RSS FeedsIs it time to let go off the Kashmiris?
|
20 Aug
2008 |
Arundhati Roy (had a brobdingnagian crush on her when I was single) apparently set people in a frenzy (either she intends it, or such reactions manifest spontaneously) by declaring India needs azaadi from Kashmir as much as Kashmir needs azaadi (freedom) from India. She’s the favorite intellectual villain, for, even the luminaries like Vir Singhvi and Jag Surya (I think he should stick to humor – he’s damn good at it) expressed similar sentiments but didn’t elicit matching vitriol. Perhaps it was the venue: Arundhati Roy said it in Kashmir, in the thick of the happening action, in front of a crowd that had just marched to the UN office demanding independence from India. The point is not that.
A healthy debate means taking a balanced view. It’s no use fuming and frothing the moment something contrary is expressed. Let’s for once think as a person and not as an Indian; what’s good for India and Kashmir? Is it healthy for India for Kashmir to remain a part of it or we’ll be better off without the valley and its recalcitrant-but-otherwise-peaceful people? It’s not about ego, it’s not about national pride (people get confused between national pride and jingoism), and it’s not about further disintegration. It’s about what’s wrong and what’s right for the greater good. What does India stand to lose if Kashmir goes to Pakistan?
- India’s image as a multi-religion, secular, united, etc., etc., country will be destroyed forever
- A beautiful piece of land – heaven on earth – will go to the arch enemy giving it unparalleled satisfaction and bringing to our people great, long-lasting ignominy
- Other separatist groups will get a moral boost and the country will be pushed upon the brink of balkanization
- Bollywood people won’t be able to shoot there (I guess they haven’t been doing that for decades anyway)
- Lots of non-Kashmiri-non-Muslim people will have to be brought to the remaining Indian territory and rehabilitated
- A few other things I cannot think of (please add them in the comment section)
Will there be gains too? Again, please enlighten me.
So you can see it would be a Herculean task to let Kashmir secede to Pakistan, of all countries. More than economic, it’ll be psychological loss. Right now I wonder how much Kashmir financially contributes, rather, I think it’s a white elephant, with so much expense, both human and financial. Crores of rupees are spent to keep the army there, so many of our soldiers have been needlessly killed trying to protect a hostile territory and so much violence seeps into the main land from the valley.
I think if the Kashmiri’s are so eager to join Pakistan just because it’s a Muslim country and Muslims feel safer there, they should be asked to go to Pakistan. Why is it whenever Muslims want to leave India they want to take a big chunk of land with them (as it happened back in 1947)? Many people will give reference to history and say Kashmir belongs to Kashmiri Muslims. Historically, I mean, really historically, Kashmir was a place where Hindus lived, and in fact, the entire Hindukush region belonged to Hindus, and if not Hindus, then certainly not Muslims (there were Jains, Buddhists and others). Muslims came here, mostly forcibly, and settled here. Now if they want to go, they should simply go, leaving the land behind, and I think India will be more than happy to oblige.
This may seem like an unconventional thought, but it’s not. It’ll be a logical culmination: the righting of a millennium of wrongs.
Email this link | Posted by Amrit | Tags: India, Politics
Add to: Digg | Del.icio.us | StumbleUpon | Mixx | Yahoo! | Netvouz | BlinkList | Furl
August 20th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I am not going to say here what you might expect. I just want to post a memory.
My shaheed husband’s mother is a Kashmiri Sikh. Her family and mine have been close for many years. When I was a child, we left Canada to spend the summer in India. Madness, I know! Indian summers are, well, you know, hot, muggy. Canadian summers are much more pleasant. The bulk of our time was spent sweltering in Punjab. I’ll admit to a deep, abiding love for Punjab, but the weather in summer is extreme.
The political situation permitting, each summer, we took a break and visited this family in Kashmir. My favourite spot on this planet is a little valley in the mountains of Kashmir with a crystal clear, icy lake at the bottom formed by a stream flowing down from the heights. The clean, crisp breeze, the singing birds, the verdant growth. Unbelievable. Heaven on earth, indeed.
I wonder what that valley looks like now?
August 21st, 2008 at 3:49 am
Some of them may be descendents of invaders but most of present kashmiri muslims are the descendents of people living there then who I presume were mostly hindus. how many of them were ‘forcibly’ converted and converted of thier own will we cannot say. Even most of them were forcibly converted it does not matter to them now as it is highly unlikely that they want to convert back to hinduism
So how is your bizarre solution justified ?
August 21st, 2008 at 6:57 am
This is not bizarre solution but a very simple one. You are very unhappy living in India, please leave this country and go wherever you find peace and happiness. And if we really go back to history all the religions (be it Christianity, Islam,Sikhism) are of recent origin except Hinduism. So disappear from this land, if you are in distress and don’t make a claim to any piece of our beloved motherland. Its our fault that we were very liberal in past the provided atmosphere for these religions to prosper. If they were nipped in the bud we won’t be facing such problems today. See people of these religions have taken every advantage of the liberal tradition of India and today they are eying to break it and harm it. So Mr. Sudeep basically most of us were Hindus and Hindus only. This land is ours and those who have tried to took it away got a befitting replies in the past be it muslims or sikh leaders. Remember that terrorist Bhinderawalle? His body was lying on the ground unclaimed by anyone like a street dog. Others will meet the same fate if they try to harm our motherland.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:08 am
The question who are you decide whether someone should migrate or not ? It is entirely up to them whether they want to migrate due to economic reasons or due to any other reason
August 21st, 2008 at 8:12 am
By the I am happy living in india. I was talking about kashmiri muslims living in the valley who are separatist.
How do we really know how many people support secessionism ?
Instead of doing it the civilized way like the canadians did it Quebec both the secessionists and their opponents have behaved badly so why not conduct a referendum and find out ?
August 21st, 2008 at 8:15 am
I am not deciding for them to migrate. But again the thing is simple, if you are unhappy and don’t want to fight it out by legal means within the Indian constitution, migrate. But I won’t give up my land. Period.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:19 am
Even if they are secessionist, they should go. We already have given up enough in 1947 in term of lands and lives. You want a bloodbath again? And show me a country where Muslims are in minority and satisfied and happy?
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:26 am
” But I won’t give up my land. Period. Even if they are secessionist, they should go”
what do you mean that it is your land ? Who are you to decide that is your land and not his/her land ? who are you to say that they should go ? Your self-rightedness is as acceptable as thiers
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:30 am
If you are hell bent are cherry picking exercise I CAN’T SAY ANYTHING. I have said other things too. But you picked up the most convenient one. Of course its our land. If one feels sympathy for them, one give up one’s salary house and gadgets to them.
“We already have given up enough in 1947 in term of lands and lives. You want a bloodbath again? And show me a country where Muslims are in minority and satisfied and happy?”
This is called cherry picking exercise. And where will Kashmiri pundits, kashmiri sikhs, kashmiri buddhists go? one’s own house? Any supporter will open his/her house to them? Or they will want to see 1947 live?
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:04 am
I think the discussion here is inadvertently moving towards “them” vs. “us”. I don’t believe Muslims are “them” and the rest are “us”. Muslims are Indians too and they have as much right to the land as any other community. The moot point is, if some Muslims don’t want to remain in India and want to join Pakistan, then they should move to Pakistan, instead of demanding that Kashmir should be handed over to Pakistan. Why should people from other communities have to leave their ancestral homes if they have no problem; let those people leave who have a problem.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
India was never one country all through the history of Indian sub-continent. There were over seven hundred independent kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent when the Europeans entered this sub-continent. The areas which came under the direct control were called the British Empire, and there were still several hundred independent states, like PEPSU,Patiala, and East Punjab States Union, and Jamu & Kashmir. When the British left in a in 1947, Hindus took all these Kingdoms on a silver-platter as their country for doing nothing. 80% of people who sacrificed their lives to free this land were the Sikhs. Where is their kingdom of the Sikhs? Read some history.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Muslim invaders through Khyber pass and Sindh took over all this sub-continent,and all ruled over it from 7th century to 17th century. Where were all these coward Hindus to stop them for centuries? Only the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh fought from 1699 until it defeated the muslims in the entire north-west areas from Delhi to Khyber pass including J& K and Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled over this area including verious other Sikh rulers. After Maharaja’s death in 1839 AD Punjab and J & K were taken over by the British after three-fierce battles against the Sikhs. Read the History of Anglo-Sikh wars. Too many countries in a country now called India.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Correct. “India” is a legal fiction created by the British for their own convenience. Eventually, like the Soviet Union, it will fall apart of its own weight.
I’m afraid the bloodshed of partition will be a trickle compared to the sanguine flood that will inundate the subcontinent then. Imagine all the big and little angers and hatreds there let lose with nothing to control them. I believe intelligent people with foresight need to prepare. I know this is not a patriotic, Indian viewpoint, but as I am neither a patriot nor an Indian, I feel free to express this. Somehow, today seems the correct date to post this.
I hope I’m wrong. I most sincerely hope I’m wrong.
Nevertheless,
Chardi kala!
MHK, TINK
September 11th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
On a happier note, I looked up “brobdingnagian.” Thanks for the vocabulary lesson.