India is Not Magic. It's Chance.

There is nothing unique about the Maoist insurgency. It is a natural consequence of a haphazard nation-building process. In the last 60 years, the modern nation-state of India has been very lucky. It has not fractured due to its numerous resistance movements, many of them fueled by separatist ambitions. Attributing this to a greater sense of purpose is akin to citing supernatural reasons. India is not magic. It is chance.

Statesmen like Nehru painted a picture of India which was far from the truth. As many, far more clear-sighted thinkers have pointed out, there is nothing immemorial or predestined about India's borders. The territorial identity we came to recognize as our own was a mixture of British administrative convenience and post-Independence military might. The territories we ended up losing - a source of great nationalist trauma - were never 'ours'. The very notion of 'we' is stretched. As has been pointed out many times, the Punjabi in Amritsar understands the Punjabi in Lahore, and not the Tamilian down South. The power of consumerist-Nationalism is such that it overwhelms ingrained historical differences to uphold an artificial construct. Most of the Media have worked very hard to present a cohesive picture of the nation. When saffronized history hasn't helped, they have turned to the last refuge of militarist behavior - Sport. But such is the nature of human society, that you cannot suppress genuine discontent for long. It is interesting thus, that in recent times, in spite of raging separatist movements across the land, the Media finds itself unable to come to the most obvious conclusion. India is not magic. Its chance.

It is understandable that Nehru's generation would have the picture of an inevitable India. The notion of a collective identity was essential in sustaining the Independence movement. What is sad is that the generations after his were unable to tear themselves away from Nehruvian hope and idealism to a more pragmatic position. The generation of men like Amartya Sen and Amitabh Bachhan continued to seek refuge in a flawed conception of this land. In a mirage of collective denial. What this generation did, is damage further the remote possibility of keeping this bundle of regions together.

It is natural thus, that resistance movements have claimed large parts of the land. These are not movements driven by coherent ideologies, like those of the twentieth century. These are resource based, thriving on decades of neglect and discrimination, and thus far more dangerous. The Maoist insurgency is a wild, and by now rather widespread, effort to reclaim the shreds of dignity still left, towering over mineral-filled hills. To think it will subside is folly. The same goes for the Kashmiri liberation movement and insurgent groups in the North-East. Everywhere, is a combination of scarcity, neglect, and often straightforward abuse. These are not, as aging liberal patriots would like to believe, exceptions. Neither are these regions 'left behind', as the saying goes. These are populations for whom history now has a different meaning. Most of them have diverged to such an extent that they make moderate and sensible strategies like 'greater dialogue' seem impotent. They don't just want to get away from 'us', but crave a radical rupture from their pain-filled pasts. Extremist groups offer that dream. We can do nothing to make it better.

Many think the solution lies in military action. But violence legitimizes their struggle. It gives a sense of meaning previously unknown. It united people in their hatred of the aggressor. That is not a feature of these examples alone, but a permanent one of the human landscape. Military action will make matters infinitely worse. It is not a matter of whether military action is justified, as many spend their hours deliberating, but of the simple fact that it doesn't work.

India may not fracture. Military might, after all, can force people in and out of homes. But parts may cease to function. Like a body some of whose organs fail. It may not be these very movements or extremist groups. But similar such uprisings, feeding on a tradition of pain. Many parts will continue to thrive of course, moving intolerably towards Western riches. Celebrate that. And prepare for more extremist attacks. Safety is an ephemeral concept, one we should be ready to abjure.

But if one thinks that that is not a great way to live, then one will have to face, and acknowledge, the naivety and cowardice of earlier generations. And then one will have to deal with his own illusions. We will have to face a spectrum which ranges from the fresh-faced MBA to an insurgent hiding in the mountains. We will have to look at this nation-state for what it really is - not magic, but chance.