“A great deal of aspiration for a South Asian identity exists among the people of the region.”

The view was expressed by director of South Asia programme at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and a political scientist, Moeed Yusuf, in a session titled “Negotiating a South Asian Identity” on the concluding day of the Lahore Literary Festival at Alhamra Art Centre on Sunday.

Other panellists included Bangladeshi writer K.Anis Ahmed and journalist Shrabani Basu. Former Pakistan ambassador to United States Sherry Rehman conducted the session.

Mr Yusuf said states’ belligerence towards each other was a major impediment to develop a thinking based on the South Asian region.

Shrabani Basu said: “I am proud of my South Asian identity as I was born in Calcutta and grew up in Dhaka, Kathmandu and Delhi. Now I am living in London.” She suggested that the South Asian states should develop European Union-like partnership in the supreme interest of the people.

K.Anis Ahmed, who is also publisher of ‘Dhaka Tribune’ and literary journal ‘Bengal Lights’, said the people of Bangladesh did not have animosity towards Pakistanis. “Although we do mind the pace of Pakistani bowlers,” he said in a lighter vein.

He said the states would have to shun narrow nationalism in order to develop a larger South Asian identity.

“We will have to break our mental blocks to embrace the South Asian identity,” Anis said.

Sherry Rehman said the governments in India and Pakistan did not inform people about liberalised visa regime. She said no political party in Pakistan resorted to anti-India rhetoric during election whereas many Indian politicians returned to Lok Sabha by whipping up war hysteria.

The session concluded with the consensus that development and prosperity could be brought about by negotiating a South Asian identity.