South Asians Deliberate on an Agenda for the 21st Century

New York: June 22, 1996 - More than fifty people, including 
activists, academics, students, journalists and others from New 
York, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, Detroit, Virginia, Ohio, 
Toronto and Los Angeles came together at the New York Regional 
Conference of South Asians to give their opinions and views on the 
problems facing South Asians, and brought forward numerous proposals 
on how these should be addressed. The majority of the participants 
were women, youth and students - of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and 
Indian origin.  The conference in New York was the first meeting 
organized by the Standing Conference of South Asians - Preparing for 
the 21st Century (SCSA) in the run-up to the International 
Conference of South Asians, to be held at Toronto, November 1-3, 
1996.  The next one will be held at the London School of Economics 
on Saturday July 8, 1996.

The conference opened with the four local convenors, Rajesh Gopalan, 
Hardeep Mann, Manzur Ejaz and Raj Mishra, welcoming the participants 
and introducing the agenda for the day.  Hardial Bains, who prepared 
the Chairperson’s address, put the conference in the context of the 
strivings of the people of South Asian origin - specifically the 
women and youth - to establish their identity and affirm themselves.  
He posed the question, “how can they [the youth] develop their 
national cultures and remain an integral part of their 
nationalities, while they must also participate in developing the 
polities where they are born, and with which they also identify?”.  
He also emphasized “eliminating the oppression of women is one of 
the greatest immediate tasks.  The revolt of women, which is 
seething, is taking place in a manner which will contribute to the 
enrichment of their national cultures in place of national 
nihilism.”  He asked, “how are the young people of South Asian 
origin resident abroad going to affirm their identity if their 
parent countries do not affirm their own economic and political life 
distinct from that of the colonial and imperialist countries.”  
Towards this aim, he identified the need for the first International 
Conference in Toronto to “develop discussion to pose real problems 
and assist those in seeking solutions.”

The first session of the meeting, titled “South Asia into the 21st 
Century” focused on issues of politics, geopolitics and democratic 
renewal in South Asia.  Fifteen contributions and interventions were 
made in this two-hour long session addressing to these issues.  
Several participants discussed how the end of the cold war and the 
bipolar division has created a new situation within which everything 
needs to be examined afresh.  Others explained how the subcontinent, 
which suffered under three hundred years of colonialism, continues 
to come under the pressure of neo-colonialism and foreign domination 
through the economic policies of globalisation and privatisation.  
One contributor talked of the negative effects of U.S. and foreign 
intervention in the region, which the governments of India and 
Pakistan seem to be encouraging against each other, but to their 
common detriment.  Other contributors talked of how the arms race in 
South Asia had escalated to a nuclear war, and of the necessity for 
South Asians to unite to prevent this possibility.  On issues of 
democratic renewal, the recent elections in Bangladesh and India 
came into sharp scrutiny.  A participant of Bangladeshi origin dwelt 
on the inadequacy of the current political process in Bangladesh and 
India in empowering people.  While the recent electoral exercises in 
these countries have been applauded, he noted that elections 
remained the purview of those with the financial strength to 
influence and control them - and talked of the need to broaden the 
process by allowing people to select their own candidates.  Others 
discussed how the policy of cutbacks in the meager social services 
in South Asian countries - and their replacement with “market-based” 
forces is aggravating poverty and further marginalising the weaker 
and vulnerable sections of society, particularly women.

The bulk of the discussion in second session, titled “South Asians 
Preparing for the 21st Century”, was devoted to problems facing 
South Asians, particularly the youth living abroad.  In an intense, 
almost three hour long discussion, many speakers drew on their 
personal experiences to articulate problems of identity, culture, 
and in the difficulties faced in participating fully in the 
societies of their residence and upbringing.  Many of the 35 
separate interventions dealt with questions of minority rights, 
affirmative action, unemployment and the economy.  Participants also 
grappled at length with the relationship between the problems faced 
by South Asians, those faced by other minority groups, and those of 
society at large.  

A number of proposals were also made in regards to the Toronto 
conference, regarding topics, speakers and the cultural program.  
The conference ended with a reception where delegates carried out 
informal discussion on these questions for several more hours.  
Participants expressed their appreciation with the deliberations, 
the program and the format of the conference, the main purpose of 
which was to involve everyone in working out a common agenda for 
South Asia and South Asians to enter the next century.  The 
conference called upon everyone to base their comments and proposals 
from real life, rather than from dogmas and preconceived 
conclusions, and stressed the importance of treating everyone’s 
opinions and views on an equal footing.  The convenors are planning 
for the broad dissemination of the conference proceedings and other 
related material.