Saarc space feat opens up new opportunities
The launch of the South Asian satellite, which is India's gift to its neighbours, is both a technological and political outreach to the countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), barring of course, Pakistan. The political importance of the launch of the GSAT satellite was evident from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a surprise move, took this historic launch as an opportunity to conduct a mini Saarc ‘summit’ by engaging various leaders of member countries through video-conferencing. The members not only congratulated India for its technological success but also Prime Minister Modi for having turned his “vision into reality”. Critically, with this launch, India has moved a step closer in its strategy to isolate an obstructionist Pakistan, which is willy-nilly distancing itself from the dynamics of South Asia by the day. While New Delhi has always displayed its readiness to play a more determined leadership role in the neighbourhood, where it is a major power, Pakistan, on the other hand, has demonstrated pettiness in terming down India's offer to extract benefit from the satellite and has blamed India for not developing a venture on a collaborative basis. But this is Pakistan's loss and not the region’s. Islamabad's obstinacy in continuing in this fashion had earlier led to a grouping of yet another regional bloc which came to be known as the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) initiative, which can be a game-changer in the development of infrastructural connectivity. BBIN has led to the free movement of passenger, personnel and cargo traffic among the four South Asian neighbours, thereby furthering economic interests among them. In fact, member countries of Saarc have always been plagued with issues of poverty, poor infrastructure, transportation, communication and business etc. It is here that India has played a crucial role to firm up at least its commercial linkages. While Bhutan has, for domestic political reasons, kept on temporary hold its fullest participation, in the due course of time, it will surely be a part of this programme and avail its services.
Technologically, the regional satellite, which was a promise made by Prime Minister Modi to the member countries during the 2014 Saarc summit in Kathmandu, will help partner countries in numerous ways for disaster support, land, air and information connectivity, education and mapping, among other benefits. The satellite is also a good means for India to expand its influence in a positive rather than aggressive manner in South Asia, more so given that China has been making strenuous efforts to expand its space footprint in the region by reaching out to countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, and the Maldives. It already has a pact with Afghanistan and Sri lanka. By all means, the Middle Kingdom is at it to woo regional powers by striking joint ventures through bilateral diplomacy and by using its economic might. However, India must not see the Chinese as a threat but as a competitor. One of the shortcomings of India had been its inability to launch heavier satellites. But with the launch of the Polar Satellite launch Vehicle, which recently blasted 104 satellites in a single flight, India has proved its might. It need not be deterred.