What South Asian Fraternity means
South Asian Fraternity was established in 1990 at Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi-110 024, India to develop good neighbourly relationship on a people to people basis among the countries of South Asia namely India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh, Srilanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan and to take such measures as are calculated to promote this objective in this area.
We are inhabitants of the same geographical regions and we are proud to share common mountains, oceans, rivers, jungles and the resources there from. If we could scratch the layers of the history, we will be pleased to know that at certain periods our periodical sovereignty crossed each others’.
The children are taught to like, love and possess. They quarrel and fight to maintain the possessions and likes. We learn to love our family, our community, our religion, our language and our nation. It is good. But when this circle of ours tightens us too much and implies dislike and hatred for others, it generates confrontations, fights, riots and wars among nations. South Asian Fraternity works to convert and social persons. This may help us in converting the tears into smiles.
The history has taught us the greatness of the person is seldom measured by his possession, but it is remembered by sharing of wisdom, rendering of services and by sacrificing personal belongings including comforts & luxuries. That is why we remember Lord Rama, The Buddha, The Mahavir, The Christ, The Mohammad and Guru Nanak with respects and reverence. South Asian Fraternity motivates to adopt their path of greatness and righteousness and not rituals or symbols.
The nature has bound us common geographical resources, common culture & climate and common consumer demands. The human beings are born free. In order to make the life more secure, disciplined and happy, they gradually created various departments like defence, agriculture, industry, communication and so on. The State should, therefore, help to channelise the different flows to carry the benefits to maximum areas but should avoid in creating artificial barriers, otherwise the common people will suffer and ultimately the nation will suffer. South Asian Fraternity brings the people closer to chalk out confrontation. Prosperity of the people will make the member nations prosperous. Let us resolve and deliberate the various ways and means to develop the Common Economy. We may think the redraft our text books to include the South Asian weather, production of raw material, development of agriculture, trade & commerce, extension of communication and free flow of economic information through press & media.
The economy in South Asia can be self-reliant if we decentralize the economy by producing our requirements of daily life in man-power oriented cottage/small industries. We should be alert and vigilant to watch the results of western type of modernization which leads to increasing unemployment, accumulation of wealth in fewer big houses. If conceived policies have led to migration of population from rural to urban slums, generated violence, addicted youths to drugs and liquor, increased molestation, rapes and dowry deaths and creating may problems for women and children, industrialization, urbanization and modernization without caring for the environment is reducing our green cover, polluting the air, rivers and earth and has damaged ozone layer. The present system of education, the capital oriented consumerist economy is converting man into a commodity or consumer of the commodity. We are losing the fine, rational, ethical and social human being. Do we call it development? Let us pause, analyse the past and think over for the future. Unless we convert confrontations into cooperation, hatred into understanding, violence into compassion, cannot convert tears into smile. South Asian Fraternity helps to think what type of the world we want for ourselves.
South Asian Fraternity discusses how to strengthen human rights and democratic institutions. Democracy helps to change-over from bullet to ballot to express the will of the people. But we are sorry to see the democratic institutions like panchayats, local bodies, judiciary, voluntary organizations, media etc. are being cordoned off to outer and outer circles of the authority. This alienation cannot strength democratic institutions.
South Asian Fraternity organises South Asian Friendship Youth Camps of 200-300 young friends for 8-10 days to discuss common issues and to seek common solutions.
South Asian Fraternity proposes that the Government may consider creating a N.G.O. Cell in the SAARC Division of the Ministry of External Affairs to promote people to people friendly relations with our neighbouring countries. The more we invest on the people to people friendship, interactions, the more we would save in defence budgets and spend ultimately for the welfare of the people.
To strengthen the process of thinking, South Asian Fraternity plans to bring out South Asian Common Magazine which will contribute to highlight the constructive sides of other communities, tribes, religion, language and nations. The pages of the common magazine may spread its fragrance with smiles & praises for others.
If you wish to appreciate each other’s country, culture and traditions to nourish and strengthen the bonds of friendship, and to open more channels of understanding and cooperation, please join South Asian Fraternity.
- Satya Paul, Secretary General, South Asian Fraternity.
