The optimism emanating from the success at Islamabad summit got infused into the preparations for the Dhaka summit which were finalised with a rare gusto and brimming expectations for a truly result-oriented summitry round in Dhaka. The heralding of a free-trade zone, cooperation in the energy sector with a vista opening for trans-border power grid, creation of regional development fund; and initiation of effective steps toward poverty alleviation were all on the agenda.

Leave aside the opportunities for bilateral talks presenting themselves on the sidelines of the summitry, the decision-making on the principal agenda items would have advanced the Saarc process in a marked way. It is agreed on all hands that Saarc can only make a real difference in the region, if people-to-people cooperation is enhanced across South Asia. The postponed Dhaka summit has deferred it that much away.

In the 19 years of Saarc history there have been 12 summits and six of them were postponed. And, the cause for postponement, as in this time has been the inability of a head of state or government to attend an upcoming summit. Ironically, political issues that were kept out of the Saarc charter to obviate the possibility of difference of opinion casting adrift consensus building on economic cooperation have irrepressibly emerged occasionally to set back the clock of Saarc's progress. Summits had been postponed before due to Indo-Pak problems, and this time postponement of Dhaka summit has been caused by India's perception of political developments in the neighbourhood. All these are a reflection of the political realities of the subcontinent to which a collective response from within the Saarc will have to be formulated coupled with a mechanism to hold the summits with unfailing regularity like in the cases of ASEAN and EU.

We are greatly disappointed by the last-minute turn of events centring around the Dhaka summit, but we should be patient and not allow the events either to affect the Saarc or our bilateral relations.