The Dynamics of South Asia Cooperation and SAARC Edited by Eric Gonsalves and Nancy Jetly, Sage, Rs 375 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation came into being in 1978-79 at the initiative of Zia-ur Rahman, the president of Bangladesh. Formally, SAARC was launched in Dhaka in December 1985 where the heads of state of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met to work out a new era in south Asia. The book under review is a collection of articles by eminent experts and covers all aspects of south Asian cooperation. Ross Masood gives an account of the history of SAARC. Kanti Bajpai, Bimla Prasad and Citha Maas speak of how the attitudes of the SAARC nations changed from conflict to cooperation. But they are quick to add that the organization had yet to cross many hurdles before achieving a reasonable level of cooperation. P.A. Cheema wants SAARC to be reconstituted to meet future challenges. For the region to develop there has to be more economic cooperation, if not a free trade zone. Wadhwa, Kelegama and Waquif suggest ways of developing the region economically. Rehman Sobhan deplores the excessive dependence of SAARC nations on external aid. By doing so, he asserts, they ?compromised the sovereignty of Third World States and eroded the legitimacy of their regimes?. With the end of the Cold War, the emphasis has shifted to building friendlier relations between nations through greater economic collaboration. Regional organizations like SAARC are the product of the realization that countries must work together to achieve national goals. These may be socio-economic or politico-strategic, or a combination of the two. SAARC is not a politico-strategic organization: its stated objective is ?to promote regional cooperation and mutual assistance.? All SAARC nations are economically underdeveloped. The differences between the members can only be bridged through exchanges in all walks of life. This is termed ?confidence building measure?. By doing so, SAARC nations also hope to foster peace and order in the region. SAARC countries have evolved an integrated programme of action in different areas like agriculture, rural development, meteorology, telecommunications, postal services, transport, science and technology, health and population, sports, art and culture, prevention of drug trafficking and drug abuse, education, tourism and women?s emancipation. SAARC has been criticized because its sphere of cooperation does not include trade and commerce, extremely important given the region commands a combined market of 1.3 billion people. A few members, led by Pakistan, opposed cooperation in these areas for fear it would lead to India?s ?economic hegemony?. On its part, India hopes that with mutual confidence among member states cooperation in these areas will follow. Nevertheless, SAARC?s overall performance has been commendable. Members have even resolved bilateral problems over informal talks. For example, the leaders of India and Bangladesh met in Dhaka in 1985 and in Bangalore in 1986 to solve contentious issues like Chakma refugees and Teen Bigha. Though India and Pakistan did use the SAARC platform to address conflicting issues, the animosity between the two is responsible for stunting SAARC?s development. The role of superpower politics in the region cannot be overlooked. After the Soviet Union?s dismemberment, the United States has assumed primacy in global affairs. India has always complained of the US?s pro-Pakistan tilt and its sale of arms to the country. However, the US?s diplomatic stance on Kargil must have allayed some of its fears. While blaming Pakistan for crossing the line of control and pressurizing it to withdraw, the US urged India not to enter Pakistani territory to cut off the intruders? supply lines. This led to the deaths of many Indian soldiers but it also prevented the conflict from escalating. The military coup in Pakistan was a jolt to the SAARC. The deposed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, had desired greater cooperation in south Asia. He had even worked out a plan to boost trade and commerce among SAARC members. The editors must be commended for this excellent volume to coincide with the 10th anniversary of SAARC.