Reunification of India – A Possibility?

[oceanx]

Now I recall hearing this idea of "joint administration" of Kashmir being bandied about some while ago. I know there is a Kashmir sub-forum where Kashmir is discussed to death, resurrected, and word-stabbed to death again, and resurrected again ...

But that would be an excellent start, no?

I have always felt - once you remove the thorn of Kashmir, you remove the "thorn of PRC" from your side. Even Amrika can't play both sides any more.

I am somewhat convinced that all this talk on South Tibet was but smoke and mirror from the PRC ...

However you slice it, the rapprochement of Indo-Pak just can't come soon enough. It's one thing that's good for everyone.

Joint administration on Kashmir can serve a role model as the Westphalian-based Nation State model led to WWI and II (at least partially). Some of us may push it somewhere else - like Lhasa, you'd never know

Would the Germans and the French today fight over Alsace and Lorraine? Couldn't pay them to do it ...

 

[toxic_pus]

Yes, its reaction from your Indian army Siachin adventure...

Not really.

But even if we take it at face value, it would imply that Pakistan reserves the right to 'react'. But India doesn't. Wonderful logic.

 

[HAIDER]

Kashmir is always notorious strategical bone of contention. US want to establish base their. China want Pakistan to have full control, a life line for China toward Arabian sea.

 

[naved_kam]

Reunificiation is a desire of people who have been separated by force and not by choice. Drawing a parallel from the Germany unification (the only one in this world), the clear difference is that post world war 2 Germany was divided by force and not by consent of its people. Hence, they still had always the desire to unify. Even in their case, the unification raised several administrative and legal problems but then as one of my German collegues put it, "The German unification was as necessary and is as comfortable/uncomfortable as a marriage with no hope of a divorce". They also have the economic development machinery of the erswhile West Germay helping them chug along in smoothening this unification.

The idea of unification of South Asia is a bad idea, we did not have a lover's tiff that we can come over, we had several thousand people dead on both sides in 1947. However, India - Nepal and India - Bhutan anyway are borderless (practically) so there is a one identity even when there is diversity. Over the years, I see Bangladesh too may have a similar scenario because of the close links of the WB people with Bangladesh. However, on our western front, any talks of irrelevant borders could arise only with Sindh and not the whole of Pakistan. For that to happen, I guess we will have to wait a few years.......

 

[gogbot]

I don't think re-unification is possibility as Pakistan and Bangladesh are now separate entities however the more pragmatic thought would be friendly co-existence.... You don't need to revamp the boundaries to achieve it....Once we figure out how to co-exist peacefully boundaries will remain only on papers...Something like how boundaries are applicable in EU....

EU is sucessfull model , we can follow the same model for economic and stability of whole south asia , I think it will decrease tension between India and Pakistan and other smaller countries will also get economic benefits.

Armed forces of both countries are consuming development resources which can be utilized for wellfare of poor majority.

these two are the only logical and sensible statements in the whole thread.
This should end the debate right there.
This is the dream we must all strive for.

But we have to realize That dream is not limited to South Asia alone.
EU is a model for how the whole world should come together.

To realize not just each others national interests but to work towards the interests of Humanity as whole.

 

[waraich66]

Both knows non state actors always want to derail the ongoing composite dialogue process. For big achievement , it is necessary to ignore some death. If every year 55000 people die in road accident in India, does it mean Indian stop driving cars ?. If Pakistan move forward after Indian state sponsored insurgency in East Pakistan, then what stopping India ?...

Right , we should move forward and forget our past memories ,resolve our political and ideaolgical differences and develop stronge ties of mutual trust and cooperation
that is only solution to come out of present economic crunch and terrorism threats .

Bottom line is ,if there is will there is way

 

[HAIDER]

Not really.

But even if we take it at face value, it would imply that Pakistan reserves the right to 'react'. But India doesn't. Wonderful logic.

Indian been reacting without any provocation since 1971......

 

[oceanx]

Kashmir is always notorious strategical bone of contention. US want to establish base their. China want Pakistan to have full control, a life line for China toward Arabian sea.

The first part is taken for granted. Joint admin of Kashmir by Indo-Pak doesn't make it easier or harder for the US to add a feather to its cap of military bases.

Possibly a little harder if I have to guess.

PRC surely prefers to see Pak gain control of Kashmir. However, that's a preference, not an insistence.

The importance here is that Indo-Pak need to do what's best for them, and the seemingly "stronger" parties, like PRC or Amrika, will follow, and adapt ...

If they seem to be playing this "card" or that, it's only because such "cards" are dealt to them - by the "dealer(s)".

Here, everybody gets cards, but India and Pakistan cut the deck ...

Exactly an analogous situation I see across the Taiwan Straight, btw. That's why I for one hardly get upset with Amrika selling weapons to Taiwan.

I get upset with someone getting upset at the weapons sale. End of digression.

 

[praveen]

The first part is taken for granted. Joint admin of Kashmir by Indo-Pak doesn't make it easier or harder for the US to add a feather to its cap of military bases.

Possibly a little harder if I have to guess.

PRC surely prefers to see Pak gain control of Kashmir. However, that's a preference, not an insistence.

The importance here is that Indo-Pak need to do what's best for them, and the seemingly "stronger" parties, like PRC or Amrika, will follow, and adapt ...

If they seem to be playing this "card" or that, it's only because such "cards" are dealt to them - by the "dealer(s)".

Here, everybody gets cards, but India and Pakistan cut the deck ...

Exactly an analogous situation I see across the Taiwan Straight, btw. That's why I for one hardly get upset with Amrika selling weapons to Taiwan.

I get upset with someone getting upset at the weapons sale. End of digression.

Problem with the Kashmir dispute is that India does not bother to take a stance which is politically incorrect,to Pakistans inconveniance. Anyway we are not leaving J&K anytime , sorry folks

 

[third eye]

EU is sucessfull model , we can follow the same model for economic and stability of whole south asia , I think it will decrease tension between India and Pakistan and other smaller countries will also get economic benefits.

Armed forces of both countries are consuming development resources which can be utilized for wellfare of poor majority.

This thought has been discussed earlier too.

To someone who does not belong to the sub continent it may seem a logical thing to do (i.e. economic not political union).

Political Union is simply not an option . As far as following the EU model is concerned it will not work , some reasons are as under ;

1. Our politicians are simply not matured enough to rise above petty, regional, religious issues to be able to ' give' or accommodate the others point of view or economic necessities.

2. Our people are no less, we simply love to hate each other & gloat over each others discomfiture.Can you imagine Tamil Nadu for instance agreeing to pay more for a product coz those in Sind will benefit from the prices ?

3. So long of one of us has fears / threat from a 3rd nation ( China)or a mutual clash of interests in a 3rd nation ( Af), we shall never be on the same page.

4. Valuation of the Rupee itself shall be a major stumbling block.

5. Mind sets will be diff ( not necessarily impossible) to overcome.

The list is endless..

 

[oceanx]

these two are the only logical and sensible statements in the whole thread.
This should end the debate right there.
This is the dream we must all strive for.

But we have to realize That dream is not limited to South Asia alone.
EU is a model for how the whole world should come together.

To realize not just each others national interests but to work towards the interests of Humanity as whole.

I share your sentiment and otherwise echo your general line of thought except that the Christian in me just cannot outright endorse a form of even soft "world government" ala the European Commission.

Sorry, religion does rear its head despite our "best effort".

Regional EU models, OTOH, are perhaps desirable in our neo-Huntingtonian world.

Pakistan has options to her North and West as well ...

 

[PlanetWarrior]

The article weighs both pros and cons of "reunification" and examines a scenario where India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were one nation had partition not occured. True, a nation of 1,5 or more billion would have been an economic global powerhouse. I would imagine a scenario where this mega state was split into numerous federal states with each to decide their own system of governance would have been the best system. In that case Islamic states could have been created in for example Pakistan or Bangladesh or even present day India and the same can be said for Hindu or Buddhist or Sikh or Christian states where the basis of civil and criminal law would be determined by each state subject to restraints by a national constitution. In that way , semi autonomy subject to allegiance to the national state. All the extremist violence in the sub continent would have fallen away. True to the wording of the article, Kashmir would be a non issue. If the national parliament worked fairly, funds could be distributed to the lower earning states thus uplifting them. The model would have been more powerful than even the EU which would have been a small entity compared to the unified states. Sadly 1947 is far away now. I always maintain that partition should have been stayed and if it did happen should have happened by mutual consensus between the inhabitants of then India. It would have taken longer but over time more mature politicians would have emerged and hopefully they would have got the recipe right

 

[gogbot]

I share your sentiment and otherwise echo your general line of thought except that the Christian in me just cannot outright endorse a form of even soft "world government" ala the European Commission.

Sorry, religion does rear its head despite our "best effort".

Regional EU models, OTOH, are perhaps desirable in our neo-Huntingtonian world.

Pakistan has options to her North and West as well ...

World government is the only way to go.

A fragmented species can only progress so far, before facing conflict inside them selves.

Globalization has already taken root. Sooner or latter having to study in one nation and work in another will be as common as moving between town to town.

We live in a time where the internet makes possible people from the four corners of the globe to communicate daily as they would with a neighbor.

People all across the planet even have the same culture more or less.we all want a house, those interested in cars want a super-car.
Ferrari, Lamborghini are brands just as popular in Europe and America as they are in the rest of the world

Cultural exchanges today have no boundaries.

The direction we travel is clear for any to see.

May be not my lifetime but sooner or latter, new generations will be born in to a world. with a new set of ideals and free of restrictions and limiting ideologies that hold us back.

If anything there is more than enough reason to hope.

 

[Naradmuni]

Reunification of India – A Possibility?

Its an upcoming reality.

 

[amarnath]

The only the which can be done is asian union, but that is is very hard, because Asia is a continent rich in various cultures, so Living in peace without borders like europe is difficult... but yeah ,nothing is impossible, hope for the best...

India-China-Pakistan, Well thats more than a force the world would fear...