The situations of ‘climatic terrorism’ as well as the capability approaches initiated by scholars like Amartya Sen brings in multiple dimensions in understanding security across the South Asian region, noted P.V.Rao, UGC Emeritus Professor and Former Director, Centre for Indian Ocean Studies, Osmania University.
Addressing the international conference, ‘South Asia Beyond Terrorism: Peace, Development and Human Security’ progressing at the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam on Thursday, Dr.Rao emphasised the need to go beyond dominant themes of terrorism and security into common regional concerns shared between the South Asian nations.
According to him, the climatic disasters that are in the making around the coastal and low-lying regions of South Asia has created contexts for regional cooperation for development and security.
Focus on economics
Currently, forums with focus on economics and common security, like the case of European Union, is lacking in the region.
On top of this comes the fact that a nation like India still stays outside the dynamics of initiatives like the Chinese ‘Belt and Road’, he pointed out.
Anup Shekhar Chatraborty from the Netaji Institute for Asian Studies, Mahesh Ranjan Debata from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bibhu Luitel from the Pondicherry University spoke during the sessions that followed. Earlier in the morning, MGU Vice Chancellor Sabu Thomas inaugurated the conference.
The two-day long international conference is being organised by the School of International Relations and Politics in MGU in association with the Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata and the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs.
