India is a success story. India has achieved considerable economic development that has lifted millions of people out of poverty. It is now the world's second-fastest growing major economy and is poised to become a new world power. Indians should rightfully be proud that they live in the world's largest democracy.
Since India's creation in 1947 its leadership has been striving hard to improve the living standards of the population. Freedom of opinion and the press, human rights and equality are all important aspects that have contributed to India's success.
But behind each success, there is also a story. Since independence from the British, India has been left with many challenges of which one is the territorial dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. (Written by Laura Schuurmans, Jakarta)
Your comments:
Well Laura, I do read your articles, at least now with some interest. You said India will become a true incredible India after it solves the Kashmir issue. Yes, I agree, although much to the distaste of some of my countrymen. Why? Because I truly believe India is democratic and I have the right to freedom of expression.
Why are we not solving the Kashmir issue? Why are we still putting the lives of our citizens in danger again and again?
How long are we going to blame Pakistan for our failures? It is this issue that has turned both India and Pakistan into nuclear powers.
I don't want to live under the threat of a nuclear war. I want to flourish financially, I want my children to go to school and be educated without stress, I want to breathe freely. Why are we spending billions of dollars on buying weapons and guns? Who is our enemy?
Teppur
Mumbai
Schuurmans follows in the path of a number of Western commentators on the Kashmir issue - who look at Kashmir from the point of accession by the "Hindu Maharaja" of Kashmir - ignoring that this state was a Hindu majority and this land held, and still holds, great religious and cultural significance to Hindus, who were driven off their land by the hordes of Muslim rulers who "invaded" this region and converted many by the sword.
By purposely ignoring this vital part of Kashmir's history, the West and many in the OIC, try to paint a picture whereby the Hindus, who were driven off their land and had their rights snatched away some centuries ago, are now painted as villains. For many of us, Kashmir is the land of our ancestors, from where their ancestors were forced to move south.
Welingkar
India
For an outsider, India looks a myth, but for an insider India is a growing and thriving reality. There are problems like poverty and slight internal skirmishes, but as India goes along these are getting settled. The writer fails to understand the diversity paradigm of India, please don't state *'Pakistan'' as a *'nuclear giant'', it doesn't even figure in India's new world view, Pakistan is just a small part of our world view now.
Zach
UAE
Well, one has to agree with the writer that Kashmir has become a festering wound and simple medication is not going to do any healing. Major surgery, which we usually call a plebiscite, is required to get over it.
But then again, more than the Indians and Pakistanis, it is the opinion of the Kashmiris that counts the most. But the million-dollar question is that with the world powers, more specifically, the United States, absorbed in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting it out for the cause of world peace, (some lunatics prefer to call it oil turmoil), who cares about the poor Kashmiris who do not have anything to offer in return, no natural resources, no gateways to oil and no nothing.
Farhan Gutab
Islamabad
Kashmir is an integral part of India. Period! All nations are at the end of the day accidents of history and nations, let alone giant nations with nuclear weapons and million-man armies like India, don't voluntarily give up their territories.
Westerners are vultures who have committed some of the worst human rights violations in human history and now have the audacity to lecture others about it! We are a great democratic nation and we certainly don't need a seal of approval by unknown, underemployed "experts" who belong to the same breed of experts who said that India could not survive and democracy in India could never succeed.
Shobhit
New Delhi
Gandhiji told Pandit Nehru at the time of the partition that India would bleed forever if Kashmir became part of it. How true is that? Imagine where our country would have been if we had not spent so much on military expenditure in the past 60 years. Media projects us a shining India, but a country does not shine when more than half of its population lives in poverty.
As a nation we have to be honest here, we did promise a plebiscite and we went back on our word. Let the Kashmiri's decide their fate. Pandit Nehru was a Kashmiri pundit and he had emotional ties with the land of Kashmir. Nehru was responsible for the partition of India and his policies on Kashmir have left the people of India in a constant fear of insecurity. Enough is enough, let's call a spade a spade and give the poor people of Kashmir the right to self-determination.
Raj Nath Singh
Chandigarh
Despite Indian being a democratic country, it's a country where more than a dozen separatist movements are active: Kashmir is only one of them. It's also country who has fought/ interfered with almost all of neighbors: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Still, we should believe that democracy in India will lead them to respect human rights, listen to people's voices and avoid human rights violations. For this, we can count on the new generation of Indians.
Shakir
Bangkok
Our attitudes and behavior patterns determine what and who we are. My request to some of our Indian men and women is that your self-destructive arrogance and disrespect of free expression of opinion does not need to have any more enemies. You are the worst enemies of both India and Pakistan.
Let's talk of peace and reconciliation. Pakistan is a reality, it's about time that we accept it on our borders, give it due respect and solve the issue of Kashmir.
If you come to London and see that Indians and Pakistanis are living in peace and harmony with each other, it feels so good.
Umara Kaur
London
Dear all, I come from the peaceful land of the Bengalis, Kolkata. Someone from India said that Pakistan did not figure in their world view.
If that be the case, my fellow brothers and sisters, why are we blaming all our failures on Pakistan? We have kept the army on the border with Pakistan. If we don't fear them, we might as well pull our forces off that border and put them on the border with China, who is slowly grabbing our land.
Massoud
Kolkata
The unprofessional remarks of some commentators attacking Schuurman answers the question she raised. It is these divisive attitudes which, if held by the majority of Indians, will push India towards being a myth and not a reality.
Sartiko
Jakarta
I liked the last paragraph. The Indians have a habit of twisting everything around and becoming victims at the drop of a hat. However, truth prevails. Kashmir has never been a Hindu-majority land. It is a disputed territory and even the Indian polls show the majority of the people want independence. Yes, Indonesia has done a wonderful job with East Timor and Aceh. Wishing away problems doesn't make them go away. The human rights abuses by the Indian army in Kashmir have broken all international records.
Smira
Srinagar
This is an amazing discussion; I enjoyed the typical Eastern and Asian flavor of this unending debate. Whether we agree or not, Kashmir is an issue confronting the peace and security of Asia. Why I say that is because, if Indians and Pakistanis cannot even talk about their problems and are carrying so much hatred against each other, just imagine to what extent they will go to punish their rival. Remember, both are nuclear states.
Jeremy Kevin
New York
