Question

What is the impact of bilateral relations of South Asia in world politics?

Hint:

When analyzing South Asia's impact on world politics, always frame it around the India-Pakistan rivalry. This central conflict is the key that unlocks the understanding of the region's global significance—as a nuclear flashpoint, a failed regional bloc, and a stage for great power politics.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
South Asia is a strategically important but highly volatile region. The bilateral relations between its countries, especially the contentious relationship between its two largest members, India and Pakistan, have significant repercussions that extend beyond the region and impact global politics.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The impact of South Asia's bilateral relations on world politics can be seen in three main areas:
1. A Major Source of Global Security Concern:
- The persistent hostility and unresolved disputes (especially over Kashmir) between India and Pakistan make South Asia one of the world's most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.
- Any major crisis between these two nuclear-armed states immediately draws international attention and diplomatic intervention from major world powers like the USA, China, and Russia, due to the fear of escalation into a nuclear conflict that would have global consequences.
2. Hindrance to Regional Integration and Global Influence:
- The poor bilateral ties, particularly between India and Pakistan, have rendered regional cooperation ineffective. Organizations like the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have been largely dysfunctional due to political disagreements.
- This failure to integrate means that South Asia cannot speak with one voice on global issues and has failed to emerge as a powerful economic bloc, unlike ASEAN or the European Union. This limits the collective influence of the region in world politics.
3. An Arena for Great Power Competition:
- The internal rivalries within South Asia provide an opening for external powers to increase their influence. The close strategic alliance between China and Pakistan is a key element of China's strategy to counter India.
- In turn, India has deepened its strategic partnership with the United States and other powers (like Japan and Australia through the Quad) to balance China's growing influence. This makes South Asia a key theatre in the broader geopolitical competition between the US and China.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The bilateral relations in South Asia, dominated by the India-Pakistan conflict, impact world politics by creating a global nuclear security concern, stifling regional integration which limits the region's global influence, and turning the area into a major arena for competition among great powers like the US and China.