Ramayan is an old Indian epic and some believe it is not an epic but history. This is not about about Indian beliefs. The turning point in the story is when Ravana kidnaps Sita - the wife of Ram. This is when Ravana or Ravan becomes the villain as he doesn't ask her if she wants to go with him to Lanka.
What has this got to do with abrogation of Article 370 that gives special status for the state? Everything.
A state in India was put under curfew. People where asked not to venture out. All communication lines were snapped. There was a media blackout. All shops, banks, schools, hospitals, etc. were shut. Army was brought in replacing the police.
You cannot venture out to buy food or medicine. This was done overnight just like Demonetization. Only the Home Minister knew before the lock down of the state. Then the next day, the Prime Minister and other cabinet colleagues were briefed and then it was announced in the Upper House of the Indian Parliament that the Home Minister of India planned to demote the state by bifurcating it into two and then make them union territories that will come under the direct control of the government.
Were ordinary people of the state consulted? No.
Were their elected representatives consulted? No.
Were anyone consulted including the cabinet colleagues of the Indian government? No.
So, the Indian home minister didn't care about the consent, choice or fellow Indians
That is exactly what happened to Sita in Ramayan or Draupadi in Mahabharata. Their choice didn't matter. We know how both those epics ends - in a war that destroys the lives of innocent millions.
Why should this matter to Indians ?
India is a secular, socialist, democracy till now. Today, it resembles a police state. The opposition is completely scattered and some believe their state will face the same fate if they oppose. Some states are the grip of natural disasters that they don't have time for news but the rest of India has been watching quietly. Even social media has been controlled. It is amazing that suddenly Indians seem to lost their voice. One can understand if they are scared for a couple of days but for an entire week?
There has been a few celebrity voices that have questioned the way the Indian Home Minister has gone about it but they have been quickly silenced. But the voice of the people cannot be silenced so easily when fellow Indians are suffering. People speak to family, friends and classmates in other parts of India wondering what they can do. You don't see the kind of protests during Jallikattu times in Tamilnadu and other states. The reasoning is simple. How do we know they won't do this to us? Is it fair to keep all people in a state under curfew? The home minister claims it is for security reasons but for whose security ? The youth of the nation were initially confused by the special status given to the state but when they heard nine other states have similar special status, they became confused. Those from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir who live in other parts of India are worried about their family and friends as they have been unable to ascertain that they are okay.
Meanwhile fake propaganda videos reminiscent of Nazi Germany are filling up the news space. If this had happened in any other democracy, say US for e.g. the rest of the country would be filling up the streets. In India's case, ordinary people spill out their rages but it is like conch shells, unless you put it to your ear, you cannot hear it. Why? Because any criticism or questioning of the current ruling party or the home minister might land you in jail. So people are scared.
Implications
The geopolitical implications for this move is scary. In one broad stroke, the home minister has managed to antagonize two nuclear neighbours of India - China and Pakistan. Even if Pakistan can be contained by the Middle East and the West, this is not true for China. China has already issued a statement warning India.
"China is always opposed to India's inclusion of the Chinese
territory in the western sector of the China-India boundary into its
administrative jurisdiction," Foreign Ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying
said "Recently India has continued to undermine China's
territorial sovereignty by unilaterally changing its domestic law. Such
practice is unacceptable and will not come into force.
India knows that Pakistan reacts but China acts slowly but steadily. Currently, China is wrapped up in Hong Kong Protests but dragon is not sleeping.
Worst, was the surprise endorsement from Afghani Taliban who seemed to like what the Indian Home Minister has done.
More importantly, three things were on my mind while I watched the bill being passed in Parliament.
1. China won't sit quietly if we just legislate on territory which happen to be theirs. Also the CPEC corridor runs right through Pak Occupied Kashmir and the area Pakistan gave to China , so they could have direct borders with them. China has a bullet train running through it all the way to Balochistan port. Also India lost Aksai Chin territory to China during the 1962 war. How can the home minister say it is now a part of Ladakh? By reorganising the state, isn't he falling into the Chinese trap as Article 370 refers to the original kingdom of Jammu of Kashmir when it acceded to India which includes all these portion? Removing it means we are accepting the current borders ? Also, India's border with China stretches from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. Won't our army be stretched?
2. Why are the people of the state under curfew? This is not some piece of real estate that can be plotted out. What about their rights? Why are the home minister acting as if it doesn't have people? Just hope no one has a medical emergency as they cannot go to a hospital or call the doctor.
3. If it has been integrated into India, then are the people not supposed to have the same fundamental rights like other Indian citizens especially fundamental right to speech and movement? Why is the rest of India quiet on this ? How long does the home minister think he can keep the people under curfew? Indefinitely?
When questioned in Parliament about how he plans to get back PoK and CoK (the area Pakistan gave to China, the home minister's reply made me laugh. He was angry. Then he said in Hindi which when translated means , "We will give our lives and get it back." Many representatives of the ruling party got up and said the same. This made no sense as emotional nonsense makes no sense.
As I write this a public interest litigation is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow demanding the people be restored the fundamental rights granted by the constitution. Another case has been filed questioning if the abrogation of Article 370 is legally valid. The Minister of External Affairs who was strangely absent in Parliament has gone to China on a 3 day visit. Meanwhile Indians have to wait and see.
