in the neighbourhood you come. In fact, those who criticise New Delhi are likely to be even more critical of their own individual governments.
So there!
– Kanak Dixit