ABSTRACT
One of the most striking features of contemporary international politics is asymmetrical power relations among states. With the birth of the United Nations, the sovereign equality of the states began to be fully respected, at least in principle. During the Cold War, small states gained much importance when superpowers tried to co-opt them. Small states situated in specific geo-strategic areas were seen as ‘assets’ or ‘trouble spots’ depending on their ideological leaning. 1 Given the fact that small states constitute majority in terms of numbers in global politics, but at the same time facing numerous politico-security and economic issues, several interesting questions arise. Do small states feel secured in regional and international politics dominated by big and middle powers? What survival strategies do they adopt to secure themselves? How does this translate to South Asian region that is commonly viewed as ‘India-dominant’? Do small states of South Asia follow similar or differing strategies to safeguard their security? South Asia offers a right case to look at the issue of survival strategies of small states in regional politics from both theoretical and empirical contexts.
