As a follow up to our brief debate on the Kashmir issue, I wish to propose an exercise that evaluates the Kashmir policies of the governments of India and Pakistan and also puts our own objectivity to the test. Such an exercise could yield an awareness that might enable us to move the discussion forward.
What I propose is the following:
For the first part of the exercise stop thinking of yourself as a citizen of your country. Consider yourself an external examiner (ideally from Mars) who has been invited to evaluate the Kashmir policies of the governments of India and Pakistan, respectively.
Based on your understanding of the objective of the Kashmir policies, your task is to rate the respective policies as a success or a failure. In reaching this conclusion, you have to consider the extent to which the objective has been achieved, the cost and consequences of doing so, and the moral appropriateness of the actions employed in pursuit of the policies.
In the second part of the exercise, revert back to your role as a citizen of your country. In this part you should state the policies that you would have pursued if you had been in a position to do so.
Your response to this exercise should be posted in the comments space in the following format:
Age:
City of Residence:
Citizenship:
India
Your understanding of the objective of the Indian policy (one sentence):
Rating of policy (Success or Failure):
Moral appropriateness of actions (Appropriate or Inappropriate):
Your recommended Indian policy (not more than two sentences):
Pakistan
Your understanding of the objective of the Pakistani policy (one sentence):
Rating of policy (Success or Failure):
Moral appropriateness of actions (Appropriate or Inappropriate):
Your recommended Pakistani policy (not more than two sentences):
Needless to say the opinions expressed would have no bearing on the immediate actions of the governments of India and Pakistan. The objective is only to get a sense of the perceptions of the readers of this blog. Every respondent is his/her own monitor – the Honor Code applies.
Please share this with as many people as you can so that we have a large enough response as a basis for continued discussion. This exercise is not limited to Indians and Pakistanis; all those interested in policy analysis and evaluation are welcome to participate.
A reader has drawn our attention to a poll conducted on this issue in 2008 by the University of Maryland. Its major shortcoming is that it is limited to urban respondents in India and Pakistan. It also follows a traditional India/Pakistan-centric framework. Still it can yield ideas about South Asians can design a more useful poll.
July 10, 2009 at 7:52 am |
Could you assist with some links on the policies that India and Pakistan have followed over the decades?
July 10, 2009 at 9:33 am |
Vinod, That might defeat the purpose of the exercise to some degree. Kashmir is a much talked about topic – there are films about it, TV discussions, newspaper editorials, statements by politicians, blog posts, etc. It is useful to get a sense of what people make of all this exposure. What does it all boil down to? Does it convey a coherent policy objective to the audience or is it just a cacophony of voices resulting in general confusion? I would prefer respondents to convey their personal understanding of the policy objective and we can make some inferences from the responses.
July 15, 2009 at 9:05 pm |
Your neighbour is bombing your house or part of your house belongs to him. Would you “stop thinking” this is my house and wonder?
Your neighbour is putting a gun on your head and tells you your right foot belongs to him, would syou “stop thinking” yourself this is your foot?
July 17, 2009 at 5:07 am |
The discussion is about trying to solve problems. There is certainly a problem with the neighbor but not all problems in any country involve neighbors. A start can be made with those problems.
September 29, 2009 at 2:07 am |
Your understanding of the objective of the Indian policy (one sentence):
To keep Kashmir within Indian Union
Rating of policy (Success or Failure):
Largely Successful
Moral appropriateness of actions (Appropriate or Inappropriate): Inappropriate
Your recommended Indian policy (not more than two sentences):
Policy needs to include ways to win the trust of the Kashmiri muslims and the policy administrators need to improve their integrity.