The current visit of US Undersecretary of State William Burns bearing a "private" (according to Holbroke) letter from President Obama to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ,underscores what we already know:
For over FIVE Decades, the United States has practiced a neoimperial policy globally.
Our South Asia culture area is no exception to this US policy of global economic dominance and military adventurism.
The postcolonial dependency mindset of our feudal elites and our political classes, who were already weakened by the British divide and rule policy that resulted in Partition in 1947, has now fully succumbed to the US neoimperial strategy.
India and Pakistan consistently fail to work together because they have accepted US dominance of the South Asia culture area.
The US has succeeded, over a span of 50 years, in getting Pakistan's governments, whether military dictatorship or fragile democratic processes, to use arms against its own people. The vast internal displacement of Pakistanis is the most recent proof of the success of US neoimperial, anti-civil society policy in South Asia Pakistan as a nation--state is weak, as never before. But its feudal elites (which include the military classes at the higher echelons) are enriched daily by US infusions of money and weaponry.
The concept of region has supplanted the more basic and important concept of culture area.
The prevailing offensive of "strategic depth" has allowed the US to gain a ground advantage in South Asia, obviously in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
We the People of South Asia cannot rely on our political elites, military elites and our landed elites. They are complicit with this neoimperial policy and have much to gain from continued collusion with the US.
Only We the People, the civil societies of Afghanistan, Bangladesh,India, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, can work together to create solidarity and prosperity for ALL the people of the South Asia culture area.
Chithra KarunaKaran
Ethical Democracy As Lived Practice
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