Random charts - Kashmir

August 5th blog entry 'Kashmir... again'

 

Source: Kashmir: Background, Recent Developments, and U.S. Policy (15-pg CRS PDF)

Kashmir... again

OK, so regarding Kashmir, the Indian parliament just  approved resolutions abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian constitution, and dividing the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted out the following:

 

 

This was a mistake and is going to cause huge problems down the road... 

 

Back in 2002 India and Pakistan faced off across their border (the "Line of Control" that divides J&K), and at that time I wrote the following (see below), recommending that a solution (Kashmiri independence) be shoved down the throats of both India and Pakistan... Nothing was done...

01/14/2002 The conflict in Kashmir Brief History:

When the British were leaving the Indian subcontinent there were 570 'princely states' in the subcontinent ruled by hereditary rulers. The British gave the rulers of these states the option of acceding to India, to Pakistan, or of remaining independent. The majority of these states acceded to India, a few to Pakistan. Indian independence arrived August 15th, 1947. Problems arose in a few states that had princes who were of a different religion than the majority of their subjects:

• The Nawab of Jugandah and the Nizam of Hyderabad were Muslim rulers of states that were predominantly Hindu. Hyderabad and Jugandah were also physically in proximity to territory that was becoming India. When the nawab attempted to accede to Pakistan India imposed an economic blockade and later armed a "liberation army" of Hindu emigrees to invade. The nizam did not decide immediately, but signed a one year "standstill agreement" with India to have extra time to decide. In September 1948 the Indian army invaded and took over Hyderabad. 

• Unlike Hyderabad and Jugandah, Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu prince of a majority Muslim population. Kashmir also was located between India and Pakistan. The maharaja did not wish to make an immediate decision, perhaps hoping for independence. He signed a Standstill Agreement with India and Pakistan. There are two versions of what happened next

Pakistan's version of events:

The ruler of Kashmir, as a Muslim, wished to accede to Pakistan. He was placed under tremendous pressure by the Indian government to accede to India. The Muslim population, seeing this and the covert arrival of Indian troops, rose up and rebelled against Hari Singh. The government of India, alleging that the ruler had acceded to India on the basis of a fraudulent instrument of accession, invaded and occupied a large part of Kashmir, which is now divided into Azad (Liberated) Kashmir and 'Indian-held Kashmir'. India has reneged on its promise to hold a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiris... India needs to implement UN resolutions calling for a referendum

India's version of events:

Pakistan implemented an economic blockade of Kashmir to force the maharaja to accede to Pakistan. When this failed Pakistan next sent armed Pathan tribesmen into Kashmir to forcibly annex it. Maharaja Hari Singh was thus obliged to seek India's assistance, and on October 26th 1947 Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession. Indian forces entered Kashmir and fighting continued until the battle stabilized. Eventually the United Nations arranged a cease-fire January 1st 1949 and the cease-fire line became known as the Line of Control. Approximately a quarter of the western portion of the state is occupied by Pakistan, with the remainder a part of India. A plebiscite has never been held as promised because Pakistan never fulfilled a prerequisite condition - the complete withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Kashmir. Subsequently, free and fair elections have been held in Kashmir. Lastly, the future of the disputed territory is to be worked out by bilateral negotiations between India and Pakistan as called for in the Simla agreement

The Future:

The ideal future would be an independent Kashmir. It is a beautiful region of snowcapped mountains and clear lakes, covering approximately 86,000 square miles. Once a tourist destination, it has been ravaged by years of fighting (Two faces of Kashmir - war and peace) and an estimated 60,000 people have died in the struggle between the two sides. The insurgents have carried out multiple acts of terror, while Indian troops have engaged in murder and torture, as documented by various human rights organizations e.g. Human Rights Watch.

 

Unfortunately independence is a highly unlikely scenario, as it would require both parties to show a level of flexibility far beyond what they have shown themselves capable of. The immediate prognosis is that Kashmir will remain a running sore between India and Pakistan for the foreseeable future. The interest shown by the US and the west in this latest flare-up is due to the fact that both countries are nuclear powers.

 

However, despite western concern, the likelihood of nuclear weapons being used even if the tensions between these two countries breaks out into a full-scale war is negligible. India has a declared "no first use" policy, possesses military superiority (both in terms of quantity and quality), and professional armed forces that are under civilian control. There are no scenarios in which tactical use of nuclear weapons would be militarily useful to Pakistan, and thus Pakistan would only use them as a weapon of last resort if the very existence of the country were in doubt. This is an unlikely scenario, since immense international pressure would be brought to bear on India before this point would be reached. Any armed conflict now would not involve nuclear weapons.

 

However, it is very likely that in five to ten years these countries will achieve advances in nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, and their delivery systems. This will significantly lower the nuclear threshold, and increase the risk of their use at a future point. Thus it is in everyone's interest that the question of Kashmir be resolved at this time when the risk of a nuclear exchange is low! The international community should push for a demilitarized and independent Kashmir as a solution to the problem

Random chart - toilets

Source: World’s Biggest Toilet-Building Spree Is Under Way in India


They have to then use them!

Random chart - GDP

Source: India is as rich as the US in 1881. A mesmerizing graphic shows where every country falls

"... As of 2013, India had a GDP per capita of $5,200, as measured in 2005 dollars. For comparison, the US had a GDP per capita (again, measured in 2005 dollars) of $5,200 in 1881. For Haiti, the comparison is even more brutal. Its 2013 GDP per capita was $1,650. In 1800, one of the earliest years for which we have data, the US's was $2,100..."

Random picture - fire

Source: This Hellish Underground Fire Has Burned for 100 Years

Random chart - India

Source: Understanding India’s economic geography

Random charts - maps

Source: 38 maps that explain the global economy

The first map above demonstrates how big the issue of "open defecation" is and notes: "... Given India's dense population, open defecation is a major public health problem, with feces inevitably contaminating drinking water. This leads to intestinal disease and contributes to India's high rate of child malnutrition. This malnutrition problem is more widespread than you would expect given India's income level and, by stunting kids' development, contributes to slower economic growth in the future. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's budget calls for spending that will aim to eliminate open defecation by 2019..."  One can hope!  A lot more on this topic can be found here.

The second map above uses "... historical data to show the world's "economic center of gravity" over time. The map plots the center point in three-dimensional space, which renders the north-south aspect somewhat less interesting, but the east-west movement over time is fascinating. A thousand years ago, economic activity was centered near the middle of the Eurasian landmass. By the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the growth of the United States pulled the center way to the west. But since 1980 or so, Asia has been growing faster than the US and Europe and dragging the middle back to where it was centuries ago. By 2025, McKinsey thinks the global economy will once again be balanced around the middle of Eurasia..."

Check out the other 36!

Random charts - economies

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures of World Economies Summary of Results and Findings of the 2011 International Comparison Program (104-pg PDF)

Random chart - Indian languages

Source: Read the fine print: Hindi is the mother tongue of only 26 per cent of Indians

Random charts - modern slavery

Click to expand:

Source: The Global Slavery Index 2013 (136-page PDF)

Random chart - two diasporas

Source: Diasporas: Mapping Migration (the Economist)

What a shock!

Someone discovers that the pernicious blight on Indian society, caste, is still present even if  somewhat 'out of fashion' to acknowledge- see Caste Is Not Past.

Some previous blog entries related to caste:
Caste update -  May 15th, 2011
Misc update (caste) - Mar 26th, 2011Misc update (caste) - Jan 20th, 2011
Education emancipates? - Jun 26th, 2010
Misc update (caste) - Aug 29, 2009
Updates - #3 - Aug 25th, 2008
Frame of Reference - June 27th 2008
Caste - May 26th 2008

Random charts - demogrqaphic trends

Source: Dusk, Dawn, and High Noon: Demographic Trends Forecast Next Phases for China, India, and the United States.

A look at "... the demographic futures and related economic prospects facing China, India, and the United States over the next several decades..." With the caveat that "... demographics are not destiny...", this study examines the demographics changes/trends through 2050, and from them derives some possibilities:

• "... Alone among the world’s large affluent nations, the United States will see modest increases in its working-age population through 2050; meanwhile, the working-age populations of Europe and Japan are projected to fall steeply through 2050. These demographic and economic trends alone may mean the United States will be the predominant global power for at least the next half-century. If anything, the United States could become even more dominant in the alliances it leads..."
• "... Right now, as of 2012, China is entering an era in which its rapidly aging population could constrain its economic growth. India, in contrast, will enjoy a substantial demographic advantage until around 2030, when the ratio of working-age Indians to dependents will likely be at its highest..."

Read the RAND article for much more...

Random picture

Click picture to enlarge

Source: India - Pakistan borderlights at night "... A striking feature is the line of lights, with a distinctly orange hue, snaking across the center of the image. It appears to be more continuous and brighter than most highways in the view. This is the fenced and floodlit border zone between India and Pakistan. The fence is designed to discourage smuggling and arms trafficking. A similar fenced zone separates India’s eastern border from Bangladesh (not visible).

This image was taken with a 16 mm lens, which provides the wide field of view, as the International Space Station (ISS) was tracking towards the southeast across India. The ISS crew took the image as part of a continuous series of frames, each with a one-second exposure time to maximize light collection. Unfortunately, this also causes blurring of some ground features.."

Update

Picture credit: Dr. Manoj C. Sindagi

The October 29th, 2008 blog entry, 'Science and side effects', looked at the Indian vulture kill-off that occurred in the 1990's. Follow-ups from July 2009 and December 2009 also touched on the issue... Fast forward to today, and it seems like the situation is not greatly improved, per 'Destroying the disposers of death: will India rescue its few remaining vultures?'

Caste update

Some previous blog entries related to caste:
Misc update (caste) - Mar 26th, 2011
Misc update (caste) - Jan 20th, 2011
Education emancipates? - Jun 26th, 2010
Misc update (caste) - Aug 29, 2009
Updates - #3 - Aug 25th, 2008
Frame of Reference - June 27th 2008
Caste - May 26th 2008

Recently the Indian Supreme Court came out very strongly against the caste system, denouncing it as a "scourge on the nation."

"La plus haute cour de justice indienne vient d’interdire les “khap panchâyats“. Elle veut “éradiquer“ ces conseils de castes qui font la loi dans les zones rurales, condamnant parfois à mort les époux de mariages jugés impropres.

La Cour suprême est partie en guerre contre le système de caste qui prévaut toujours dans la société indienne malgré son interdiction. Les mots sont hardis et virulents. “Le système de caste est un fléau pour la nation, plus tôt on le détruira mieux ce sera.“

Bastions de cette hiérarchie héréditaire qui structure le pays, les khap panchâyats sont inconstitutionnels depuis mardi 19 avril. Ces conseils de castes ultraconservateurs, présents essentiellement dans le nord de l’Inde, régissent la société rurale. Défenseurs de l’ordre moral ils imposent à leur communauté des règles archaïques et patriarchales, livrant à l’opprobre général tout membre qui s’y opposerait.

Des meurtres commis sur ordre des khap panchâyats

Les khap panchâyats ne reconnaissant notamment pas l’Hindu Marriage Act qui autorise les unions libres en Inde. Dans leur tradition les mariages inter-castes comme les mariages dits incestueux, c’est-à-dire entre deux personnes d’un même village (gothra), sont passibles de lynchages, de meurtres ou d’exils forcés.

De nombreux cas de condamnation à mort pour crime d’honneurs ont ainsi fait l’actualité ces dernières années. Dimanche 17 avril, deux veuves ont été tabassées à mort dans un village de l’Haryana par un homme, le neveu d’une des victimes, qui les accusait d’être lesbiennes. Personne n’est intervenu pour venir en aide aux deux femmes.

Les États appelés à mener la lutte contre les crimes d’honneur

Dans son jugement la Cour suprême a rappelé que la démocratie indienne autorise tout citoyen “à se marier avec qui il le souhaite“. La plus haute juridiction indienne a même encouragé les mariages inter-castes, affirmant qu’ils servaient “l’intérêt national, dans la mesure où ils participent à mettre fin au système de caste“.

Les juges Markandeya Katju et Gyan Sudha Mishra ont dénoncé les crimes d’honneurs comme étant “des meurtres barbares et honteux“. Pour mettre fin à ces pratiques, la cour a exhorté les gouvernements des États à suspendre les magistrats et les officiers de polices qui ne prendraient pas promptement des mesures contre les khap panchâyats."

Or:

The highest court in India just banned "Khap Panchayats'. It wants to "eradicate" these caste councils which make the law in rural areas, sometimes condemning to death spouses in marriages that are deemed unfit.

The Supreme Court has gone to war against the caste system, which is still prevalent in Indian society despite its prohibition. Their words are bold and vocal: "The caste system is a curse on the nation, and the sooner that it is destroyed the better."

Bastions of the hierarchy hereditary structure in the country, khap panchayats have been deemed unconstitutional since Tuesday, April 19. These ultraconservative caste councils, present mainly in northern India, govern much of rural society. Defenders of the moral order they impose on their community patriarchal and archaic rules, subjecting to general opprobrium any member who would attempt to oppose them.

Murders committed on the order of khap panchayats

Notably the khap panchayats do not recognize the Hindu Marriage Act, which authorizes free unions in India. In their tradition, inter-caste marriages just like incestuous marriages (that is to say between two persons of the same village, gothra) are subject to lynchings, murders or forced exile.

Many cases of death sentence for the crime of honor killings have made the news in recent years. On Sunday, April 17, two widows were beaten to death in a village in Haryana by a man, the nephew of one of the victims, accused of being lesbians. Nobody intervened to help the two women.

States called to lead the fight against honor crimes

In its ruling the Supreme Court reiterated that India's democracy allows any citizen "to marry whomever they want." The highest court of India even encouraged inter-caste marriages, saying they served the "national interest, insofar as they contribute to end the caste system."

Judges Markandeya Katju Gyan Sudha Mishra condemned honor killings as "barbaric and shameful murder." To end these practices, the court urged state governments to suspend judges and police officers who would not take prompt action against khap panchayats.

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A recent letter writing campaign by the Asian Human Rights Council focused attention on a recent example of caste-based discrimination. 'Caste-based discrimination and corruption pushing 83 families to death in Orissa' detailed the sorry story:

"... On August 28, 2010, the upper caste priest of a local Hindu temple and one Mr. Karunakar Bhoi, who is also from the upper caste, denied three women from the Bauri community of Ranapada village from entering the temple. When Karunakar saw the three women trying to enter the temple, he abused them by referring to their caste and suggesting their 'low origin' and said: "who gives you this right to enter the temple?." The women asked back: "Why are you behaving like this, are we not human beings or Hindus?" The priest and the other upper caste, who were at the temple, refused the women entry to the temple, and charged a penalty of Rs. 50,000 (USD 1,110) on the women.

The women were forced to admit that they would pay the penalty, under threat. The following day, the women filed a complaint regarding the incident at the local police station. The complaint was registered as a case, with no. 160(36) against Karunakar Bhoi for offenses punishable under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 under Sections 294, 323, 341 and 806 of the Code. On September 8, non-Dalit villagers, mostly from the upper caste, from 54 neighboring villages held a meeting near the temple where the women were denied entry and went to the Ranapada village with the plan for attack the Dalits. They shouted at the Dalit villagers and threatened to kill them. Mr. Dwijaraj Pradhan allegedly threatened in the public that: "Today we will beat up all the Dalits. All Dalits should come out of the houses, we will kill you otherwise." ..."

See the rest of the story here. A tale that, sadly, is all too common an occurrence...

Misc update (Caste)

3 Quarks Daily has an entry from March 2010, Joothan: A Dalit's Life, which reviews a book, Joothan - "... a memoir of growing up ‘untouchable’ starting in the 1950s outside a typical village in Uttar Pradesh. Told as a series of piercing vignettes, Joothan is also a remarkable record of a rare Indian journey, one that took a boy from extremely wretched socioeconomic conditions to prominence as an author and social critic..." Read it and weep at the injustice of caste...

Another entry, The Blight of Hindustan, speaks to the origins, anatomy, and persistence of caste. While noting caste-ism's strong roots in society, it ends on a more hopeful note: "... The Indian constitution outlawed caste discrimination sixty years ago, and affirmative action has had a salutary impact in recent decades. However, in this deeply conservative country, passing legislation is one thing, enforcing the laws and changing minds is quite another. Caste still has a tenacious hold on too many Indians who, in the words of the Marathi poet Govindaraj, ‘bow their heads to the kicks from above and who simultaneously give a kick below, never thinking to resist the one or refrain from the other.’ Discrimination in housing, marriage, and employment is commonplace. Especially outside the major cities, caste-based oppression is still rife, ranging from psychological abuse to bonded labor to rapes and murders that frequently go unpunished. The trends however look promising. In recent decades, those on the lowest rungs of the social pyramid have been politicized and have made their presence felt in the Indian democracy, even commanding high political offices..." It is to be devoutly hoped that this evil continues to loose its power until totally eradicated...

Some previous blog entries related to caste:
Misc update (caste) - Jan 20th, 2011
Education emancipates? - Jun 26th, 2010
Misc update (caste) - Aug 29, 2009
Updates - #3 - Aug 25th, 2008
Frame of Reference - June 27th 2008
Caste - May 26th 2008

Random charts

Source: Suicides in India: Incidence and Rate of Suicides during the Decade (1999-2009)

Misc update (caste)

Previous entries related to caste:

Education emancipates? - Jun 26th, 2010
Misc update (caste) - Aug 29, 2009
Updates - #3 - Aug 25th, 2008
Frame of Reference - June 27th 2008
Caste - May 26th 2008


Previous blog entries decried the pernicious and corrosive practice that is casteism in India... The article, 'Caste, Hinduism, and Human Rights', references 'Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste' by the Hindu American Foundation and argues that caste-based discrimination is not an intrinsic feature of the Hindu religion...

"In "Hinduism: Not Cast in Caste," HAF acknowledges that while caste-based discrimination represents a failure of Hindu society to live up to the essential spiritual teachings of the tradition, the solution, in part, lies in the proper practice of these teachings (and on better enforcement of existing anti-discrimination laws in India). It also recognizes that while caste arose in Hindu society, and that some Hindu texts and traditions justify a birth-based hierarchy and caste-bias, many Hindu scriptures and Hindu religious and spiritual figures, throughout history, have vehemently opposed caste-based discrimination and a birth-based hierarchy. And lastly, it explains that caste discrimination and caste-based violence affect all of India's religious communities and is today driven significantly by political and economic factors.

But the single most important point to take home from this pivotal report, I believe, is that even though caste-based discrimination may have arisen in Hindu society, it is not intrinsic to Hinduism. Contrary to the wide academic and media conflation of caste and Hinduism, the practice of caste-based discrimination is in direct contradiction to the quintessential Hindu teaching that each individual is equally divine and has the potential to realize God based on his or her own effort."

This may be entirely correct... However, given the multiple caveats in the report, this blogger is not entirely convinced, and this may be a distinction without much meaning...

The noble Indian

Picture credit

This blogger recently ran across 'Top 5 myths about India', via a tweet... Interesting post by someone traveling through India. It is nice that "MW" recognizes that India is much more complex and interesting than easy sound bites (her "myths"), and she clearly has fallen in love with India... That's great to a certain point, unfortunately "MW" appears to have a slight overdose of "noble savage"...

And so it seems that India appeals to your "higher self"... while materially impoverished its people have "simple, but satisfying" lives"... are "on the whole much more content, much warmer and more generous...", and finally, quoting Tonybee, in Hinduism "...the spirit of mutual good-will, esteem, and veritable love … is the traditional spirit of the religions of the Indian family..."

Hmm, reminds me of almost thirty years ago when I was in boarding school in Ooty. A 'guest' teacher spent a few days with us. He was from the U.S. and, as was fairly common at the time, had come to India to "find himself," dissatisfied that his material wealth did not fill his spiritual needs... He told the class how his two cars, three TVs, nice job and house, etc. weren't fulfilling, and how he envied us because we were so lucky to grow up in such a spiritual place. He was a nice enough guy, but the class consensus was that he was an idiot, and that most of the students would gladly switch places with him in a heartbeat!

In truth he was a dilettante - yes, he could travel, eat, etc. simply; choose to live from day to day; eschew and not pay much attention to worldly possessions; and not spend very little time worrying about the morrow. However, unlike the 'people' around him, if he ever had a problem, or got badly sick, or decided this was no longer for him, he could just pull out his American Express or VISA card and solve his problems... buy help, get treated, or fly back home. Believe me, that makes a huge difference!!

So, yes, most of the time it's not too dangerous. However, spend more than a couple of days there and expect to add "eve teasing" (or "absconding", or "encounter") to your vernacular. When you feel like rhapsodizing about the beauty of Hinduism, spend a few moments thinking about the institution of caste and the evils thereof! Ask yourself if the much-vaunted "mutual good will" also extends to the Dalits and those not lucky enough to be born in the "right" part of society. As you join your hosts in "the Delhi equivalent of Forest Hill" realize that you are light-years away from the reality and existence of hundreds of millions...

Enjoy the good things, enjoy the beauty, enjoy the food, revel in the marvelous discoveries you will make, have a great time. However, please remember you are mostly seeing and experiencing the best India has to offer, and don't get too swept up into thinking it's all "sweet contentment."

Eve-teasing (Wikipedia)
'Eve-Teasing' Makes India's Streets Mean for Women
Railway cops just can’t seem to teach romeos a lesson
Eve-Teasing Threatens Women In India and Bangladesh

Previous related blog entries:
Education emancipates? - Jun 26th, 2010
Misc update (caste) - Aug 29th, 2009
Optimism (unfortunately unwarranted) - Aug 31st, 2008
Updates - Aug 25th, 2008 (#3)
Frame of reference - Jun 27th, 2008
Caste - May 26th, 2008

I am as free as nature first made man,
Ere the base laws of servitude began,
When wild in woods the noble savage ran.

- Dryden's The Conquest of Granada