Relations between India and Pakistan cannot normalise unless we recognise the coreissue. President Musharraf says Kashmir is the core issue. Jaswant Singh says no, Kashmiris the core of Indian nationalism. Both are wrong.
Prime Minister Vajpayee says that India does not believe in the two-nation theory, norwill it allow Pakistan to divide it further. He too is wrong.
India's opposition to the two-nation theory is not proved by the prevention of asecond partition. It was disproved by acceptance of the first.
Musharraf says Kashmir is like Palestine. Does he think India is like Israel? He iswrong. Not India but Pakistan is like Israel. Ninety per cent of Muslims who voted forPartition belonged to what is now India. Ninety per cent of those who lived in presentPakistan voted against Partition.
When the time came for government employees to opt for India or Pakistan, my uncleopted for Pakistan. So did Khushwant Singh, Inder Gujral's father, Bhimsen Sachar andcountless others.
But to force transfer of populations the British engineered riots. Former PakistanPresident Iskandar Mirza's memoirs testify to this. He served as a deputycommissioner under the British.
I was born in Karachi and belonged to Lahore. For no fault our family was uprooted andforced to leave home. Musharraf was born in Delhi and belonged to UP. His family supportedcreation of a Pakistan. His family went willingly to settle in Lahore. So tell us,General, who is the Israeli—you or I?
Belatedly, Gandhi resolved to undo the effects of Partition. He corresponded withJinnah. He wanted to spend the rest of his days in Pakistan. He was to travel to Lahorewith 50 Punjabi refugee families. A fortnight before his departure, Godse killed him.Gandhi alive would have buried the Congress. Gandhi dead became the Congress flag.Congressmen call him Father of the Nation that he refused to accept.
Gandhi foresaw that the spirit of Partition would forever distort Indian nationalism.He was right. That is why problems like Kashmir and Khalistan erupted.
The core problem therefore is Partition. It is not practicable to undo its form. But wecan undo its substance by creating a community of nations in the subcontinent. The Kashmirissue will only be resolved in that context. Neither government may agree. But destinywill prevail.
I dance and sing
Like a puppet on a string,
I fight the other
Though he's my brother!
