Democracy in Nepal, Kashmir and Tibet (a repeat post)

Nepal, Kashmir and Tibet started as independent countries in the twentieth century. They were geographically located next to relatively large nations (India, China and Pakistan) and were considered potential buffers between their neighbors (Tibet and Nepal between China and India, and Kashmir between Pakistan and India).

While Tibet and Kashmir did not fair well, the fate of Nepal turned out to be quite okay. India let Nepal stay independent in spite of majority of Nepali citizens being Hindu like majority of Indians. Moreover, after China had invaded and taken over the independent Tibet during late 1950s, some officials in Nepal thought that their country might face the same treatment from China in future. Fearing that Nepal’s independence and democracy could be at risk from communist China, a number of Nepalese officials suggested to Indian officials during early 1960s to let Nepal form a political union with India, but the Indians chose to not pursue it. Today, Nepal is an independent and democratic country.

On the other hand, Pakistan laid claim to Kashmir immediately after Kashmir decided to stay as an independent nation after gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistan’s decision to take over Kashmir was based on the fact that majority of the population in Kashmir was Muslim like that in Pakistan. Thus even when India assured Kashmir its independence and sovereignty in 1947, Pakistan immediately took military action against independent Kashmir absorbing a large chunk of Kashmiri territory to create a new Pakistani province called ‘Azad Kashmir’. The rest of Kashmir, which Pakistan still lays claim to (and has tried several times to take over militarily since), then decided to join with India. In addition, Pakistan ceded a large piece of territory (about 1.25 million acres) to China in 1963 from the previously captured area of Kashmir (‘Azad Kashmir’). Needless to say, Kashmir today lies trifurcated and under the control of Pakistan, India and China because of the earlier invasion by Pakistan.

The fate of Tibet was no better. While India respected the sovereignty of Tibet, China considered Tibet to be a part of it mainly because the Tibetans, like the Chinese, have Mongol features and follow the Buddhist faith (like majority of Chinese). China annexed Tibet before the end of 1950s and today Tibet is considered a province of China.

(Sept. 2, 2008, http://www.hindunet.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/73887/Democracy_in_Nepal_Kashmir_and.htm)