The call was made at a two-day South Asian Policy Forum on Socio-economic Rights titled "Imagine a New South Asia" at the India International Centre in New Delhi yesterday.

The forum was jointly organised by Centre for Development and Human Rights and Institute for Human Development in partnership with ActionAid International. Regional organisations Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad, Sustainable Development of Pakistan, Indian Social Institute and NGO Federation of Nepal were associative partners at the forum.

Chaired by the former adviser of the caretaker government Shafi Sami, the inaugural address was presented by former Indian prime minister IK Gujral.

Reminding the delegates of the importance of repositioning South Asia as a community in the changing Asian and global context, Gujral said the formidable challenge is to take along the entire region, listen to voices from all facets of South Asian geography, fulfill the aspirations of all classes, inclusion of most marginalised citizens and accommodate entire spectrum of political ideologies.

The "Imagine a New South Asia" is conceived as a broad-based citizens' initiative to advance a shared sense of South Asian vision in promoting increasing policy convergence on key regional issues and increasing regional cooperation both at the government levels as well as the citizens' levels.

Prof Arjun Sengupta, a member of the parliament and chairman of Indian National Commission for Unorganised Sector, said most of the South Asian countries are experiencing positive changes in their GDPs, but what is important is that the changes in institutions, governance and technology are as important as the changes in GDP.

John Samuel, international director of ActionAid International in Asia region, said the new generation in South Asia refuses to be the victims of the past. Rather, it wants to build the future based on trust, solidarity, peace and stability.

"To them, politics of South Asia would have to be of the peoples, who look forward to become citizens of a South Asian union. And the first step toward that direction is to create a functional South Asian Parliament," he said.

Urging all for an improvement in democracies in the region, Nepali social and political activist Sarita Giri suggested establishing democracies in the region for better conflict resolution in South Asia.

Shafi Sami, the chair of the inaugural session, reminded the delegates about the past failures of the Saarc and urged them to work for a better association that represents the aspirations of the peoples across the Saarc countries.

In the working sessions delegates pressed for a strong national level integration which, they thought, is the pre-condition for greater cooperation at the regional level.