Abstract
South Asia as a regional construct is considered both a natural, given its unique geophysical characteristics, as well as an unnatural entity resulting from British colonial cartographic experiments. The post-independence South Asia has supported a rather simple political configuration with a powerful India, the proclaimed heir to British legacy located centrally both politically as well as geographically. Next in line is Pakistan as the sole power balancer or challenger. No other regional country is in a position to pose direct physical threat to New Delhi. During as well as after the Cold War, there has not been any momentous external geo-physical or structural transformation; however, there is a visible shift in the patterns of formal, informal alliances, partnerships as well as events and factors that have influenced the region in varying degrees. True to the aforementioned quote of Buzan and Waever, more often it has been observed that geostrategic regions mainly came into existence due to patterns of interaction between state actors. These interactions, more often than not, are based on patterns of enmity and conflict than on amity and peace. These patterns are increasingly evident in case of South Asia, where conflicts, old and new, have managed to become intractable and increasingly complex with no will to resolve them. In comparison any mechanisms of cooperation such as the singular regional body SAARC have not been able to create much impact.