Colonel Anil Athale
Col. (retd) Anil A Athale is a Fellow at the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research. A former Joint Director (History Division) and infantryman, he has been running an NGO, Peace and Disarmament, based in Pune for the past 10 years. As a military historian he specialises in insurgency and peace process. Colonel (Dr.) Anil Athale is the author of ‘Nuclear Menace: the Sataygraha Approach’, published May 1997.
The Kashmir issue originated from the accident that the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, belonged to Kashmir and was attached to it.
Otherwise, following the illogic of partition, J&K ought to have gone to Pakistan. The division or partition of J&K has become inevitable as contrary to the vision of Jinnah, Pakistan is now an Islamic state and all Hindus and Sikhs have been thrown out from there ( from 20% of population in 1947, the Hindu/Sikhs are less than 1 % today).
India continues to claim Kashmir on two counts, first, in the initial stage in 1947, the Kashmiris did show inclination to be with Pakistan under the influence of Sheikh Abdullah and secondly unlike Pakistan, India did NOT become a Hindu state but remained a secular state. The proportion of Muslims in India has actually gone up from 10% in 1947 to close to 17% today. Unstated Indian argument is that retention of Kashmir in India is necessary for survival of secularism in India.
India lost the Kashmir valley in 1989/90 when in wake of ethnic cleansing; close to 300,000 Hindus (called Pandits) were thrown out of the valley. What the country is facing today is the tragic consequence of that appeasement. The world at large, the Human Rights crusaders and Secularists in India (of all stripes), have been callously blind to the plight of these hapless refugees.
The problem of civic unrest in Kashmir is basically rooted in the lack of economic development. It is true that one does not come across the kind of grinding poverty that one sees in some of the other Indian states, yet the fact is that despite the natural resources, a vast number of Kashmiris are poor.
Unchecked population growth, currently running at 5% per annum with declining death rate has tremendously increased the population pressure on land. Article 370 and in the internal isolationist policy that it engenders, xenophobia instigated by the petty leaders and ineffective administration has resulted in a situation wherein there is a total lack of industrial development. The combined result of these two factors has been that average Kashmiri has seen his standard of living declining over the last two generations.
It is in this situation that some politicians sold the dream of an 'independent ' Kashmir while some claimed Islamization as the solution. With help from across the border the armed struggle began. As a result of visits to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, parts of which are currently witnessing unrest, one realizes that the roots of this unrest lie in the economic underdevelopment of the area. While there is certainly no visible poverty in J&K, of the kind one can witness in many urban areas of India, yet it will be not far from the truth to say that economic development has left J&K virtually untouched. The insular geography, restrictive constitutional provisions, lowering death rate while the birth rate is at 5% and total absence of industry has brought about this situation in J&K. In this atmosphere of stagnation, political leaders and countries across the border sold the dream of better life only if the region attains 'azadi' freedom or merges with Pakistan. World at large is quite content to let India remain in quagmire of internal troubles so that it does not develop its true potential.
On the positive side, in India today we have the technology in agriculture, horticulture and genetic engineering that can revolutionize the agriculture and bring in undreamt of prosperity to the region. It is impossible to undertake this exercise in all of Kashmir as some of the area is in grip of violence. But there are areas of J&K that are currently peaceful and have vast scope for development. The prime candidate being the Jammu division, Kargil and Ladakh. Implementation of projects of this nature will develop the economy and pre-empt any internal trouble. This is a proactive method of dealing with the Kashmir problem.
In whole of J&K army is extensively deployed and virtually the only administrative organ of the Indian State that has a presence. As a part of civic action programme , the Indian Army has been helping the civil population by providing health care, some developmental work like building schools/playgrounds/places of worship et. (Operation Sadbhavana). There are no funds earmarked for this activity and the scale and extent of these operations, an adjunct of the main function of the army, is necessarily limited. Only if the right inputs in terms of technology could be provided, this very action of the Army could become much more meaningful, the role of soldier being more of a catalyst.
The aim is to reward the population of areas that have remained peaceful and loyal to the country, with 'visible' economic development for not having taken to active insurgency operations. This would clearly demonstrate to the people in the Srinagar Valley the loss they have suffered due to joining anti Indian forces, as well as Indian superiority in the field of high technology vis a vis Pakistan, to the people of J & K.
Medium term objectives (2-5 years)
a) Together with the population of Ladakh and the Jammu division to create a pro Indian majority in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
b) To evolve a technology package for duplicating in the rest of the Himalayan border zones to
i) Improve the living conditions of Infantry soldiers on the border posts.
ii) Preserve fragile Himalayan ecology.
iii) To win over the population by economic development.
c) Spread the various agro-bio-eco technologies to rest of the countryside through Army jawans.
I am aware that this approach will immediately invite howls of protest from the ‘Secularists ‘ as a communal agenda or worse. It needs to be pointed out the 70% Muslim majority districts of Rajouri and Poonch as well as Kargil would also be rewarded under this plan. It is time the Indian state spend the tax payer’s money for pro-India people and not for those who hoist Pakistani flags.
Once the people of valley see the effect of economic development in their neighbourhood, the message would go home. After all Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe not on the issue of so called ‘freedom’ but the visible difference in economic development between Eastern and Western Europe- it is the washing machines and colour TVs or lack of it that made the difference!
The Kashmiri slogan of Azadi is fake, for a Kashmiri enjoys far more religious, economic and freedom of expression than his counterpart in virtually any Islamic country, including Pakistan.
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
An England in India goes to the polls
Tarun Vijay
After six decades of independence, India is virtually ruled by a lady who is originally a westerner and doesn’t have a command of any
Indian language unless supported by a written text in Roman. And she has become the only hope to bring back the remnants of what was once a grand old Congress party led by Mahatma Gandhi back to power through her speeches in broken Hindi addressed to India’s predominant rural voters.
She is credited with having helped the Congress win 145 Lok Sabha seats and 26.21% votes in elections held in 2000, became the head of a 219-member coalition drawn from 16 parties and ruled India from her home with Manmohan Singh acting as her nominee Prime Minister. So much so that an American embassy publication spread out her picture on one full page and Manmohan Singh was relegated to a corner passport size. It created embarrassment and corrections were made in later editions.
The flexibility of Indian voters, if one can describe this attribute modestly, is amazing. The west’s overpowering influence in recent times can be said to have begun in 1615, with a visit of Sir Thomas Roe, England's first official ambassador to India, who secured privileges for the East India Company from Jehangir, son of Akbar.
India would never be the same again.
The east, the far-east and the immediate neighbourhood, once such a hub of Indian cultural influence that it became known as Indochina, was turned to lesser importance and faded away from Indian priorities. It was only after five decades of independence that a look-east policy was devised but it still remains feeble compared with our western fixations.
The presence of a colonial power that set the cultural agenda too and gave new westward dreams of an upwardly mobile life to a common Indian drove the Indian journey and fixed our dreams to Vilayat.
It seriously affected the status of our languages. Once a nation that had the most scientific and ancient language, Sanskrit, perfect on parameters of grammar, vocabulary and phonetics, and had preserved the age-old reservoir of Hindu wisdom and scholarship – India was 80% literate before the British rule, with astounding contributions in astronomy, mathematics, life sciences, arts and theatre, literature, sea warfare, and mind-boggling wonders in architectural superiority, all attained in languages common Indians knew and spoke – India is run on a language that was never hers, was in fact imposed through coercion shutting the old and time-tested centres of Indian learning calling them as “dead, useless centres of obscurantism”.
The new contemporary rulers of any variety or colour or ideology, look at Sanskrit and other Indian languages with disdain and would never prescribe books of ancient wisdom like Vedas or the Upanishads to be taught in Indian schools under a heritage programme fearing loss of Muslim votes.
Bharat, the glorified “golden bird” famous in Arabic and Greek fables, has become a poor translation of Romanized western elitist ideas. An India, that’s what it is known as.
Though the world over our ancient books are highly respected as the gift of India, India and her politicians take them as merely Hindu scriptures, that may invite the wrath of the minorities if promoted through state apparatus and patronage. Though Sanskrit remains the language of solemnizing birth, marriage and ensuring a heaven-bound journey after death, an upwardly mobile elite of Gurgaon-Bangalore variety won’t have time or inclination to understand it. It’s of no use – no employment, no social status, no political benefit is gained through it.
In any elite circle of decision making, whether it is governance, media, arts and culture or literature, it’s simply elevating and profitable too, to shun speaking an Indian language and use English with a foreign accent to register a powerful presence and of course facilitate success. And more the American slang, the more “awfully impressive” it becomes.
After six decades of independence, India is virtually ruled by a lady who is originally a westerner and doesn’t have a command of any
Indian language unless supported by a written text in Roman. And she has become the only hope to bring back the remnants of what was once a grand old Congress party led by Mahatma Gandhi back to power through her speeches in broken Hindi addressed to India’s predominant rural voters.
She is credited with having helped the Congress win 145 Lok Sabha seats and 26.21% votes in elections held in 2000, became the head of a 219-member coalition drawn from 16 parties and ruled India from her home with Manmohan Singh acting as her nominee Prime Minister. So much so that an American embassy publication spread out her picture on one full page and Manmohan Singh was relegated to a corner passport size. It created embarrassment and corrections were made in later editions.
The flexibility of Indian voters, if one can describe this attribute modestly, is amazing. The west’s overpowering influence in recent times can be said to have begun in 1615, with a visit of Sir Thomas Roe, England's first official ambassador to India, who secured privileges for the East India Company from Jehangir, son of Akbar.
India would never be the same again.
The east, the far-east and the immediate neighbourhood, once such a hub of Indian cultural influence that it became known as Indochina, was turned to lesser importance and faded away from Indian priorities. It was only after five decades of independence that a look-east policy was devised but it still remains feeble compared with our western fixations.
The presence of a colonial power that set the cultural agenda too and gave new westward dreams of an upwardly mobile life to a common Indian drove the Indian journey and fixed our dreams to Vilayat.
It seriously affected the status of our languages. Once a nation that had the most scientific and ancient language, Sanskrit, perfect on parameters of grammar, vocabulary and phonetics, and had preserved the age-old reservoir of Hindu wisdom and scholarship – India was 80% literate before the British rule, with astounding contributions in astronomy, mathematics, life sciences, arts and theatre, literature, sea warfare, and mind-boggling wonders in architectural superiority, all attained in languages common Indians knew and spoke – India is run on a language that was never hers, was in fact imposed through coercion shutting the old and time-tested centres of Indian learning calling them as “dead, useless centres of obscurantism”.
The new contemporary rulers of any variety or colour or ideology, look at Sanskrit and other Indian languages with disdain and would never prescribe books of ancient wisdom like Vedas or the Upanishads to be taught in Indian schools under a heritage programme fearing loss of Muslim votes.
Bharat, the glorified “golden bird” famous in Arabic and Greek fables, has become a poor translation of Romanized western elitist ideas. An India, that’s what it is known as.
Though the world over our ancient books are highly respected as the gift of India, India and her politicians take them as merely Hindu scriptures, that may invite the wrath of the minorities if promoted through state apparatus and patronage. Though Sanskrit remains the language of solemnizing birth, marriage and ensuring a heaven-bound journey after death, an upwardly mobile elite of Gurgaon-Bangalore variety won’t have time or inclination to understand it. It’s of no use – no employment, no social status, no political benefit is gained through it.
In any elite circle of decision making, whether it is governance, media, arts and culture or literature, it’s simply elevating and profitable too, to shun speaking an Indian language and use English with a foreign accent to register a powerful presence and of course facilitate success. And more the American slang, the more “awfully impressive” it becomes.
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