Balkanization II

I talked about how the politicians are giving precedence to regionalism and castism over nationalism to gain votes and thus power. Over the last few days, I have read quite a few articles denouncing Raj Thackeray and his party MNS (including mine). I received a mail from one of the readers (of Balkanization that appeared in MSN) asking me a few simple questions. If ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits could not be resisted by the Indian Government why go gung-ho over Raj? If Tamil is encouraged in Chennai why not Marathi in Mumbai? Didn't our cities lose their cosmopolitan nature after being renamed Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or were they renamed because they lost the cosmopolitan nature?

Then I started thinking? Is Raj a problem? Is he doing something for Marathi manoos? Or is he just doing what other political leaders are doing? After much pondering I feel the answer is Raj is doing exactly what other politicians are doing (albeit differently), i.e., divide the Indians amongst themselves.

Why cannot any Indian (nonKashmiri) buy property in Kashmir and yet buy property in Mumbai, Patna or Kolkata? The reverse; however is not true i.e., any Kashmiri can buy property anywhere in India. Why does an Indian need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh when nothing of that sort is required for Pune, Bengaluru or Hyderbad? Why a child born to some particular tribes or castes (OBC/SC/ST) get preference over other Indians? (TN has 69% reservation)

Sixty one years have passed India got independence from the British, do we still need quotas? Do we still need article 370? My guess is reservation and article 370 has more to do with vote bank politics than upliftment of any community.

Today, it is Raj Thackeray. Tomorrow it might be someone else. Today, it is Mumbai (60% of the population in the city is non-marahati) tomorrow it might well be Bengaluru (more than 50% population is non-kanadigas).

The solution to this problem is not Raj bashing but to give equality to all Indians. If there can be quotas based on caste, creed or religion then why not based on region? Is it not sheer hypocrisy to have article 370 on one hand and blame Raj for asking something on similar line for Maharashtra. Either remove article 370 or let it be for all states and union territories of India, give all Indians a level playing ground.

Government money should not be spent to give interest free credit (oil companies providing 90 days credit) to Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airways (owned by the most flamboyant and extravagant Indian ever) but to build infrastructure and job opportunities in the remotest parts of India, so that people need not go to cities for jobs (I guess given the opportunity people would stay at home and earn rather than go to an alien city for livelihood).

The solution to prevent Balkanization of India according to me is threefold:
1. Government should abolish all quotas and article 370 and thus treat all Indians equally and none should feel alienated.
2. Government should try and spend money and create infrastructure and jobs in the poor parts of the country so that no one needs to migrate.
3. We the citizens of India should vote for a national party and avoid the regional parties as a national party will be answerable to all of India and MAYBE will not promote one region over the other.