The only solution to the Kashmir issue, according to me, is reunification of India and Pakistan under a strong, secular, modern minded government which does not tolerate religious fanaticism and deals with it firmly.
Am I mad to write what I have written? Maybe YES , maybe NO.
Let me give you a real life experience. During my stint with Ceat Tyres as an exports manager, I was In Ethiopia – in a foreign country ,different culture, colour and race. One evening I found a man of my colour loitering in the hotel lobby.I introduced myself in English and asked for his identity .He said – I am Malik from Pakistan.Then, the next 3hours was spent with him talking in Hindustani about cricket, Bollywood , music and business. We both felt so good to have met each other because it helped us to converse on topics that were so relevant to us.Never did we even broach on Kashmir nor politics. The next 3 days were spent in his company that was awesome. Similar experience repeated in Mauritius when I met my distributor there who was a Pakistani married to a Mauritian lady.
What I am coming to is when we meet Pakistanis (and I am speaking from my personal experience), we feel no different from them. We talk in Hindustani and feel one. In foreign countries, Indians and Pakistanis mix up as if Partition has not taken place. And what is the basis of Partition ? It is the bogus two nation theory, that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations. I submit that this theory was only a product of the British policy of divide and rule to make Hindus and Muslims fight with each other.
If this theory, that religion is the basis of a nation, is accepted then logically England(there are many chrisitians – protestants /catholics, Jews,Hindus,muslims) , Nigeria(half muslim, half Christian), France and other such countries should be partitioned into two halves. France has a sizeable Muslim population (descendants of North African Arabs belonging to the former French colonies in North Africa). The French Muslims too should be given a separate state (if the two nation theory is accepted as valid ).
I believe that a unified sub-continent is a big plus for all of us.The biggest benefit is PEACE. Pakistan raises its defence spending every year because of its historically uneasy relations with us – last year both neighbours matched each other by equally raising their defence spending by 12%, though the size of Indian defence budget(50 billion USD) is much higher than that of Pakistan(5 billion USD).Imagine if 10 % of a total of 55 billion USD(5.5 billion USD) was spent on economic development!!!If this theory, that religion is the basis of a nation, is accepted then logically England(there are many chrisitians – protestants /catholics, Jews,Hindus,muslims) , Nigeria(half muslim, half Christian), France and other such countries should be partitioned into two halves. France has a sizeable Muslim population (descendants of North African Arabs belonging to the former French colonies in North Africa). The French Muslims too should be given a separate state (if the two nation theory is accepted as valid ).
It would mean education, infrastructure, health for all of us without depending on World Bank mercies….
Also, unified cricket, hockey teams from this region then will be ruling the world forever. Tourism industry can be leveraged in a unified Kashmir which has one of the most enchanting natural world.
Will this happen?? In my life time?? A thought , a seed is sown.. A plant will grow , a tree will spread its roots, will bear fruits…How long will it take?? I don’t know but no harm thinking that it will happen…
