Nepal, Aug. 18 -- I stood pensively on the pavement outside the headquarters of SAARC in Thamel, facing a unique wall mural of the Buddha. Where I'm standing is the central office of The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, established in 1986 'to promote cooperation between South Asian countries'. The visual metaphor of the railings that separate the Buddha from the street begins to speak to me like an actor of a Brechtian epic theatre, where the structures and streets all become part of the drama. A loud silence pervades the complex. Behind and beyond the wall, nothing appears to be happening. In the context of the worsening relationship between India and Pakistan, SAARC itself is in the throes of a Hamletian dilemma.

It w...