India’s Balkanization

LARGE size countries with poor population trounced by heavy military/defence budgets are like a heavy ceramic ball hanging over a fragile stick, i.e., the masses. They are bound to tumble/break. Breaking up of USSR is a classic example. International observers must take cognizance of the fact that the poor masses of India are sick and tired of huge sums of money allocated for the piles of ammunition and various weapons systems. Their ambitions for a better life have been sacrificed at the altar of successive Indian government’s greed of arming themselves. Furthermore, increasing suicides by Indian farmers, growing activities of Naxalites, resurgence of protests and resistance in Indian Held Kashmir and presence of over two dozen separatist movements within India may lead to a possible Balkanization of the country. Discriminatory treatment given to the Indian Muslims is also recreating the environment of 1930s and 40s. Presence of 30 million Muslims in India should eventually result into creation of other one or two Muslim homelands within a divided India, given the declining social justice conditions. The domino effect would thus implicate that Balkanization of India could become a new geopolitical reality in the coming two to three decades.
The true conditions of oppression, discrimination, poverty, deprivation of political and social liberties resulting into armed resistances should be projected as some of the possible reasons for a further division/partition of India in the coming times. Indian military ambitions indicate her hegemonic designs in the region while majority of Indians cannot afford to have two meals a day. Numbers living below poverty line are increasing in a geometric progression, adding to the misery and woes of the heads of families, who are subsequently finding it more and more difficult to make both ends meet. Unfortunately India spends billions of dollars to purchase weapons. Indian hegemonic designs can be construed from her $3.5 billion defence deal with USA likely to be inked during US President Barack Obama’s planned visit to India in November 2010. The Daily Mail notes that the new slogan being raised that `India is world class nation’ despite the fact that 37% of India’s population is living below the poverty line, millions sleep by the road side and die of hunger, public infrastructure is crumbling, corruption level is higher than ever and people are suffering the brunt of elected weak government. If these are the benchmarks of the world class nations, then India ranks on the top of the list. We need to recall history to incorporate facts that India intends to snare more and more international investors in her intriguing economic web by painting rosy prospects of miraculous economic growth and showing India as one of the emerging powers of the world. India’s false claims for being a peace-loving nation have been exposed by its atrocities on the Kashmiris, whom it is slaughtering like chicken. Indian Premier has focused on good neighbourly policy and cooperation to improve ties with Pakistan; however Indian State Terrorism and hegemonic designs have been a cause of concern for all its neighbours. It’s bullying and browbeating of its neighbours has been much to the chagrin of all and sundry. On top of it, its false premise of seeking peace with its neighbours, show that the words of Indian leaders have failed to match their deeds in the past. The writing on the wall is clear, India’s Balkanization is rapidly becoming a reality and like its mentor, the erstwhile Soviet Union, Indian break up is a fast becoming ominous. It is a matter of grave concern for Pakistan and India’s other neighbours too since the rot is likely to effect the entire region.

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Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Jammu and Kashmir

United Nations Security Council

India

Islamabad

S. M. Krishna