Regionalism in South Asia: A Conceptual Note

Abstract

The idea of South Asia is both old and new and so is the issue of regionalism in South Asia. In this respect one could talk about regionalism in South Asia not only from a political standpoint but also from the standpoints of economic, social, cultural, psychological as well as civilizational. Humans after all are multiversed beings and South Asians, civilizationally speaking, have tried to remain as such, although the advent of colonialism and modernity or colonial modernity did numb them a little, often making them forget what had united them and what had divided them. But this is as much a methodological issue as it is a theoretical one, supplementing the statist understanding of South Asia with what could be best regarded as post-statist or focusing on the lives and livings of the South Asians. Regionalism in South Asian otherwise may not be promising when it comes to South Asians being political or homo politicus, but this may not be the case when it comes to South Asians being cultural or homo culturicus or for that matter, psychological or homo psycholigicus. And there lies the prospect for a new approach to regionalism in South Asia.