South Asian Studies

This volume is a compendium of four Task Force Reports and four Dialogue Reports prepared by the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS). The Task Forces were mandated by SACEPS to carry out indepth examination of the possible modalities to take forward the interests of South Asian cooperation in their respective areas.

This important book provides a cogent critique of the nature of Southeast Asian capitalism. It argues powerfully that the crises are due not to excessive regulation, but to too much financial liberalisation and a consequent undermining of monetary and fiscal governance. While recognising some macroeconomic problems and abuses of state intervention in the region, the book also highlights the nature and implications of IMF and domestic policy responses which exacerbated the crises.

The central theme of the book is the changing paradigms of conflict and conflict resolution after the events of September 11. It also considers options for the South Asian countries to respond to challenges which they face in the dichotomy of US-led war against terrorism, the relevance of peace process and confidence-building measures in order to resolve inter and intra-state conflicts in the region. Paradigms of conflict resolution are passing through a transitory phase but it is a temporary phenomenon.

Governance in theory and practice has been the subject of intense discussion and indepth study both in the developed and developing countries for quite sometime. Though improvement in the quality of governance has been slow in coming, there is now a fair degree of agreement over the major issues involved and the reform measures called for. This anthology reflects these issues from the South Asian perspectives based on the experiences of the past and the imperatives of the present.