B.L. Saraf
More than the recent flood furry, it is the outcome of the Scottish referendum that has stolen plebiscite narrative from the J&K separatists. The flood induced black out of print media in Kashmir has denied the so called Kashmir experts and Pak propagandists an opportunity to rake up plebiscite issue and misguide the gullible, in run up to the Scottish referendum, held to decide on the future of Scotland’s relations with the United Kingdom . While as the Pakistan propagandists , in Kashmir, are busy in putting their flattened houses in order (literally speaking) and preparing cases for claiming monetary and other relief from the officers of Indian Government (occupying state in their parlance) their sympathisers outside are hair-splitting the referendum result with a view to find a proverbial straw to cling on to the “plebiscite discourse”.
The argument of the outside sympathisers is the the Scottish referendum for getting freedom from the UK is a blow for the democracy, which India – a democratic country – should emulate, when it comes to Kashmir , North East and other places which claim ‘independence’. What, however, these ‘enlightened friends of democracy ‘ forget to note is that it makes no sense to strengthen democracy at the cost of balkanisation of a country.
We must state here that hardly anyone in the erstwhile USSR remembers Mikhail Gorbachov despite huge laurels he received on unleashing programmes like ‘Glasnost’ and the Perestroika’. Because these programmes, pushed forward in misplaced notion of being remembered in history, resulted in total dismemberment of the USSR.
The Westerners, once the ardent admirers of Gorbachov Doctrine, seem to be rueing their admiration for him because the spectacle of dismemberment has started to haunt the countries like UK and the Italy.
And then it is no great honour to get Nobel for presiding over the demise of a country which you are supposed to strengthen . No wonder Vladimir Putin is fast becoming a hero in Russia for his attempted reconsolidation of the erstwhile U.S.S.R .
The votaries of plebiscite in Kashmir, who want to draw comfort from the Scottish exercise, forget that here is fundamental difference between these two cases. Scottish people had not to choose from the “Infidels” and the “Believers”; so as to part ways from the former and join fate with the latter, as some in Kashmir want. Nor had Scotland proposed to sever relations from UK only to accede to Timbacto. No extraneous influence, no religious or sectarian considerations intervened for them to raise the demand of referendum. In case of Kashmir, everything that militates against free, fair and rational judgement is put in service to make a case of referendum. And that is a big tragedy ! Sometimes, UN Resolutions are referred to. Forgetting the very condition on which the resolution is premised. That is the prior vacation of every inch of PoK by the Pakistan Army before pelebicite could be held in J&K.
In Scotland The Scottish National Party-fighting for independence- had been regularly taking part in the election process of the UK. In 1999 they got Parliament for the Scotland with devolved powers without seceding from the mainland. Could the separatists in Kashmir think in such terms and reaffirm faith in a democratic process as S NP did it in Scotland. In fact everyone to whom the Separatists have been approaching to muster support advises them to prove their credentials at the hustings. But, stubbornly, they refuse to participate in the state elections. On the contrary, they threaten people not to take part in the elections.
In Pakistan some voices were heard eulogising the Scottish exercise and parallels were drawn between Scotland and Kashmir.
But when it occurred to those gentlemen that what might be a medicine to cure “Kashmir disease” may turn a bitter pill for Pakistan to swallow in Frontier province and Baluchistan the voices died down.
Given the political and constitutional set up of the Indian Union, it is imperative on GOI to recognize that globalisation has heightened the demand for preserving sub-national identities and cultures. For the federating states the sentiment has to be respected and accommodated within the broad parameters of the nationhood. Therefore, Indian state needs to emphasise its democratic ethos and evolve ways and means to meet such demands of the provinces. In this way the outstanding issues arisen between the Centre and the State of J&K should be sorted out to the satisfaction of the local populace. That will strengthen their trust in democratic India.
(The author is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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