Will there be a Indian or Pakistani equivalent of Gorvachev?
Both the countries need a Gorvachev like personality, to free their people from the stupidity of their leaderships that takes their inspiration from early 20th century
Let it be made clear that the human civilization that we, people in the eastern and western parts of South Asia, represent great civilizations that rival any of the worlds other civilizations. However, this area has built its civilization during thousands of years through a distributed scale. History do not indicate a monolithic existance of national or supra-national identity among ourselves. This is also true that going forward, civilizations around the world are working tirelessly to build mechanisms that facilitate more uniform development in a certain region. European Union and ASEAN are two such effort which have been most recognized as successful model.
Behind the success of these two mechanisms are certainly the recognition of national indentities that reside within them. Their division within themselves has become a source of strength, since they have blended a number of socio-politico-economic factors.
In recent history, there have also been a big example which was also seen as a very successful effort for the time being. Yes, we are talking about Soviet Union (a.k.a. USSR) which no longer exists on the political map of the globe. The model that USSR used helped them envious development and progress for several decades. Arguably, USSR is the reason that the so-called competiton model (which many would like to identify as free model or the so-called free world) had something to compete with. Why did it eventually fail? Among many, the one relevant for our today's article would be the not recognizing the national identities within itself. So, while the model helped all the identities to reach a certain level of meeting physical needs (food, shelter, etc), however, the mechanism through which USSR worked did not provide enough room for the differences among themselves to act in a way that it become strength. Before being too late, luckily the USSR produced a leader like Gorvachev - who recognized the underlying weakness of the mechanism. That recognition resulted in something that we all know - Russian Federation and many other states. Over time, there proximity may encourage them to build something similar to EU. Or if there are other groupings that are natuaral, those may arise. Only time will dictate that. But our point is not what future hold - rather we want to point to the fact that Gorvachev prevented a big blunder which may have resulted from USSR. Great leaders not only builds, they sometimes destroy - though with a long-term constructive view.
There are few other similar blunders in the making - as we speak. The biggest of those is the nation state called India. Don't be suspicous. We are not trying to ignite instability within India, rather we want to point to certain analytical aspects of the state - addressing of which may help avert a blunder in near future.
The biggest blunder was the concept of political India - the Brits were leaving - but those who were making them leave, including the greats like Mahatma Gandhi, they did not realize the fact that opposition of Brits can not be a basis of a nation state. We, all the people, were united then - not because we are alike, but because we had a common enemy. This was more true since the enemy was there for a long time - two centuries. Yet, two centuries can not blend the thousands of years of differences. The differences had to be recognized - both in political and economic terms - if those differences were to become strength. A mechanism had to be built. But we did not had the time, since the Brits were not here to govern, they were the bandits. Ooh, the British Raj was not the only blunder, it was also complicated by another twist - Pakistan.
So, in 1947, two odd cousin were given birth in the political map of the globe. Even though, there should have been several tens of separate identities within British Raj, the opposition of it made us think there is one identity. And some other stupids thought its a good time to get a country to rule - if they push religion into the politics. The rest is history. Hundreds of peoples lives and displacement, yet no peace, no development, no viable model for long term stability.
Pakistani rulers were more stupid than the Indians - back in the early days. So, they started to feel the stupidity earlier than the Indians. But India is also feeling that every day - every second. Until recently, however, there was not a single leader in who recognized or had the moral strength to publicly say that fact.
Most recently, Sardarji has alluded to it. But he only goes so far. Meeting the economic needs the very basic reason for a state or a mechanism to exist. When that phisical need is not realized, the differences become promient - if there are differences. That means, India is yet to touch the achievments of USSR. And it does not look like it would. But he does not see beyond economics - after all he is not a politician. So, its not surprising. But the point is - there is no need to re-invent the wheel and waste time and resources and human lives. It has been tested in USSR already - isn't it? Why do the wait? Off course, to understand that and at the sametime to have the capacity and courage, India will have to give birth of a Gorvachev. That is the way to avoid a blunder. So, is the case for Pakistan. But it seems its too late for them. Hopefully not. The world do not need any more blunders, while there is the biggest unresolved blunder which we call Global Warming or Climate Change.
Given the current mechanism that exists within the both artificial monoliths that was created due to the stupidity of some and falliability of otheres, it is very unlikely that a single Gorvachev-like figure will evolve to rescue them. So, it is upto progressive thinkers and intellectuals to figure out reforms that are done on the political sphere and the result goes directly to the individual people and national identities. In a sense, these progressive thinkers will have to fill in the shoes of Gorvachev, if blunder-like situations are to be avoided.
One more important thing to emphasize. Before we make that point, it should be made clear that this is an outsiders' view of what is happening both the countries, albeit at a two different scale and different perspective. Yet, both the countries traces back their origin in the opposition of the Brits - a wrong one to build nations on. Both the nation competes to build tools to destroy each other while millions of their own people go to bed hungry. Yet, the brains of these two nations do not recognize the inherent problem since they are still emerged into the psedo nationalism, as was the case for USSR leadership.
If this analysis is true, the main thrust in this regard has to come from the intelligentia of those embedded nationalitites who are relatively well-off. Otherwise, if the mainstream intelligentia joins hands with the stray forces in the underdeveloped regions ( e.g. eastern provinces, norther provinces, disputed provinces in both entities), that could be dangerous. Mistakes in the centre might make such development inevitable. However, a better scenario would be if the centre do not make any mistakes, people who are relatively well-off realizes the importance of recognition of embedded indentities within the recognitions of being Indians or Pakistanis. In order to make the transition smooth, forces of thought has to take control. If the forces of economics and the forces of physical needs takes over, that could be problematic.
That is exactly why we are asking the question that we asked in the title. Will there be a Indian or Pakistani equivalent of Gorvachev? If so, who are those? Are those individual personalities or groups? Are those driven by forces of thought or are those forces of physical needs? Do those individuals and forces recognizes the need for stability and peaceful transition - at the for the sake of humanity and world peace or are those whimsical? Answers to those questions are important for the world polity to consider. It is more important for the countries within the vicinity.
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
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Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article.
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