Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia || Pol. Science Class 12th (Book-1) Notes in English || NCERT CBSE

Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia

Significance of South Asia: When India and Pakistan became nuclear powers, South Asia gained global attention. The region faces conflicts related to borders, water sharing, and ethnic strife, but there is also potential for growth through cooperation among these countries.
"This region can develop and prosper if the states of the region cooperate with each other."

Countries in South Asia: South Asia includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The region is geographically defined by the Himalayas in the north and oceans to the south, east, and west.
"South Asia stands for diversity in every sense and yet constitutes one geo-political space."
Political Systems: Countries in South Asia have different types of governments. India and Sri Lanka have operated as democracies since gaining independence. Other countries, like Pakistan and Bangladesh, have alternated between civilian and military rule. Nepal moved from a monarchy to a republic in 2008.
"Sri Lanka and India have successfully operated a democratic system since their independence from the British."
Democratic Aspirations: Even though some countries face political instability, people across South Asia widely support democracy. Surveys show that citizens prefer democracy over other forms of government.
"Ordinary citizens, rich as well as poor, view the idea of democracy positively and support the institutions of representative democracy."

Frequent Military Rule: Pakistan has experienced long periods of military rule. After General Ayub Khan took control, there were several military coups, including under General Yahya Khan, who was in power during the Bangladesh crisis. General Zia-ul-Haq took power in 1977 and faced pro-democracy movements.
"Several factors have contributed to Pakistan’s failure in building a stable democracy."
Return to Democracy: Despite the dominance of the military, Pakistan has also seen periods of civilian rule, such as under Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Since 2008, democratically elected governments have been in power, but the military continues to influence politics.
"Since 2008, democratically elected leaders have been ruling Pakistan."

Struggle for Independence: Bangladesh, originally part of Pakistan, faced heavy repression under West Pakistan’s rule. The demand for autonomy, led by Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, eventually led to the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, after a war supported by India.
"The people of this region resented the domination of western Pakistan and the imposition of the Urdu language."
Political Instability: After its independence, Bangladesh saw political instability, including military coups and the assassination of Sheikh Mujib in 1975. However, since 1991, the country has been governed by a multi-party democracy.
"Since then, representative democracy based on multi-party elections has been working in Bangladesh."

From Monarchy to Republic: Nepal was a monarchy for much of its history, but political parties and the public pushed for more democratic governance. After protests, the monarchy was abolished in 2008, and Nepal became a democratic republic.
"The king accepted the demand for a new democratic constitution in 1990, in the wake of a strong pro-democracy movement."
Maoist Insurgency: During the 1990s and early 2000s, Nepal faced a violent conflict between Maoist guerrillas and the monarchy. Eventually, the Maoists agreed to a ceasefire and supported the democratic process.
"Nepal’s transition to democracy is almost complete."

Tamil-Sinhala Conflict: Sri Lanka has had a functioning democracy since its independence, but it faced a long and violent ethnic conflict between the majority Sinhala community and the minority Tamil population. The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) fought for a separate Tamil state.
"The militant organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was fighting an armed struggle with the army of Sri Lanka."
Resolution of Conflict: The Sri Lankan government eventually defeated the LTTE in 2009, ending decades of civil war. Despite the conflict, Sri Lanka maintained a democratic political system and achieved significant economic growth.
"Sri Lanka has registered considerable economic growth and recorded high levels of human development."

Kashmir Dispute: India and Pakistan have had a long-standing conflict over the region of Kashmir, which began soon after their independence. Wars in 1947-48 and 1965 failed to resolve the issue, and the region remains divided by the Line of Control.
"The 1947-48 war resulted in the division of the province into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Indian province of Jammu and Kashmir."
Nuclear Rivalry: Both India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998, intensifying their rivalry. Although full-scale wars have been avoided since then, tensions over Kashmir and other issues persist, along with suspicions about each other’s involvement in terrorism.
"Both the governments continue to be suspicious of each other."

India-Bangladesh Relations: India and Bangladesh have had disagreements over issues like river water sharing and illegal immigration. However, they have cooperated on economic and environmental issues, and in 2015, they resolved some border disputes.
"Despite their differences, India and Bangladesh do cooperate on many issues."
India-Nepal Relations: India and Nepal share a special relationship that allows free movement of people between the two countries. However, there have been tensions over issues like Nepal’s relationship with China and India’s perceived interference in Nepal’s internal affairs.
"Nepal and India enjoy a very special relationship that has very few parallels in the world."
India-Sri Lanka Relations: India’s involvement in Sri Lanka’s Tamil conflict, including military intervention, strained relations between the two countries. However, in recent years, they have cooperated on trade and post-tsunami reconstruction.
"India’s help in post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka has also brought the two countries closer."

SAARC and Regional Cooperation: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic and political cooperation. SAARC members signed the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement to encourage free trade across the region.
"SAARC is a major regional initiative by the South Asian states to evolve cooperation through multilateral means."
Challenges to Cooperation: Although SAARC aims to improve cooperation, political tensions, especially between India and Pakistan, have limited its success. However, some progress has been made in reducing trade barriers and building confidence among member states.
"SAARC has not had much success, but a new chapter of peace and cooperation might evolve in South Asia."