Akhand Bharat- Dream and the Reality

Akhand Bharat is a dream of many Hindu organizations in India and abroad. They want establish a Hindu Nation by uniting the Indian subcontinent which includes Pakistan, Bangladesh and some times even up to Malaysia where there are traces of monarchy of Indian kings were present. I strongly believe this idea of Akhand Bharat is unrealistic and be harmful to the nation. Recently Narandra Modi has revealed another face of Akhand Bharat.

In his most famous interview to Shahid Siddiqui of Urdu weekly Nai Dunia, Narendra Modi expressed his views on Akhand Bharat “My dream is that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, people should be ek and nek (one and good)... It is the imperialists in Pakistan who are running a campaign for Akhand Bharat, so that Pakistan, India and Bangladesh can become one and this can be a Muslim-majority country... These people want to place Indian Muslims on the frontline and create tension.”

In reply to this opinion working president of Vishwa Hindu Parshad Dr Pravin Thogadia tweeted “No Hindu votes to him after he said: Those who campaign for Akhand Bharat are Pakistani Imperialists: In interview given to Shahid Siddiqi”. This tweet shows the tensed relationship between the Hindu organization and Modi. But Narendra Modi is partly right in his opinion about the Akhand Bharat. If Pakistan and Bangladesh unites with India the situation in India worsens as the majority Muslims of these countries will be welcomed by
pseudo secularists of the country and the life of citizens of India becomes miserable. We are already experiencing the tension in Assam due to the soft corner towards the Bangladeshi Muslims in Assam.

But John R Schmidt who served as political counselor at the US embassy in Islamabad, in his latest book ‘The Unravelling - Pakistan in the Age of Jihad’ tells the day might come when Pakistan might be reabsorbed into India the political unrest it may face in the future. Islamic terrorists might be able to seize a warhead and either use it for nuclear blackmail. Then US and India will be left with no other alternative option than “destroy all that was left of the Pakistani armed forces through the use of air power, with the US providing the air power and India the bulk of ground forces” He also tells "Once the dust had settled, the Indians and their US allies would then face a critical political question: what to do about the areas of Pakistan that had been brought under their control," they might incorporate the occupied territories into India, bringing about the final unravelling of the Pakistani state.

If it happens, dream of Hindu organizations may partially come true. Nothing can be ruled off in the present situation of terrorism and unrest in Pakistan. But I wish it won't happen.

Bhutan is all about Happiness

Public policies of governments in any nation should aim at the happiness of its citizen. Though many governments tell, their every policy is meant for creating happy nation, most of the times it fails. Our policies aimed at development of the nation in terms of GDP fails to keep the citizens happy, fails to meet sustainable development and protecting culture and environment. But in Bhutan "gross national happiness"(GNH) is important than Gross National Product.

I came across Bhutan's GNH and National Happiness Commission very recently when I was reading some piece of article on development. I was ashamed to be ignorant of such a beautiful system of governance, present at the neighbouring and most friendly country to India.

I was also surprised to read there is no National Planning Commission like one in India. Instead Bhutan has Gross National Happiness Commission. Every government policy has to pass through NHC so that the policy is in accordance with the four pillars of GNH viz promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.

Bhutan has the policies that least 60% of the country's land must remain under forest cover at all times. It imposes the tariff of $200 a day for each foreign visitor to control the tourist and protect the environment and culture. Sale of tobacco products is completely banned. All Bhutanese are required to wear the national dress, and all buildings must conform to the national architecture to preserve the country's distinctive culture. Can we even expect such policies from our governments? Or ever our government will be think of implementing such policies against the hypocrisy?

It is not surprising fact that Bhutan is better in terms of life expectancy, GDP, GNI and Per Capita Income than other neighbouring Asean countries. One can google the data.