Speaker Profile: Dr Smruti S Pattanaik

Dr Smruti S Pattanaik is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi. After completing her PhD in South Asian Studies, from the School of International Studies, JNU, she joined the IDSA in 1998. Her area of specialization is South Asian politics focusing on role of military, politics of identity and dynamics of India’s relations with its neighbours. Her current study focuses on “Political Islam, Religious militancy and the States in South Asia” making a comparison between Pakistan and Bangladesh the two most important Muslim countries in the region.

She has received a number of international fellowships. She was a visiting Asia fellow at the Department of International Relations, Dhaka University in 2004 and 2007, Kodikara fellowship in 1999 (RCSS, Colombo) and undertook field trip to Pakistan. The research study under this fellowship is published and titled as “Elite Perception in Foreign Policy: Role of Print Media in influencing Indo-Pak relations, 1989-99” (Delhi, RCSS and Manohar, 2004). She was Postdoctoral Fellow at MSH (Fondation Maison des Science de l’Homme), Paris in 2008 and was affiliated to the Centre for International Relations and Research (CERI, Science Po) and MSH (Paris) to conduct post doctoral research on “Broadening Consensus in Fighting Religious Militancy/terrorism: Can Democracy in Pakistan Ensure regional stability”. She has published around 40 articles in reputed journals, has contributed around 20 chapters in books, and delivered lectures on security issues both in India and abroad. Her recent publications include “Political ascendancy of Religious Right in Bangladesh: A case study of Jamaat Islami” (Strategic Analysis, March 2009) and “Underlying force – Religion underpins Bangladesh’s politics” Jane’s Intelligence Review, February 2009

ABSTRACT

Does SAARC has a Future?

There exist compelling reasons to believe that SAARC has not achieved its potential given various political impediments that has stunted its progress. Therefore it becomes relevant to understand whether SAARC has a future or does it offer a hope to the regional cooperation. In this context it would be important to understand the scope of SAARC, the manner in which it was envisaged and the vision that was laid down for this regional organization in order to make a correct assessment of its future. Moreover, in a globalised world integration is becoming a common political vocabulary given the trends. Pertinent question in this regard would be if SAARC does not have a future why is that so many countries of the world want to become an observer. Argument of this paper is if any organization that has potentiality to grow and bind together the South Asian countries will definitely have a future for the sheer reason to further regional interest. Progress can be measured in terms of goals that have been set and has to be assessed in relative terms rather than evaluating it in absolute terms.