India is one, and this and that and the other. What one? Kashmir wants freedom, but it is an integral part of India. Someone wants Bodoland, but it is an integral part of India. As though the people don’t know what they are a part of or what they want to be a part of. Patronizing at the politest. Downright insulting to the common man of India.
I know this will not find many takers, but I need to say it. Hold that freaking plebiscite. If Kashmir wants freedom, withdraw troops and let them do what they want. Even if it is Talibanization and massive killings of women and minorities or whatever. Give people the option to come into India if they want, and if they don’t, just LET. THEM. GO. Jammu wants to stay? Let it stay. Ladakh wants to stay? Let it stay. Just hold plebiscites wherever anyone says they want freedom. Let the majority of that land decide.
We have got our freedom and for six decades we are spending a heck of a lot of time convincing people they are Indians, when they think they aren’t. What is this obsession? The purpose of having a united country was united resources, a greater international identity, political power, common currency, etc. It wasn’t as though we were aiming for world records in population or land. So lets get around to acting on the objectives with those who have accepted they are Indians.
Sure, many places may want and get independence, but what use are those places to anyone if all that is going to be happening there is this massive argument about nationality accompanied by militancy and destruction of life and property and inevitable human rights abuses and expense? We spend more in Kashmir than we get. Spend not just money, but lives, peace, international reputation, etc. We have the world’s largest population of poor people. Give the freaking army a paid holiday and spend the money on the poor. Seriously. Walking out of Kashmir frees up so much money. If we even gift it to the poor for the next ten years, India will be a different story. If we use it wisely to make their lives better, there is not telling what we can achieve.
Get those troops convincing people they are Indians in the North east out, and you can build toilets for all of India within a few years and save 54 billion on top of that. Sure, those countries may get Islamized or whatever, but isn’t it really their business how they run their countries? Don’t tell me with our vast savings we won’t be able to defend ourselves if needed. Heck, get some updated military stuff while you are at it.
It really angers me to see BJP forcing their way into flying the tricolor in Kashmir, while they do little about the Maoists in the regions they hold. Almost like to be an Indian and get your country’s attention, you must first want to not be a part of India.
Why is BJP so obsessed? Surely the percentage of Hindus in India will be far better once that huge chunk in Kashmir is out? Or is it really that we want to rule the land and ignore the people? The Congress is busy with packages and silence. Everybody is obsessed with figuring out how they can get people to agree that they are Indians, totally going overboard with their disproportionate allocation of National resources for people who don’t even want to be Indians, while people who want to be Indians suffer.
We have issues with corruption. We have issues with poverty, education, healthcare. We dream of being a developed country and recognized as a superpower and getting a permanent seat in the UN. I say, ditch every region that thinks its not Indian and you’ll free up a lot of time, money and attention to pursue what REAL Indians who believe and want to live in a United India want.
You want to be a democracy, then you must let people decide. Even if they are misguided. We must stop this National patronizing policy of knowing their needs better than them.
I think it is incredibly suicidal for Kashmir to want to leave India, but I also believe that it is their right to do what they want with their lives and their land. As it is my right to belong to India and ask why the hell it is that there is inflation and poverty and all these horrible things not being addressed better.