Karan Singh believes a Europe-style union is the only solution to the long festering Kashmir dispute. The Modi Government should entrust the task of resolving the issue to the elder statesman who was once the State’s yuvaraj
Once all the euphoria about the Army saving the Kashmiris of the valley evaporates, Kashmir will be back to square one, its youth will resume stoning the jawans or joining the separatists. Indeed, there seems to be no solution to Kashmir, as it incarnates the irrevocable enmity between India and Pakistan: India will not surrender Kashmir, because it considers rightly that it has been part of her territory for 3,000 years; Pakistan will not give up its claim because the Kashmir valley is a majority Muslim region and under the (mad) logic of partition, it should have reverted to Islamabad.
All politicians have tried their hand at solving this problem and all have failed. Yet there is one politician in India, who not only understands all these intricacies, but who might be acceptable to both Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir: He is Mr Karan Singh, a much-misunderstood personality, and it may be worthwhile to look at his life and achievements.
No doubt, he was born in a privileged family. Son of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh, and his lovely wife, Maharani Tara Devi, he saw the light in the prestigious Martinez hotel in Cannes, France. The birth of a yuvaraj was feted by the people of Jammu & Kashmir, whether Muslims or Hindus.
Yet, if one carefully reads his biography, one will see that Mr Singh, had a difficult life. Born a prince, yes, but with a strict and overbearing father who allowed him to see his mother for only one hour every day, whereas the young Karan doted on her. In time, he also realised that all was not well between his parents, and that they lived separate lives. He was then sent to a public school where he got no privileged treatment. Finally, at the age of 18, the muscle on his right hip and leg began to decay and he had to undergo a major surgery, which was a traumatic experience for him. The operation involved permanent immobilisation of the hip joint through a bone graft and a six-inch metal pin, which kept him in bed for 18 months, in a lonely New York hospital. Mr Singh would limp for life, but he never complained about it and that did not stop him from playing tennis and campaigning tirelessly.
Mr Singh became regent of Kashmir in 1949, but under difficult circumstances. His father, disagreeing with Jawaharlal Nehru, left the Jammu & Kashmir which had by then acceded to India. He himself was later appointed Sadar-i-Riyasat and finally Governor of Kashmir. His father’s shadow was not there anymore, but it was replaced by that of Nehru who was sometimes an overbearing presence on the young man. In 1967, Mr Singh finally came on his own, joined Indira Gandhi and later became the youngest Union Minister in her Cabinet. He was re-elected four times as a Member of Parliament from Udhampur. Today, Mr Singh, after having been a brilliant Indian Ambassador in the US, is Chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and involved in many trusts and charities.
It has been said sometimes that Mr Singh is an indecisive man. This is far from true. He is one of the few politicians with a deep understanding of Hinduism who has remained faithful to his inclinations. Mr Singh is the foremost expert in the world on Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and he is currently the chairman of the Auroville Foundation, the international city near Puducherry founded by the Mother and based on Sri Aurobindo’s vision of a new humanity.
Now for Kashmir. Mr Singh is very clear about its history and its future. “The real problem with Kashmir”, he says, “started with my ancestors, the Doghras, mostly in the 19th century. By treaty, conquest, or inter-marriages, they created a State comprised five major units, which are fundamentally very different from each other in terms of geography and ethnicity. The territory around Gilgit, which belongs basically to Central Asia; ladakh, which is an extension of Tibet; what is today under Pakistan’s control around Muzarrafad, which is Punjabi Muslim; Jammu, which in essence belongs to Himachal Pradesh; and finally the valley of Kashmir, of course, which is Indian Muslim at 95 per cent and also belongs to the Kashmir Pandits before they had to flee”.
Mr Singh also emphasises that the Kashmiri Pandit community never tried to rule Kashmir. “They were only the babus, the secretaries, the teachers; there might have been some exploitation, but on the whole they lived peacefully with the Muslims”.
Is Kashmir essentially an artificially-constructed entity thenIJ “Yes”, Mr Singh replies, “It is the exact replica of what was Tito’s Yugoslavia before it was broken in parts, or the Austrian empire, which was an amalgam of different States. All empires are artificial. look at the one Alexander created, or Ashoka’s empire, or Charlemagne’s… Often, they are also governed by non-local rulers. Even my family was non-Kashmiri”.
When ones asks Mr Singh if he has accepted Partition, he replies: “No, but today, there is certain logic to the split of Kashmir. Two of the ‘foreign’ portions — Punjabi Muslim Muzarrafad and Central Asian Gilgit — are with Pakistan; and the three ‘Indian’ parts are with India, Jammu, which is 2/3 Hindu; ladakh which is 55 per cent Buddhist (and 45 per cent Muslim); and the valley which is now 99 per cent Indian Muslim”.
What is the solution thenIJ Mr Singh says, “Since 1947, he smiles, Pakistan has fought four wars to regain Indian Kashmir, five, if you include the proxy war they are waging on us today. In my opinion, I don’t think they will ever succeed. The only solution is a European type of Union in the sub-continent. look at France and Germany. They fought three wars over two centuries; France even fought a 100 years war with England and they are still bickering at each other over the European Union, or the Euro! We only have been at it for 60 years. A Europe-style union is a logical thing today. We could have a single rupee in South Asia, no borders, free trade… And a united Kashmir.”
Is it true that Muslims and Hindu leaders respect himIJ “Kashmir has always been inclusive of all religions”, answers the son of Kashmir. “Vashnaism was born there, Sufism flourished there, the hard-line Sunnis of Pakistan have tried to change all this, I don’t think they have succeeded, as today the Kahmiri Muslim is still more tolerant than his Saudi or Pakistani brother. Yes, I still feel deeply for Kashmir, I am an elder statesman, and have been in politics for nearly 60 years!”
So, can Mr Singh be the man of the moment for Kashmir, and solve an imbroglio which has eluded all Indian politiciansIJ Will destiny beckon this man of depth, who was never really been entrusted with responsibilities corresponding to his qualitiesIJ Mr Singh started with Kashmir, and maybe he will finish his career with Kashmir, if the Narendra Modi Government is bold enough to entrust him with this task.