From the Tamils to the Kashmiris

India always has had problems with its peripheral states. Especially those that were either partitioned or have brethren living in the neighbouring country.

Most of us know these states by their reputation - Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

West Bengal is special. Not only was West Bengal partitioned in 1947, it also is ruled by a party front ideologically closer to our northern neighbour.

Anyways my point is not to run through the history of these states.

I am going to specifically look at the current crisis in Sri Lanka, its impact on Tamil Nadu and what J&K can learn from it.

Something really beautiful is happening in Tamil Nadu. No need to be aghast. Just hear me out.


The Sri Lankan army has gained considerable ground against the LTTE in the past year. With the LTTE almost close to annihilation, Tamil organizations everywhere have heightened their pitch. The tamil political parties in India jumped right in to speak up for the plight of Tamils in Lanka.

The principle political outfits namely the DMK led by Dr. Karunanidhi and the ADMK led by Ms. Jayalalithaa engaged in a pitch battle to out do each other. That elections were fast approaching added to the combustible mix.

However, there was this common theme or line that both political formations in Tamil Nadu toed. And that was their lobbying with the government of India to intervene in whatever possible means at their disposal to halt the suffering of the Lankan Tamils. Each outfit was pushing the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to lean on the Sri Lankan President to halt the continued bombardment. Leaving aside the merits of the case, what should be taken note of is that for the first time the Tamil parties similar to the Israeli lobby in the United States, lobbied heavily with the government to act.

The Tamils, baring some extremist cat calls, empowered by their clout in New Delhi, used it effectively to steer India's position with respect to Sri Lanka. And in doing so they exercised considerable restraint keeping in mind both India's larger interests and that of pan-Tamil chauvinism. This whole scenario could have gone haywire for a number of reasons, including a scenario where some extremist Tamil chauvinistic group in Tamil Nadu hijacking the issue and stealing the main political party's thunder.

So what lessons can other peripheral states learn from this?

Imagine this.

The Taliban having gained a foothold in Pakistan's Swat, decide to test the waters in the rest of Pakistan. I suppose they have already started doing this. For whatever reason, the Taliban decide to move northwards towards Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas instead of Baluchistan and Punjab. There is real threat of a Taliban take over and residents of the former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir do not know if Islamabad will send in the army to help them.

Meanwhile there are massive protests in Jammu & Kashmir on the Indian side. Political parties such as the National Conference and the PDP begin out shouting each other demanding that the Indian government do something. The call to save Kashmiriyat from the Taliban has rallied the entire state and has forced even the pro-Pakistan outfits of the Hurriyat to support this call.

Members of Parliament from the state make speeches in Parliament calling for an intervention similar to the Battle for Srinagar. They warn that India is morally bound to save Pakistan Occupied Kashmir from being wiped out and demand that India do something to save Kashmiriyat.

Sounds familiar? Possible Scenario? Can and will the Kashmiri's learn from the Tamil experience?

Will the Kashmiris see the wisdom of investing their future and that of their children in the idea of India?

photo courtesy: India Tourism Network