The Saarc video conference on Sunday showcased the noble and the ignoble in regional cooperation. It redounds to the credit of Narendra Modi that he has robustly articulated the need for concerted action to combat coronavirus that has thus far afflicted 150,000 people and killed 6,000 around the world. A health emergency plagues the world; the response must be commensurate.
This was the fineprint of Mr Modi’s presentation, verily the first of its kind by a head of government. At another remove, Pakistan represented not by its Head of Government but by its minister of state for health , who doubles up as Imran Khan’s adviser on matters medical, raised the Kashmir issue, seemingly as a postscript to the video conference that was convened ~ at Mr Modi’s behest ~ to choreograph the Saarc strategy to fight the frightfully mortal affliction.
Zafar Mirza’s presence reflected the downgrading of relations with India in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370. Given the context, the junior functionary’s initiative to play to the Islamabad/Rawalpindi gallery (GHQ) was wholly inappropriate. It begs the question ~ what on earth can coronavirus have to do with the status of Kashmir? The contrived allusion has afforded a jarring note to the critical assembly of heads of state and government.
Pakistan’s cavil over a “communication lockdown”, was less than accurate. It was lifted early this month, in itself an index to the forward movement in the Valley. Mr Mirza’s performance was as inappropriate as it was unwarranted and, in India’s reckoning, “churlish”. Rightly was the video conference, in which Begum Hasina and the Nepal PM had also participated, riveted to the dire imperative of a concert of South Asian nations in the fight against coronavirus.
In retrospect, Pakistan was the last of the seven countries to confirm participation ~ a distressing signal to the east of the Radcliffe line. And Mr Mirza was the only participant who went off at a tangent. Nonetheless, the video round shall be noted for Mr Modi’s fervent appeal for a “joint response” to the challenge posed by coronavirus. He has even offered an initial contribution of $10 million by India.
The Prime Minister has succinctly summed up the global crisis posed by what WHO has called a pandemic ~ “We can respond best by coming together, not growing apart; collaboration not confusion, preparation not panic”. No less crucially, India will very shortly put in place what they call a “rapid response team”, which will be placed at the disposal of all Saarc nations for tackling coronavirus.
Online capsules will hopefully help the member- nations to enhance their wherewithal for treatment . “We have to fight and win together,” was Mr Modi’s signal to the regional bloc, which sadly has been known to be rather ineffectual. By any reckoning, the Prime Minister’s performance was stellar. Likewise, by any reckoning, Pakistan lost whatever little stature it might have had in the region.