Understanding India: Myth or reality
Laura Schuurmans , Jakarta
Mon, 10/26/2009 1:27 PM
Opinion
India is a success story. India has achieved considerable economic development that has lifted millions of people out of poverty. It is now the world's second-fastest growing major economy and is poised to become a new world power. Indians should rightfully be proud that they live in the world's largest democracy.
Since India's creation in 1947 its leadership has been striving hard to improve the living standards of the population. Freedom of opinion and the press, human rights and equality are all important aspects that have contributed to India's success.
But behind each success, there is also a story. Since independence from the British, India has been left with many challenges of which one is the territorial dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir.
During the partition of British India in 1947 the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was free to choose to accede to either India or Pakistan. Based on the two-nation theory it was widely expected that Kashmir would accede to Pakistan. On Oct. 26, 1947, the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir decided to accede to India and the Indian army positioned its troops in Kashmir the following day.
In the eyes of pro-independence Kashmiris, the decision of the Maharaja to join India has been rather controversial, and the arrival of the Indian army on Oct. 27, 1947 is considered a black day in Kashmir's history.
Each year on Oct. 27 Kashmiris commemorate this black day to bring the Kashmir dispute to the attention of the international community, to appeal for an end to human rights violations and to bring about a solution of the Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.
After Pakistan and India first went to war in 1947, three more wars were fought in 1965, 1971 and 1999. Both nuclear giants, however, have failed to resolve the dispute. Consequently, millions of Kashmiris have been living under severe oppression and tens of thousands of people have since been killed. Moreover, the conflict has seriously jeopardized regional peace and security.
If Indian claims are correct that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, this beautiful country may then not be as *'incredible'' as its tourism campaign "Incredible India" has portrayed. Today, Indian-administered Kashmir is the heaviest militarized region in the world where 700,000 Indian troops have been keeping a population of 7 million Kashmiris under tight control. India has argued, however, that its military presence is vital to fight Islamic militants that have been crossing the border from Pakistan.
Besides the Kashmir dispute, India has been dealing with other internal challenges. Only 50 percent of the population has access to electricity, one in four Indians goes to bed hungry, and illiteracy rates particularly in rural areas where the majority of Indians live remains high. Separatist and Maoist movements in India have been active for decades and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly reported on communal violence between Hindus, Christians and Muslims.
In comparison to India, Indonesia, the world's fourth-largest democracy, may have achieved more success in some cases. Although Indonesia suffered for more than three decades under military dictatorship, it has made considerable progress over the past decade. Indonesia has been successful in keeping the country unified, it has settled disputes in East-Timor and Aceh, and it has significantly improved its human rights record.
Although sectarian violence and separatist violence has occasionally erupted, overall different ethnic and religious groups have been living peacefully side-by-side. Indonesia's diverse and rich culture represents many ethnic, linguistic and religious groups and although India is far larger in population, Indonesia does have a national language that is spoken by almost everyone across the archipelago. Hindi, the most widely spoken official language in India, is only spoken by an estimated 30 percent.
Going back to the Kashmir dispute, if Indonesia together with mediation from the international community can resolve the East Timor problem and Aceh's separatist movement, it may be time that India returns to the negotiating table as per the wishes of the Kashmiris. To bring about a solution to the more than 60-year-old Kashmir dispute is essential for regional peace and security and will allow India to be a true and incredible democracy.
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