Vir Sanghvi has written an outstanding column in today’s HT, for the first time I have read views on Kashmir that make huge sense. He basically suggests if the Kashmiris do not want to be a part of India, that if every incident out there becomes a call for secession, then the time has come to hold a referendum out there, and allow them the right for self-determination.
If we leave the factors of ego and pride out, clearly that’s the most sensible, logical way to go. Let me highlight what Sanghvi is saying with a parallel that all of us might find better to connect with.
There’s a large house with a joint family. Despite the usual sibling rivalries and other financial problems, the family is doing okay and prospering as a whole. Now, the youngest child, who is the most pampered of the lot, showered with the most love and money, treated better by the parents, is always unhappy, and keeps threatening to leave the house. He not only uses the ‘I wanna go’ card to blackmail the family into pouring largesse on him, he never misses a chance to abuse his parents and his brothers and sisters.
This dude has become a serious problem for the household… apart from draining the limited resources, he is forever bringing great agony and stress to the entire family. He doesn’t even miss a chance to physically harm his brothers and sisters. Despite years of molly-coddling, he feels closer to the neighbouring family, and prefers to be with them.
The only reason the family wants to keep him in the house is because of the old fash virtue of being seen as undivided, and the fear of the so-called badnaami that happens when a child leaves. This false sense of pride is costing the entire family dearly… no matter what it does for the brat, he is always unhappy.
Now any sensible, modern, educated family would much prefer that the pissed off child leaves and carves his own destiny. Maybe the ouster might open his eyes to how harsh the outside world is, maybe one day he will return a reformed man. Maybe he will discover that the neighbour’s family will actually kick his arse, or maybe he will find true happiness, which is great for all concerned.
Yes, it’s time to be matured and pragmatic about the brat, it’s time to let him go.
Farewell, dear Kashmir.
13 comments:
fully agree, and have always thought about this as a sensible way of handling it.. my only discomfort was whether it would set a precedent that our good neighbours might like to exploit regularly...
anil: sheesh... it took you guys so long to figure that out?
manuscrypts: much as i hate to discrminate against pakistan.. but that country's a mess. kashmir with its antecedants may still want to break off (though i think a large part of it is really drama and nothing else. allow the brat the opportunity to leave the house and he will start shitting in his pants), but i do think with india's increasing propsperity only fools would want to follow in its footsteps.
An easy way out is not always the right way... If its Kashmir separated today, there wont be long before North east, Khalistan, old-french and Portuguese colonies and even Tamil Elaam et all would be arising... or maybe even a Maratha-land...and a Naxal-land separated...
There has to be an end to the divisions of India at some point. And its now!
Needless to add - if the spoilt brat is given what he wants whenever he cries, there is reasonable justification in the rest of siblings feeling discriminated against. But then a normal family would first discipline the errant guy... not keep appeasing the guy - the way Delhi keeps doing.
And remember if the brat is let go and given his freedom purely because of his religious differentiation, then there is reasonable value in the demand of the rest of the siblings in demanding that the family be split totally for ever along that line and have the rest of that family branch separated for good as well.. and since that branch already took its share of family heirlooms in 1947, there should be no property share given anymore.
Do u have a solution to that? It cant just be a take your cake separation anymore.
-A Soul in Exile...
I always did subscribe to this view...but love the example. There will be expressions from people regd khalistan, tamil eelam and also false sense of pride etc......but no alternate solutions.
If people don't be a part of you and if that is a majority opinion, then so be it..you may not like it...but we got to face reality...and let them go before they destroy the entire family !
sit with the brat. Give him a lollypop. Explain him the family values. Try putting some sense into his head. Tell him happiness in the neighbourhood family is just an illusion. If he still doesn't listen. spank him. Spank him hard till he listens.
And yes, the surrogate dads sitting in Delhi, tell tem it's about the family. They should stop fuckin around.
The wayward brat will join hands with his neighbouring cousins and indulge in nefarious activities and want help from all other nations to help him buy his catapult which he will aim at the family which helped him most in finding his new-found freedom, like some other brats of some other family have done in the past. Besides I agree with !!! that there is a spoilt brat in each of the states waiting for pitching for his independence. The easy way out will not help. Brats need to learn to live with others than any thing else!!!
Yes do a referendum and if they want to canter off get rid of them in a jiffy.
just kill the separatist bastards and kick that useless shivraj patil out.
and hell with kashmiris
Another muslim nation as our neighbor?? Aren't two creating enough problems????
hi sir...did read ur latest post with a lot of interest. in that context..wud like to refer u to another post by another fellow blogger..do read it up...!! it seems u and some of us here are not the only ones who agree with ur viewpoint..!! kindly check out the link given below and post ur comments on the same also right here..where we already have an existing discussion forum in place..
check this out..
http://saisureshsivaswamy.rediffblogs.com/
thanks and hoping u wud really read this latest post."as the worm turns".
i do agree with you but dont really know how practical it is tho
.here in mumbai we already have a certain mr raj trying to throw Northies out .Wont this really give him some more leverage to thrust his decisisons even more fearlessly than before??
India may finally land up like 10 different countries with 20 more sub divisions etc.These politicians are crazy ....and such ideas might seem risky
Tell me again WHY you are not writing on the front pages of leading, influential newspapers...?
I agree totally! :)
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