Robert Blake Enunciates Obama Administration’s South Asia Policy

Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department, delivered a key speech at the School of Advanced International Studies of the John Hopkins University on September 9, 2009.
The speech highlighted the usual and not-so-usual dimensions of the Administration’s South Asia policy.

The usual dimensions included the U.S. goal “to support the development of sovereign, stable, democratic nations, integrated into the world economy and cooperating with one another, the United States, and our partners to advance regional security and stability.” Blake re-asserted the importance of ensuring stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan as an imperative for regional peace. Socio-economic development of the regional states and cooperation against combating religious fundamentalism and terrorism continue to dominate the U.S. policy in the region.
One of the not-so-usual features of the speech was the clubbing of references on Pakistan with Afghanistan and India. Blake dealt with other South Asian countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh, as separate units. But for Pakistan, the policy outlines were detailed with regard to the Pakistani Government’s role in securing stability in Afghanistan and improving relations with India. The attempt was perhaps to portray Pakistan as a ‘regional responsibility’ in contrast to viewing the country as a ‘regional liability.” Peace, stability and progress in South Asia are dependent on resolving the challenges faced by Pakistan.�
The second not-so-usual aspect was the candid instruction to “Pakistan to prosecute those responsible for the Mumbai attacks and concerted efforts to stop militant infiltrations across the Pakistan-India border.” The Obama Administration appears to have moved beyond the “Pakistan is trying” rhetoric to exerting pressure on Pakistan. Moreover, the reference to halting infiltrations across the India-Pakistan border signals the Administration’s holistic understanding of the problems between India and Pakistan going beyond specific incidents of terrorist attacks.
By asserting the new strengthened partnership between India and the U.S., Blake sought to address the skepticism with regard to Obama Administration’s India policy. The general perception in India is that President Obama’s policies would contradict with India’s national interest in the international arena. However, Blake in his speech highlighted the commonality of interests between the two sides. It is worth noting that even while referring to the issue of climate change Blake’s tone was not instructive; he couched the issue in terms of global responsibilities rather simply emphasizing on India’s responsibilities.
Finally, by dealing with domestic concerns and regional role of Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Blake widened the traditional narrative on South Asia which is restricted to India, Pakistan and now Afghanistan. Moreover by referring to Afghanistan and Pakistan as bridges between South and Central Asia, Blake has hinted at the further widening of the dialogue in the region.
Treating South Asian states in separate boxes may appear to have merit in the short term; de-hyphenation of India and Pakistan during the Bush Administration was lauded in India. But such a country-specific approach is artificial and could prove counter-productive in the long run. Even though South Asian states are distinct entities with several political differences they are bound by economic and strategic imperatives. Hence, an integrated regional approach, like the one being promoted by the Obama Administration, is realistic and beneficial for South Asia and would prove rewarding for the U.S.