New Delhi

SAARC needs strong cultural dialogue to achieve objectives: V.P. Singh

Staff Reporter

Concern over the commercialisation of society and decline in values

UNITED WE STAND: Former Prime Minister V.P.Singh along with (from left) A.B. Bardhan, Intzar Hussain (Pakistan) and Jaipal Reddy during the SAARC Writers Conference in New Delhi on Sunday . - Photo: V. Sudershan.

NEW DELHI: Observing that the objectives of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) cannot be achieved only by pursuing economic goals, former Prime Minister V P Singh on Sunday said these nations also need a strong cultural dialogue so that a close bond among then could be built.

Delivering the inaugural address at the three-day 14th SAARC Writers' Conference on "Cultural Connectivity for Peace" being organised by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature here, Mr. Singh, who is also the Foundation's chief advisor, said: "It is the right opportunity to impress upon the SAARC nations that culture is the first point to begin with towards convergence and understanding in South Asia."

"Nobody can ignore this easily understood fact and all concerned should accept this preposition. Only by emphasising the necessity of recognising each other's identities and differences, we can reach synthesis. It is a cultural and political challenge to use this connectivity to achieve our goals. It is the responsibility of writers, artistes and thinkers to ensure that such opportunities are not wasted."

Asserting that there were many flashpoints in the region that needs to be addressed in a realistic manner, the former Prime Minister said political leaders should come face to face and tackle these complex issues. "If leaders are really serious about it then they cannot hold peace talks in thin air. Undoubtedly there will be differences, but there should be no conflicts," he cautioned.

Individuality

Expressing concern over the commercialisation of society and decline in values, Mr. Singh said in today's mechanised society, individuality is being lost. "There has been a standardisation of human being, and man these days is valued by what he has and not by what he is. We need to restore dignity of man through value of culture. We are on the brink of destroying ourselves. We need material welfare but we cannot lose our souls," he asserted.

Addressing the gathering, Union Information and Broadcasting Minster S Jaipal Reddy said there were many commonalities among nations in the region. "We together speak and share many languages. We need to come together not just in political or economic terms but also in cultural terms, similar to what is happening in Europe these days. South Asia is the only region in the world where regional cooperation is minimum."

Incidentally, it was also one of the poorest regions, he pointed out, and added: "We need to examine whether the reason behind the mass poverty was lack of regional cooperation. Another reason for this massive expenditure on defence. As a result, we do not have much money to invest on development. Therefore, establishing peace is of utmost importance that cannot be achieved only by holding summits and conferences, but by explosion of goodwill."

The Communist Party of India general secretary, A B Bardhan, stressed the need for greater cooperation in the region. "We have to unite politically and become good neighbours, and this can be achieved only by solving or forgetting our difference. We know that over five decades of differences (with Pakistan) cannot be solved within a short span. It is a continuous process where writers and thinkers have a very important role to play," he added.

Welcoming around 50 eminent writers, scholars and thinkers from the SAARC region are taking part in the conference, Foundation's founder president Ajeet Cour lamented that political leaders have failed to acknowledge the importance of cultural connectivity for peace and development of the region. "I hope that in the forthcoming SAARC Summit at Bangladesh more impetus will be given to exchange and growth of culture and literature. During the event we intend to provide specific recommendations for cultural exchanges among the seven SAARC countries," she added.

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