Association of Asia Scholars organized a two-day Regional Conference on the theme of "The Landscape of Asian Integration" held during 11-12 January 2008 at New Delhi's India Habitat Center. The conference began in the pleasant winter milieu inside the spectacular architecture of India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Dr Swaran Singh, President of Association of Asia Scholars, welcomed all the invitees. His Excellency Mr. S.K. Singh, presently the Governor of Rajasthan, and once a seasoned diplomat of India, was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session. The renowned economist from Bangladesh and Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Professor Rehman Shobhan, chaired the inaugural session. Dr Swaran Singh introduced Dr Rehman as an active participant in the freedom struggle of Bangladesh, who had made substantial contribution in building of today's Bangladesh. The other dignitaries present on the dais were Mr. Malay Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and Professor Pushpesh Pant, Dean, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University who gave the Keynote Address of this Regional Conference.

Participants during the Conference.

Dr Swaran Singh introduced the Association of Asia Scholars (AAS), as the association of Asia Fellows Alumni and said that credit should be given to people who formed the Asian Scholarship Foundation (ASF) who award these Asia Fellowships. He also welcomed ASF Executive Director, Dr Lourdes Salvador and other scholars participating in the conference from Thailand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and China. He explained that AAS is an initiative of the alumni of the Asian Scholarship Foundation fellowship awardees from South Asia. This association is committed for building and sustaining the interdisciplinary network amongst Asian Scholars in Asian Studies. AAS while advancing the Asian Scholarship Foundation's goal of "Asianising Asia" aims to connect Asian scholars and researchers and to provide them an effective platform to discuss their research interests and themes relating to Asia and its future challenges. The main objective of the seminar was to raise the various issues of political, economic, strategic and regional significance involved in the process of integration which would help build an intellectual landscape of Asian Integration.

Participants during the Conference.

Inaugural Session

Prof Pant addressed the session by raising various questions to be pondered on in the deliberations of this conference on Asian integration. He began by asking what is Asia? How Asians perceive Asia by being an Asian? If there is no uncertainty about Asia then why is there a divide between East Asia and West Asia? He argued that existing notions of Asian unity are nothing else but a myth created during the world wars. The progress towards integration is possible in the region but is a hostage to various socio-cultural and religious divides and diversities. In Asia, Islam stretches form Central Asia to the Indonesia in East. Nevertheless the Wahabi Islam of the Arab world has actually hijacked the Asian Islam of India, Pakistan and Indonesia. Besides the myths of unity there are also the bitter memories of disunity. Asia is a region of harmonious and peaceful coexistence of diversities. So keeping in mind these diversities the model for Asian integration has to be totally different from the one in Europe. Asia is a mosaic of the variety of similarities, diversities, and complexities and has its own unique colonial legacy. He argued that today what we need in a true sense is to build a mindscape that will eventually create a landscape of Asian integration.

Participants during the Conference.

Mr. Malay Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, in his special address, explained that integration in various forms like economic, political, regional, strategic, is a buzzword of the day in world politics, and Asia is also no more indifferent to these processes of integration. In South East Asia economic integration is present a in full-fledged form through the multilateral institution of ASEAN. South Asia is also gaining momentum to move forward from a regional grouping to an economic grouping through SAFTA. India being one of the emerging powers in Asia after China is actively participating in the process of this regional integration. India presently has an observer status in ASEAN, and while realizing the importance of East and South East Asian countries adopted the "Look East Policy", to constructively engage on all the levels with the countries of this region. He argued that in a changing world order not only India but also the other countries are undergoing rapid economic transformation, whereby interdependence is growing and there is a strong sense of cooperation among all these countries. India has adopted a two-pronged approach of engaging bilaterally and multilaterally tthe all the important players in the ASEAN region. By constantly and consciously engaging all the countries in the region India is promoting the idea of "Asian identity" which is at the heart of Indian policy, and is a key of success for every organization on which a superstructure of economic and, political and security grouping is to be built upon.

The idea of Asian identity was first proposed in the 1955 Bandung Conference, and India is still committed in furthering its actual cause of search for a political and economic convergence in world's most dynamic region. ASEAN is a quintessential of an open regionalism in the world. It is no more an intra-regional grouping but also other states like China and US are increasingly participating in ASEAN. East Asian region has a seamless market, which is its unique characteristics and its impressive prowess in trade and infrastructure development is remarkable. India is well aware of the ASEAN's potential for investment in and trade with India and its importance from strategic and economic perspective. Presently India is party to the ASEAN in [ASEAN + 3] setting. Whereas many studies have shown that ASEAN + 6 would be much better for the Asian economic development. New Mekong-Ganga corridor project is also widely getting popular. There is also a far greater increasing cultural exchange, taking place between India and LMSV (Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam) countries. On the South Asian level, India is engaging through the BIMSTECH, which is aimed at gearing up the trade, investment, technology transfer in the region. Through this two-pronged policy of bilateral and multilateral engagement India, is foregoing the Pan-Asian economic grouping. Finally in his concluding remark, he ended with a positive note saying that economic integration has began in earnest in Asia and is gearing up for bringing prosperity to the world's most dynamic region.

Eminent Journalist Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit, from Nepal described Asian integration as a utopian and romanticized idea. Nevertheless, he argued that any such idea could be framed with the semantics only to then move towards the reality. Thus the very concept of Asian Integration is nothing but a practical romantic, whereby he set the tone for the creation of an intellectual landscape of Asian integration.

His Excellency Mr. S. K. Singh offered his best wishes for the conference and congratulated AAS for preparing an intellectual platform of scholars to discuss the integration of Asia. He referred to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, saying that world of knowledge needs to be opened up and one has to think through ideas. This is possible only through research. "We have to think in terms of Mathematics, we also have to think through geographical and historical knowledge. Asia has emerged as a huge market and one has to locate the centers of dynamism. Asian states are no more dependent on the USA or other West European countries for being engines of Growth. Asia can now sustain its own future needs of growth and development. Today Asia needs an intellectual landscape to move beyond mere economic growth to address the issues of collective significance, which will eventually foster the process of integration".

Prof. Rehman Sobhan, from Bangladesh in his concluding remarks as the Chairperson stated that economic integration could help to align the factors of political cooperation. He also underlined the crucial role which both India and China needed to play in forging integration within South and South East Asia.

The Inaugural Session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Reena Marwah.

Participants during the Conference.

Session - I : Asian Integration, Interdependence and Cooperation.

The Session was chaired by Mr. K. Jayakumar, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Kerala.

The first speaker Dr. Guo Suiyam, a scholar from Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Kunming, China, focused on the importance of India's North-Eastern region in its interaction and integration with countries of the South East Asia. She stated that India began its process of economic reforms in early 90's. Since the beginning of economic reforms, integration with South and South East Asian economies has been a major preoccupation of the Indian policy. India has forged a strong bilateral partnership with Thailand and is improving its relations rapidly with Myanmar. India and China have also formed a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity in the region. Nevertheless in its endeavour to form a strong bilateral and multilateral partnership with East Asian countries, India's North Eastern region has a crucial role to play as it offers a gateway towards these countries. India's North Eastern region shares many historical legacies with South East Asia. Considerable cultural exchange between India and other East Asian countries has taken place via North Eastern region. The North Eastern region is presently grappling with brutal insurgency, which has almost stalled development, and brought industrialization in the region to a standstill. The situation of internal war between the local population and state authorities has impacted negatively on the Indian state policies. For India it is imperative to forge strong relations with East Asian countries, which also requires resolving the internal crisis the North Eastern region is facing today.

Conceptualizing South Asia as one region, Mr Kanak Mani Dixit, stated that Asia still not exist as a homogeneous region in the world. South Asia is a one regional, but power elites in south Asia would resist any process of integration in the region. South Asia civilizationally represents an Indic civilization, thus it is difficult to constrict the intra-regional movement of peoples with barbwires. Contrary to this in South Asia the process of fence building is equally rapid. Despite having open borders, Nepal maintains itself a sovereign state vis-à-vis a powerful Indian state. The integration along the Yangtze- Mekong-Bramhaputra can be a new chapter in the 21st Asian century. Regionalism is an automatic peace building process. It will bring enormous economic benefits to the region. Regionalism is a solution to tackle poverty in the region. South Asia has a tremendous potential for development through integration to address the issues the issues of collective concern. It is also a region of nuclear tipped missiles, with two major nuclear powers. Regionalism actually means taking out from these budgets. South Asia is again known for being a region of asymmetry, with India being a major power. South Asia is also characterized by its city-centricism with highly populous cities. We must look at sub-regionalism and also promote federalism in most of the South Asian states.

Dr Sangeeta Thapliyal, highlighted the issues of identities and argued that successful establishment, entrenchment and consolidation of democratic system in any country is predicated on harmonious coexistence of the various groups and identities in a nation state. She explained the case of Nepal and stated that, conflict between state and civil society is a major cause of instability there. Many civil society groups, exploiting the ethnic identities are emerging as an alternate center of power with clearly articulated political agenda, besides the popular Maoist movement in Nepal. The Maoist movement has already wreaked havoc within the Nepalese state. As the talks for democracy between Nepalese State authorities and Maoist forces are progressing fast and a solution is in sight, civil society groups are trying to carve out a new political role for themselves in a rapidly changing political dynamic. In a state like Nepal, where democracy is still in a transient state, and not stabilized how much power the civil society should enjoy and how much influence they should exercise is really an intriguing question of the day. Thus internal power political competition hinders the process of intra-state integration which in turn is a setback for regional integration.

Participants during the Conference.

Session - II : Issues of Regional Peace and Security.

The Session was chaired by Dr. E. Sridharan, Academic Director, UPIASI, New Delhi.

The issues discussed under this particular theme were crucial in the context of South Asia, as the region has witnessed the major politico-military conflicts in last 60 years and is still unable to resolve the old issues while increasingly new security issues are propping up in the region that need a collective approach to deal with. Various security issues and their impact on integration were also discussed during the session. Dr. Shireen Mazari stated that peace process between India and Pakistan is hailed and confirmed by both the states as irreversible. The peace process between India and Pakistan is gradually progressing but so far all the major politically contested issues are not discussed substantively to reach any solution. There is growing discontent among the Pakistani authorities that India is trying conflict management at an inconsequential level and is not serious on conflict resolution of all the major protracted issues of conflict between two states. Today when South Asia is bearing the brunt of terrorism and no country in the region so far is able to defend it on its own, whether major power or a small power, the cooperation among all these states is an essential prerequisite to combat terrorism. The cooperation on all such kinds of issues which, constitute a collective concern, will fill the trust void, which may turn out to be a first step for moving towards regional integration.

While discussing the methods of integration she also referred to the existing EU model and other models of Non integrative economic cooperation. For Asia she prescribed a hybrid model predominantly on political lines, which provides a platform for discussion and has a mechanism to resolve all the major prolonged politico-military conflicts, conflicts over natural resources, and other strategic and non-strategic issues of security in the region. Through SAARC, which is a major regional organization in South Asia that excludes all the political issues, all the countries must cooperate extensively in the energy sector. Especially, India and Pakistan need to renounce their traditional bureaucratic mindsets to go beyond and think of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

Prof. Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, President, IPRI, Pakistan, in his presentation focused primarily on the traditional aspects of threats and security. He emphasized on the non-traditional threats confronting the South Asian region. He argued that global developments of far reaching consequences are making it imperative to broaden the concept of security in order to include the other areas like rapid depletion of resources, increasing population and environmental issues. Today for developing countries this definition needs to be broadened by adding the issues social inequalities and economic problems. He also discussed the concept of security defined in militaristic and non-militaristic terms. The scholars from both the schools of thought are guilty of underplaying the other equally important aspects. The exponents of armed forces, while focusing singularly on the external threats are over-projecting the utility of the armed forces and tend to neglect those aspects of security which arise from the lack of economic security or well entrenched social inequalities. A satisfactory explanation of national security must take into account external and internal threats emanating from economic insecurity and inequalities. In the contemporary system the fundamental goal of the state is to ensure its survival as an independent and distinct political entity. However, true security is generated only when real national interests such as survival, power, security, prosperity, peace, freedom and ideology are attained.

While discussing threats he mentioned that; threats could be divided into the two categories namely the traditional and non-traditional security threats. Traditional forms of threats in the form of invasion by an enemy, military balance between the hostile states were most prominent during the cold war era. The end of the cold war has shifted the focus from traditional forms of threats to the non-traditional forms such as communal conflicts, transnational organized crimes, human smuggling, arms, social violence, poverty, unemployment, climate change, environmental degradation, migration, involuntary displacement, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS etc. The peculiarity about the non-traditional threats is that they are transnational. In addition effective responses to these threats require multilateral efforts and strategies and these issues are dynamic, evolving and highly context dependent. The issues of climate change and infectious diseases are symbolic of this. Extremism and terrorism are the most challenging problems South Asia is confronting today. The twin menace of extremism and terrorism has already taken a heavy toll on South Asian stability. To deal with them effectively, perhaps the most appropriate panacea lies in collective regional approach. Among the other non-traditional threats South Asia is facing are over population, illegal migration, militancy, extremism, and transnational crimes such as cyber crime, trafficking of drug, and small arms are also important. South Asia has experienced almost all types of security threats including traditional and nontraditional ones. In changed post cold war environment where the non-traditional threats are looming large, they needs to be collectively addressed through the regional grouping of SAARC.

Paradigm of security and strategy to deal with various security challenges has undergone tremendous changes after 9/11. The post cold war era has widely witnessed the religious resurgence and extremism, in most of the stats of Asia. South Asia is grappling with the problems of terrorist menace. Dr. Smruti Patnaik, a scholar from Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, focused on the issue of Non State actors and Limits of states: Rethinking Regional Security. She began by arguing that the After the Soviet Union's disintegration involvement of state actors in sponsoring, training and supporting them has also become too apparent. Through the asymmetric warfare non-state actors are to be used as an instrument to advance state interests. Sometimes non-state actors turned against the states for greater ideological reasons. In South Asia, cooperation between the states on security matters has been minimal and the issue of non-state actors is perceived from the very narrow perspective of national interest. She therefore raised certain question like, Are the States in South Asia prepared to face the challenges non-state actors pose? What are the limits of state? Can regional peace be achieved with a more people oriented policy?

There is fundamental problem in defining the non-state actors. State complexity in operation of these groups also makes it difficult to define them as non-state actors. Each state in South Asia has within their territory pockets, which remains ungoverned giving territorial space to the non-state actors to operate. None of the South Asian states are equipped to fight non-state actors especially the indoctrinated ones having transnational linkages.

There are two approaches to deal with the issues of non-state actors. First bilateral approach; Second multilateral approach with regional security perspective. The bilateral approach to deal with the non-state actors has not achieved its desired end. Many times it is a rhetorical statement - not to allow territory for activities directed against the other states- a typical bilateral formatted statement. At the regional level cooperation between the countries of South Asia has remained more theoretical.

Though the SAARC has framed a convention on terrorism in 1987 it took more than a decade to discuss an additional protocol. And many of the important provisions in the protocol remained cosmetic for all practical purposes. The SAARC convention on terrorism poses a question mark over the possible issue of cooperation. Terrorist financing and support structure is not new in the subcontinent. Can the issue of non-state actors be tackled regionally? Regionally it is important to share intelligence between the countries to have more intensive cooperation. Almost all the states of South Asia have the problems of terrorist threat. Yet the states are reluctant o cooperate in a concrete manner, She concluded.

Participants during the Conference.

Session - III : China and India : Taking the Quantum leap.

The Session was chaired by Prof. Rifaat Hussain, Executive Director, RCSS, Sri Lanka.

During this session, Dr Pongsak Hoontrakul discussed the rise of China and India, and its implications for global economics. While discussing the trends in world GDP growth, he pointed out that world GDP had begun to increase between 16th-19th centuries because of the Agriculture revolution started by British, to massively increase Agriculture productivity and net output. After agriculture the second major revolution began in Manufacturing and transport in the form of Industrial revolution, which profoundly changed the socio-economic patterns of life. It gave rise to the dominant industry and manufacture-based economy. Third is the ICT revolution in which is an era of using knowledge to produce economic benefits. In this era the food is plentiful, natural resources are finite, and knowledge has no limits. Comparing the Indian and Chinese economies, he described China as the world's factory and India as an outsourcing hub. China's growth is essentially driven by the huge investment in factory and infrastructure; however in case of India it is the software and BPO exports.

Asian economies are today chiefly driving the world economies and will continue to do so, while contributing almost 45% of world GDP between 2005- 2030. By 2030 Chindia will have more than a third of the world's population. 40% of China's and 50% of India's population will be below the age of 35. By 2020 Chindia will have 66% share of world iron-ore consumption, 51% world steel consumption, 70-80% oil imports as a fraction of total annual requirement, 1374 GW power capacity addition, USD 9 trillion increase in banking loan asset, USD 480 billion package-food market size, USD 100 billion mobile-handset market size, 915m Internet subscriber base, 1/3rd Proportion of world mobile-subscriber base. Nevertheless various social factors will significantly constrain their growth and productivity ranging from labour laws, corruption, violation of community and civil rights and most importantly the institutional rigidity in China will have a certain impact.

In China poverty is increasing in the rural areas, while in India poverty is spreading out. In China human development is decreasing as move inward while in India human development is well stratified in coastal lines. With different value, endowment and starting point, China and India have their own paths of development, dependent on political and economic progress. What is just and fair may depend on people to decide and to choose. India's political system in federal republic parliament style is rooted in colonial legacy and non-violent belief in respect different views of multi-ethnic, -linguistic and -religious communities. Chinese effective executive branch strives for a strong nation and economic power at the expense of civil liberty.

Prof. Quan Heng from Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai, China spoke of the implications of rapid economic growth of China and India both in the context of Asian integration and the process of globalization. He asserted that the 21st Century would be the century of Asia, where the process of economic growth would bring about higher incomes, higher investments and production.

Prof. Zhang Liyan, Tianjin University of Finance and Commerce, China spoke of the importance of grassroot innovations especially for rural development in India and China. She underlined several areas where both the countries could learn from one another in their quest of promoting rural industrialization.

Session IV : Globalisation and Regionalism: its impact on Asian Economies.

The Session was chaired by Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh.

The speakers in the session were Dr. Sukhpal Singh , IIM Ahmedabad , Prof. I.N. Mukherjee, JNU, New Delhi, Dr. Lakhwinder Singh, Punjabi University, Patiala.

Dr. Lakhwinder Singh, spoke of the importance of transfers of technology from East Asian countries like Korea to South Asian countries.

Prof. I.N. Mukherjee, spoke of the issues that were restraining the progress in SAFTA. He underlined the imperative for increasing intra-regional cooperation within South Asia by reducing the items in the sensitive list. Informal trade was significant in the region. He also spoke of the bilateral FTAs in the region: between India and Nepal, India and Sri Lanka and the way in which these had helped to reduce the trade deficits of these countries vis a vis India.

Dr. Sukhpal Singh spoke of the adverse impact of globalization on farming communities in rural India. He addressed the issues of indebtedness, farmers suicides and food prices in this context.

Participants during the lecture meeting.

Session - V : Contemporary Issues in Asian Integration.

The Session was chaired by Dr. Maneesha Tikekar, Mumbai University.

During this session Dr. Rifaat Hussian, Executive Director, RCSS, Sri Lanka, made certain key analytical distinctions on the concept of regionalism. Regionalism is a formation of economic groupings among particular states in the region. It also requires the political construction of the regional identity. Asianisation is an interactive development of regionalism and regionalization, with the former articulating the latter and vice versa. Globalization and regionalism is neither co-existingly complemented nor mutually excluded, but a bifocal logic between exclusion and supplement. While discussing the concept of integration he argued that integration is a widely debated but a contested construct. He asked is it a process, end state, or a historical condition? Today the thinking about the processes and the conditions are heavily conditioned by European experience. In Europe there were common socio-economic conditions and parallel political and national developments.

He argued that integration is essentially voluntary, whether as a condition or a process; it leaves its constituent units less independent. Thus an act of forming an association is considered more beneficial than being independent. Integration is a complex process that involves interface between economic, political, cultural and ideational factors. He highlighted some major issues involved in the Asian integration that involves overcoming the developmental gaps; gaps in financial market development, infrastructure and technological development, social development and institutional capacity. Besides these issues, there are certain political factors inhibiting the integration. This include different and diverse political systems; trust deficits and legacy of political disputes; fears of hegemonic behaviour, power asymmetries and dynamics of external balancing; dominance of politically contested issues, competing assertive nationalisms, and conflicting pulls of multiple regional roles. There is also a presence of strong countervailing trends of nuclear dangers, transnational terrorism, emerging strategic rethinking, political economy of peace, reinvigorated and expanded SAARC; promising cross-regional linkages- ASEAN, SAARC, SCO. The underlying purpose of any security architecture is to reduce security threats and in doing so transform the identities of Asian states and societies. He finally contrasted Europe and Asia in terms of shared values and expectations, risks and threats, sovereignty and nationalism, attitude toward regional cooperation, cooperative security that clearly painted the two clear pictures of Asia and Europe for succinct conceptual understanding of the integration model.

Dr. Sudhindra Sharma, IDA, Nepal in his paper discussed the Impact of globalization in Nepal: Integration in the Indian Economy. He outlined the two views about the impact of globalization in Nepal. He explained that many scholars in Nepal understood globalization, as an unrestrained flow of capital, ideas, goods, labour, and services from one state to another and would be beneficial to the Nepali economy, because it would reduce the country's dependence on India. But to his mind globalization in Nepal is resulting in the country is being further integrated in Indian economy. He argued that what Nepal experienced as a globalization from 1990 onwards, has been in many ways a reversal of the economic, trade, and commercial policies initiated by the country during the 1960's, 70's, and 80's in its attempt to chart out a diversified trade and commercial policy and one that was less India-dependent. But today India-centric trade, commercial and economic policies have resulted in Nepali state being integrated in Indian economy. Though Nepal's integration in the Indian economy need not be harmful for the average Nepali, Nepal's greater economic integration into the Indian economy has political ramifications. And Nepali state has to be vigilant about that. He also examined certain indicators and symbols of globalization in Nepal, taking into account the data on human development index, privatization of public enterprises, sectoral growth of GDP, trends in macro-economic indicators, flows and directions of trade, composition of imports and exports, foreign investment and its trends. According to him Nepal is yet to attract the inflow of that type of foreign investment, which brings in technical expertise, and know-how, to raise Nepal's economic competitiveness. In Nepal Agriculture and industry both shows a slowdown, which is an impact of the weak reforms in the productive sector. Nepal today must focus on areas of comparative advantage as far as trade with India/China is concerned. Nepal should actively lobby with WTO for special concessions to produce specific commodities targeted to North Americans, Europeans, Japanese markets. At the global level Nepal should make the efforts to make the global market better regulated.

An MoU was signed between UPIASI and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on the hosting of Asia Fellows in the Institute of World Religious CASS, Beijing, China.

Session VI : Re-linking South and South East Asia.

Dr Shankari Sundararaman, JNU, discussed the issues of Globalization, Conflict and Autonomy. She explained that today globalization relates to the movement of capital, finance, MNC's across borders and in that senses drives by the economic dimensions of international economic relations. Globalization has a capacity to impact through new ideas, and views the way states are constructed from within. Globalization has a potential to unleash upon the states, to challenges that may emerge from varying identity constructions and divergent views of the historical distinctions between states versus peripheral formations. This acts as a basis for identity construction for regions that have a distinct view of their historical evolution. Today there have been conflicting dilemmas that have emerged such as linkages that tie national identities to culture.

Participants during the Conference.

Within this context she discussed the case of Indonesia, and argued that democratic process in Indonesia following the financial crisis, unleashed certain factors that contributed to the enhancement of identity issues. The new matrix in which the quest for power and control of resources began to shape the form and content of the newly emerging state structure was challenging patterns that were institutionalized over a period of 35 years. The conflict in Indonesia consisted of Aceh, Papua or Irian Jaya, and that of East Timor. In the context of Aceh and Papua however the historic evolution of the region and their integration into the Indonesian republic are significantly different from that of East Timor. But in these conflicts, what is important is the manner in which two conflicts have evolved within the context of globalization factors and the ways in which the government has responded to the two issues.

Film Screening

During the final session on second day of conference a film made by Ms Sagari Chabras was screened. The main theme of the film was India's freedom struggle and its East Asian linkages. This film highlighted the struggle of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and his revolutionary army, in fighting India's war of Independence against the British rule. Netaji and his forces had received all sorts of support in the form of arms and logistics from Japan during the Second World War. This army successfully entered within India through the Eastern borders and captured many strategically important locations. However after Germany's defeat in the Second World War, and Japan retreat, this army couldn't face the mighty British Indian forces and were martyred. This army, during their struggle had established cultural linkages with East Asian states that need to be reinforced today to strengthen the relations with these countries.

Valedictory Session.

Participants during the Conference.

The valedictory session of the two day Conference was chaired by Dr. Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema. The speakers the session were Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Prof. Patricia Uberoi, and Dr Deepa Nag Haskar. During the session all speakers expressed their deep gratitude to AAS and satisfaction on the successful accomplishment of conference.

The programme ended with the detailed summing up by Dr Reena Marwah Secretary General of AAS. She also thanked all the participants and paper presenters, Chairs, and the funding agencies - the ASF and Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The conference came to a close with the Vote of Thanks, proposed by Dr Reena Marwah.