India, Dec. 9 -- Forty years ago, on a December morning in 1985, South Asia embarked on an ambitious experiment. Seven neighbours - united by shared histories yet separated by borders, suspicion and political complications -- met in Dhaka to outline a collective vision for peace, prosperity and cooperation. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) emerged from that hope, designed to transcend bilateral tensions and forge a regional identity grounded in development. Four decades later, that optimism feels remote. The organisation has been effectively frozen since 2014, its institutional vitality drained by enduring political hostilities. Yet, paradoxically, the idea of SAARC is more essential today than ever. The phrase...