Chinese Think Tank Proposes Breaking Up India
China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS) has indicated in a report recently that Beijing can easily break up India into twenty to thirty independent states with the help of friendly countries like Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan. This article was published a few days before India’s 62nd anniversary of its independence from
Great Britain. The report also indicates that China should encourage and support ethnic uprisings in parts of India including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Is it that easy to break up India or would China break up before India? The biggest difference between India and China is democracy. The Indian democracy has withstood the test of time and is here to stay. The only threat to democracy in India is a take over by the military which is highly unlikely. Indira Gandhi’s attempt at total state control by imposing emergency in the 70’s backfired. Congress party was routed in the next elections and Indira Gandhi was sent to prison. No politician or party will attempt to impose emergency again.
In a democracy the citizens are free to voice their opinions. Since independence people in many parts of India including Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Assam and the North East have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Indian state. Many people in the South and the North East felt that they did not have a seat on the table. But this has changed considerably since the nineties with the emergence of states like Kerala (tourism), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (engines of India’s IT industry). The Indian government has also started spending billions of dollars on states like Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram ensuring that they also benefit from the economic boom that India is currently witnessing. Indian political system has also matured from dominant single party run governments to multi-party coalitions. Now everyone has a voice.
The biggest challenge that India has to overcome is the issue of Kashmir. Most reasonable observers would agree that this is not a freedom struggle anymore. What began as a freedom struggle is now a proxy war between India and Pakistan. Pakistan has shut down a few terrorist training camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) due to pressure from India and the United States. Successful elections (60% of the eligible voters voting) were conducted a few months ago. The Sunni-led insurgency is also wearing down the population. The attacks on minorities particularly on the Shia Muslims have caused serious divisions among the insurgency groups. There is some light at the end of the tunnel. But a comprehensive solution remains elusive.
So what is the state of the Indian union on its 63nd birthday? It is as strong as ever. The Chinese ideas of breaking up India will remain just that, ideas. Reports like these only highlight another issue with China, lack of confidence and insecurity.
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Category: News & Government