South Asian Perspective on the Importance of Neighborhood and Neighbors

A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good neighbor is a blessing. Neighbors are the people who live near us, and their behaviour influences our daily life. Good neighbors can make us feel comfortable and help us in many ways, and everyone will be benefited from a good relationship among neighbors. Though we like or dislike our neighbors it is very important to keep a good relation with them. Not only our next-door neighbors, our relation with neighboring countries must as well be good.
The area of the place that surrounds our home or the area we live in is called neighborhood. Good neighborhood is as important as neighbors because a good neigborhood reflects the community’s character, encourages the people living in that neighborhood to involve in social development projects and other activites. Not only in the area we are living but the country also needs a good neighborhood in order to be developed.

Special relationship between neighboring countries increases the possibility of development of those countries. In perspective of South Asia, the relationship between all the eight countries (i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri lanka) that lie in this part of the world is good. All these countries have a good relation with each other and have proven to be good neighbors by helping the country that is in need. A good neighborhood is required to all the countries as they will be of great help economically, politically, culturally. Relation between the countries of South Asia can be seen from different perspectives: Economical view, cultural view, political view, trade relation.

If we look at the recent updates, we can see that the economic status of the countries in South Asia is growing rapidly. This part of world is experiencing positive economic momentum. Since decades, South Asia has focused on improving overall health and primary education levels and upgrading infrastructures, areas of particular importance for future diversification. Health and primary education and infrastructures have proved significantly in South Asia but the latter remains the region’s second weakest pillar. Investment in these areas will be essential to fully unlock economic growth. Despite of only having some countries with high economy rate,it has helped to increase the economic growth rate of South Asia. There are many people below poverty line in the countries in South Asia but still we can see the rapid economic growth in this region. This rapid economic growth has become only possible due to the unity they have in them and also because they are in a good neighbourhood. Not only this, the countries with high economic rate help the countries that are developing. They donate huge amount of money to developing countries for the sake of their development. In this way the countries in South Asia are economically related.

South Asian countries are characterized by tremendous socio-cultural diversity,which, in the first place is observed within each country of the region. Nevertheless people of the region share social, cultural, linguistic and religious practices across the national boundaries. One can either see the diversity as too overwhelming to see any relevance in the region as a civilizational enitity or one can point out the similarities and see them as symptomatic of cultural continuities across the subcontinet. Similarities are also observed in the social realm as people from South Asia also share analogous hierarchical comceptions of society, with the caste system largely replicated by people as its epitome. South Asia is a land in which people have managed to introduce caste into all religions, be it Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, or Islam. Though people of different religions live in these region, they live in peace and tolerance. Similarities in their culture and tradition has also helped them unite. in this twenry first century, all the countries in this region has modernized and due to this all religions are treated equally. Even though people of different kind, different religion and culture live in these countries, they live in equality and tolerance.

On the political level, despite the intermittent difference in regimes, some practices are strikingly similar, such as dynastic tradition that has enabled women to occupy the highest position in several countries of South Asia. The fact that discrimination against women can reach high levels in these socities can not be resisted. Political parties has played an active roles in decolonization, freedom struggles and social change in the region. All the countries in the South Asia has almost same history too.

India, since its independence has practiced democracy and is most matured democracy in the region while Bangladesh and Pakistan have both experienced military and civilian rules. While democracy has been stablized in Bangladesh, democratic practices are weak in Pakistan. Even if Nepal was not colonized it was ruled by royal family which is now abloished and Nepal has opted for federal democracy. Though Sri lanka demonstrated a stable political development, in recent years politics has been turbulent. Bhutan has been the only South Asian country with a monarchial rule. Inspite of many experiment and innovative efforts to streamline public administrations, government has remained weak, unresponsive to citizen’s need, transparent and unaccountable. These have made wicked problems such as corruption, poor service quality and delivery, energy crisis, unemployment, more precarious in all the countries in South Asia.

The trade relationship withing the countries of South Asia is also good. Pakistan and Sri lanka are considered as the export base of the four major South Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri lanka). While some countries export the goods and necessities, the other countries import. Though the south Asian countries don’t trade with each other extensively, they have a good trade relation. Intraregional trade mainly consists of food commodities and agricultural raw materials. The trade relation is good mainly between India and Nepal as Nepal can depend only upon China and India for exporting and importing. Due to similarity in culture, food habits, dressing style, it becomes easier to import goods from India rather than from China. The trade realtion of Nepal-India is good also because of open borders between India and Nepal. The government does not have to pay high tax to import good from bordered countries. Not only of Nepal-India but trade relation of India and Bhutan, Maldives, Sri lanka is euqally good. The political disputes between Pakistan and India has decreased the trade rate in South Asia. If the dispute is solved, the trade rate would increase rapidly between the countries and it would help in rise of economic growth of this region.

South Asian countries have established a regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of nations which is called The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC was founded in Dhaka on December 8, 1985. The organization was founded in order to promote development of economic and regional integration. SAARC maintains diplomatic relations at the UN as an observer and has develpoed links with multilateral entities. SAARC not only maintains relations but also focuses to support individuals and organizations within the region. It also helps to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, techinal and sceintific fields. It gives awards to individuals and oraganizations based in South Asia in order to encourage them to undertake programs that complement the efforts of SAARC, to encourage them to contribute for bettering the conditions of women and children, to maintain peace, development, environment protection and regional cooperation.

South Asia has formed a council called South Asian Federation Games for games that consists multi-sport event which is held among the athletes from South Asia. This council was formed in 1993 which is joined by all eight member countries of South Asia. Sports like cricket, taekwondo, badminton, basketball, cycling, baseball, football, shooting, squash are competed upon in the South Asian games. The council was formed to perform sports events so that it will help to promote cooperation, understanding and relation among the countries in South Asia. Organizing games and playing between neighboring countries and neighborhood will help to know more about the country. In addition to this, during the games the country has to build stadiums, courts, pools and other required facilities for the games which can later be used for internal games. In one hand, the relation between the countries become stronger and in the other hand, development will be seen in sports sector. Also, the neighboring country would know the needs of out country and would help us develop in sports sector. So it is important to organize sports events between countries like South Asian games.

The neighborhood in South Asia is good if we see it from the perspective of economy, culture, trade and politics. In addition with that a good neighborhood must also be of help when in need. Acoordingly climate also plays a major role in making the neighbor and neighborhood good or bad. When the neighboring countries face disasters or calamities, the neighbors must help the country that is suffering. Not only economically but the whole neighborhood must be able to help the country in every way possible. Being supportive just economically does not make the neighborhood a good one. In todays world, neighbors play a very important role in our life. Be it next-door neighbor or be it a country next to ours; nobody is complete without neighbors. But as nieghbors, neighborhood is equally important because having a goof neighbor but not living in a good neighborhood wouldn’t be of any help because to be strong not only our neighbor but the whole neighborhood must be supportive. The climate in the South Asia is almost similar and all the countries have to face the same kind of climate, so all the countries know how the climate feels like and how it feel when the weather is bad. Therefore the countries in South Asia don’t take a step back when it’s time to help the countries in the region.

Not all countries have all the facilities that is needed in order to have a prosper life. Some or the other problems are created in small countries like Nepal, Maldives. For example, if a person is critically ill and the equipments required to cure the person is not available in the country, then the person has to be taken to foreign developed neighboring country. In this case, the neighboring country must be able to help us. Likewise, problems like umemployment is also found in developing countries, so the developed countries must provide employment opportunities to the people. In context of Nepal, as it’s neighboring country is India, it has been of great help. India has provided a platform for employment and even in education sector India has provided seats to the students from foreign in affordable price. Not only India, all countries in this region are helpful and are ready to help neighbors during their bad times. Nepal being a landlocked country, there is no sea transportation and even for food varities, sea foods are unavailable. In this case, foreign neighboring countries which has sea has helped Nepal through trade. Export rate is less in Nepal and import rate is high. Because Nepal is not fully developed, it frequently needs help and there are countries in neighborhood which are ready to help at any instant due to which development work has become a bit easier.

Neighboring countries and neighborhood provide platform to the people from their region in different sectors. Beauty peagents are organized so that women from different regions would attend it and be able to showcase themselves and their talents. Not only for women, even for men events like these are organized. With these events we will be able to know more about different cultures and traditions of different countries and we can know them properly. Though in South Asia, women are not given much priority, events like beauty peagents will help to increase their confidence level and will be able to make them stand in front of the world confidently. Showcasing the talent of an individual would provide him/her a lots of opportunities in future which would eventually give him/her success in the field s/he is working in. if the foreign country helps in making career of the people of that country then obviously the bond between them would be stronger.

Even for safety of the country, good neighborhood is needed. If the neighboring country is helpful and hopes the betterment of its neighboring country then hopefully it will protect the other country too. Small and developing countries don’t have enough equipment to fight again its enemies but developed countries would have it all. So it would be of great help to have a neighbor. It is very difficult for a nation to survive without anybody’s help as everybody needs help. If a nation is alone has no relation with any of the neighboring countries and decides to remain alone then the nation would not be there any longer as a powerful nation would capture it. Nobody can live in this cruel world alone. Not everyone is cruel but in order to be safe and feel protected, one must have a good relation with neighbor.

For the development of the country, correct advises should be given so that the country can be developed in a smooth manner. It is the duty of neighboring country to give right advice to the developing country so that the country can be developed. Not only for development, but to make different kinds of decisions, neighbors are important. In addition to neighbors, neighborhood can help more in making correct decision. Decision made by self may not be fully correct but decisions made after dicussing with others will eventually help them to make a right decision. Here, if the neighbor has a wicked thinking, then it will surely lead its neighbor country to a wrong destination and try to destroy it. For the sake of developing a country and reaching to a right destination its important to have neighbors and neighborhood of good intension.

Neighbors are also important because we can go for their county for vacations. Due to this, one will be able to know the lifestyle, culture, tradition of the other. Not only for fun but visiting foreign would also increase the knowledge of people. One can also see the development projects that is going on in that country due to which he can come back to his country and try to imply the same idea in order to develop the country. Travelling would also help them make new friends and would let them know more about the neighboring countries. Travelling to neighboring countries also plays a vital role in making the bond between two countries stronger.

Therefore, for economical growth, for security, for political development, for growth in trade rate, for vacations, for platforms, for development of the country, for job opportunities and for other important reasons having a good relation with neighbors is important. But having a good neighborhood is as equally important as having a good neighbor because the way the whole neighborhood can help, one neighbour cannot. As said “two heads better than one”, neighborhood is better than only neighbor. Hence from accumulating the facts and ideas we can conclude that neighborhood is as important as neighbors.