Just another state

Arunachal Students hand over a memo to Uttarakhand CM

Recently Rahul Gandhi said Arunachal Pradesh is "like any other Indian state". Well, it does appear that Arunachal Pradesh is just like any other Indian state in a way Kashmir isn't.

As a matter of fact, the two states present a startling contrast. One receives state patronage, massive funding (to be pocketed by vested interests and separatists, of course). The other remains neglected. A large section of the population of one state wants to get away and openly call for destruction of India - "Bharat Ragda" is their slogan. Ask your Kashmiri friend what that means and he will rub it in for you.

Perhaps more surprising is the coverage in the media. The newspapers and TV channels can not get enough of the Kashmir separatists state their point of view - usually a barrage of grievances. Human Rights Activists can not condemn the Indian state enough for holding the Kashmiris back without their consent.

Recently, a group of students from Arunachal Pradesh handed over a memo to the Uttarakhand CM, affirming their loyalty and pledging to shed the last drop of their blood for defending the nation against Chinese aggression. In a nation where patriotism is a bad word, it still manages to pull at a few heartstrings. This was not an isolated incident - over 100 students from the state courted arrests by demonstrating in front of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi. The recent Dalai Lama visit had the state enthralled, they went out on the street in massive numbers. It was as much out of reverence for the spiritual leader as it was in defiance against our belligerent neighbor.

Why then, does the state receive such step-motherly treatment in the media? If Kashmir separatism is such a hot topic, logically speaking the converse should get at least equal attention. We are not even asking the media to run PR stories to help the country in international forums, we know that would be too much.

This in a way is really the sign of the times. Bad behavior is encouraged at all times. Those who cause mayhem, explosions and gunfire at public places are the heroes while those who protect and defend are annoying distractions. It is as though the whole world is running on a film noir script, actually make that a Bollywood gangster flick. At least in the classic film noir, the anti-hero dies at the end.

* * *

Given that this is the faithful Indian media, expect them to turn a story thus far favorable to India completely on its face. There is a story in the Outlook magazine provocatively titled On the wrong side of Geography? with a tagline With India having given them nothing but neglect, the Arunachalis wonder if they'd have been better off with China. As described earlier, there really is no sign of Arunachalis "wondering" or "looking" across the border.

If they really do look across the border, China does not present the unambiguous picture of milk and honey the media would have you believe. Just a couple of recent examples: China recently executed 9 Uighurs. India has been struggling to hang just one. China is also trying a Tibetan filmmaker for subversion.

If lack of development in Arunachal Pradesh is a cause for concern, the media does not leave much wiggle room for that either. In the Outlook story linked above, the "flashpoint 5" says influx of migrants for projects will wreck havoc, presumably hassle the locals etc. In other words, India can't win.

Recently, N. Ram, Editor-in-chief of The Hindu was in China on a propaganda trip hosted by the Chinese Communist Government.

Ram quoted a commentator on Sen's work as saying, "Measuring real freedom in terms of indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and educational attainments, levels of nutrition, access to health care, employment, social respect and political participation are central to assessing how individuals and societies are faring."

We wonder if N. Ram will have the same point of view for Palestine or Kashmir. Funny thing is, India recently beat China on such a composite indicator. Don't expect the editorials to highlight that though.