SAARC: Is it time to role up and say goodbye to it?

[Roybot]

An what do you think ISROs proposal is?

The plan/offer is still very vague, but going by the article that was posted, it could be an earth observation satellite.

Considering the issues like necessities of member states, cost, time, and expertise required for development and launch of a satellite, the best option for India could be to develop an Earth observation satellite as the first SAARC satellite. Basically, such a satellite could be of much use for land and water resources management for the entire region. India would also be expected to assist member states to develop ground infrastructure and create expertise. Some analysts believe that, at times, SAARC gets held hostage to the divergence of the India-Pakistan relationship. In fact, satellite technology could come very handy to silence such critics. As confidence building measures, such technology could be used to undertake joint surveillance of the border regions and resolve issues related to infiltration, water sharing, and more.

 

[damiendehorn]

As I said its not just about them interacting with India, but also they interacting with each other. Would Bhutan and Maldives interact with each other if it wasn't for SAARC? Would Nepal and Sri Lanka interact? But in SAARC they have a platform.

As much as we hate it, but the countries in South Asia share the same Geography, same rivers and mountains in many cases. Weather forecasting, disaster management, is one area atleast where SAARC has proved effective. India with the help of its satellites provides help to the other smaller nations and has managed to save many a lives.

With close to 2 Billion people in the sub continent, there is a huge potential, and that potential is an incentive enough for countries to persist with SAARC, we have nothing to lose here anyways.

Thats what embassies are for, what would Bangladesh have to discuss with Maldives or Bhutan at SAARC that cant be discussed through their respective embassies? Its not like without SAARC we would not be able to talk, thats just inate.

SAARC has achieved very little, relative to its cost in money, time and effort.

 

[The Great One]

Only for the time being, if you read the news the others are also building an launching their own, so any com sat that india has to offer will be just duplicating whats already there.

Who is launching satellites? Pakistan? Bangladesh?
How many communication satellites are you making? 10? 12?

ISRO provides some of the cheapest services in this regard via PSLV and INSAT-class sats. Its a good opportunity for co-operation between all member states. I don't see how you can have a problem with it.

 

[damiendehorn]

actually,SAARC provides massive benefits to the smaller countries.some of its policies are quite good.but it is hard to implement for region like us.like Visa Exemption policy for the members.see,we have it for Nepal and Bhutan.but other members can't control their Non-Sate Actors yet.also,core area was SAFTA and raising political issues.

by the way,India proposed to launch a Satellite for SAARC nations..

The Space Review: India’s SAARC satellite proposal: a boost to a multilateral space agenda

Ok just name one major benefit SAARC has achieved in its near thirty years...just one. Satellite, why? Apart from bhutan an nepal all the other countries are either building their own or have already.

 

[damiendehorn]

Who is launching satellites? Pakistan? Bangladesh?
How many communication satellites are you making? 10? 12?

ISRO provides some of the cheapest services in this regard via PSLV and INSAT-class sats. Its a good opportunity for co-operation between all member states. I don't see how you can have a problem with it.

A. Pakistan will never use ISRO, to either build or launch a sat
B. Bangladesh has already gone to a US company to build and launch com sat.
C. Sri Lanka is also going with US supplied from what has been said.

The ISRO offer, is not really a starter...may be for Bhutan, but then they already have that.

 

[Luffy 500]

SAARC is ineffective because of India. These hindutva charals have wet dreams of akhand bharat , a region they want to dominate and exploit not any cooperation that would compel them to play by the rules and treat others with respect.

And SAARC was always bound to fail. India is a vast union in itself and has literally nothing in common with BD or PAK at least. Its too much of a big shark for the other smaller fishes in SAARC to handle. If it gets its way it will gobble up all the smaller fishes and thus SAARC is not comparable with ASEAN or EU where there are many pivots of power and not a single hegemon like India. If china can be bought in the scenario will change though. SO yeah i agree it should be disbanded.

People who now promote the idea of SAARC being like EU/ASEAN are either indian dalals or doesn't see things through. India's size is the major impediment to success of SAARC.

@damiendehorn @syedali73https://defence.pk/members/damiendehorn.23314/

 

[The Great One]

A. Pakistan will never use ISRO, to either build or launch a sat
B. Bangladesh has already gone to a US company to build and launch com sat.
C. Sri Lanka is also going with US supplied from what has been said.

The ISRO offer, is not really a starter...may be for Bhutan, but then they already have that.

OK

 

[GR!FF!N]

Ok just name one major benefit SAARC has achieved in its near thirty years...just one. Satellite, why? Apart from bhutan an nepal all the other countries are either building their own or have already.

Only India is operating proper Satellites in this region.Pakistan operates few Sats for Imagery/Comm Purpose.None else.Bangladesh is building is comm sat using foreign help.what about others??Sri Lanka doesn't have one(the one they have is commercial sat.they're going to launch one using China's help next year).Afghanistan started using its first sta only few months ago.its going to be a Sat designed for members' spec.it may be a Earth Observation,which SAARC nations find highly useful,or a Nav sat,or a Weather Sat for SMRC,or a Surveillance Sat for joint Surveillance...possibility is endless.its one this to gloat about "We've Sat",while its completely different when you think about it deeply.Small Nations barely afford the cost of a good sat.a SAARC Sat may provide multiple benefits while piggybacking on ISRO.

 

[damiendehorn]

The plan/offer is still very vague, but going by the article that was posted, it could be an earth observation satellite.

Considering the issues like necessities of member states, cost, time, and expertise required for development and launch of a satellite, the best option for India could be to develop an Earth observation satellite as the first SAARC satellite. Basically, such a satellite could be of much use for land and water resources management for the entire region. India would also be expected to assist member states to develop ground infrastructure and create expertise. Some analysts believe that, at times, SAARC gets held hostage to the divergence of the India-Pakistan relationship. In fact, satellite technology could come very handy to silence such critics. As confidence building measures, such technology could be used to undertake joint surveillance of the border regions and resolve issues related to infiltration, water sharing, and more.

Not much use to Bangladesh, we are already building the ground infrastructure and expertise with US help, even if ISRO builds this sat, who will control it?

 

[GR!FF!N]

A. Pakistan will never use ISRO, to either build or launch a sat
B. Bangladesh has already gone to a US company to build and launch com sat.
C. Sri Lanka is also going with US supplied from what has been said.

The ISRO offer, is not really a starter...may be for Bhutan, but then they already have that.

I ask you a question,and a valid one..how many kind of Sats these countries planned or already got operational???you should understand that a Sat gets built to perform multiple purpose.does BD has any earth Observation or Surv sat??or a Nav Sat??SPARRSO buys Surveillance Photos and EO datas as well as rely on Weather Reports from ISRO and other space organizations.a Sat for any of these purpose would be great.same goes for every single nation of SAARC.

 

[damiendehorn]

Only India is operating proper Satellites in this region.Pakistan operates few Sats for Imagery/Comm Purpose.None else.Bangladesh is building is comm sat using foreign help.what about others??Sri Lanka doesn't have one(the one they have is commercial sat.they're going to launch one using China's help next year).Afghanistan started using its first sta only few months ago.its going to be a Sat designed for members' spec.it may be a Earth Observation,which SAARC nations find highly useful,or a Nav sat,or a Weather Sat for SMRC,or a Surveillance Sat for joint Surveillance...possibility is endless.its one this to gloat about "We've Sat",while its completely different when you think about it deeply.Small Nations barely afford the cost of a good sat.a SAARC Sat may provide multiple benefits while piggybacking on ISRO.

The ISRO offer hasnt really had many buyers, whos gonna have access, how much access?

 

[damiendehorn]

I ask you a question,and a valid one..how many kind of Sats these countries planned or already got operational???you should understand that a Sat gets built to perform multiple purpose.does BD has any earth Observation or Surv sat??or a Nav Sat??SPARRSO buys Surveillance Photos and EO datas as well as rely on Weather Reports from ISRO and other space organizations.a Sat for any of these purpose would be great.same goes for every single nation of SAARC.

What is ISRO offering? Anything new? All those you talk about are available commercially right now from various suppliers not just ISRO. Why would BD need a nav sat when it already uses the commercial GPS?

 

[damiendehorn]

SAARC has had nearly thirty years to achieve something, any thing. 18 expensive heads of state meetings and what is the result? Come on...its always the same, tea and biscuits...

 

[Foo_Fighter]

Well here we go again, the 18th SAARC meeting of heads of state every 18 months, what's the point? What has it achieved? Does it have any relivance anymore? Or is it about time to say enough of these photo opps and terminate it?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO we can't stop it... only place where Indian sports gets more Gold Medal than any other country! Live Long SAARC!!!

 

[Bong]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO we can't stop it... only place where Indian sports gets more Gold Medal than any other country! Live Long SAARC!!!

You got a good point. SAARC games are good achievement

SAARC has had nearly thirty years to achieve something, any thing. 18 expensive heads of state meetings and what is the result? Come on...its always the same, tea and biscuits...