New Delhi, July 29 -- The narrative that BIMSTEC has revived regionalism from the death of SAARC is alluring but incomplete. BIMSTEC's success lies not in its philosophical dedication to inclusivity, but in its capacity to exclude Pakistan. The exclusion is a feature, not a defect.

Death of SAARC

SAARC died in the shadow of India-Pakistan rivalry. Its consensus-based model made cooperation into a diplomatic quagmire. The statistics are stark: SAARC represents 24% of the world's population but only 3% of the global GDP, while intra-regional commerce accounts for less than 2% of its GDP.

BIMSTEC bypasses that approach by connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia-India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan-creating a B...