Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Colonial legacy

Sir, — We are needlessly on the defensive when the question of a possible referendum to determine the status of Kashmir is raised. By signing the Instrument of Accession with India, Kashmir became an integral part of the republic with all the rights and obligations enshrined in the Constitution. And the State has been participating in the democratic political process.

In any case, there wasn't any credible referendum that preceded the formation of Pakistan. The plan to carve out an Islamic Pakistan was hatched in the colonial offices, in tune with the colonial need to divide and rule. Agreeing to a referendum in Kashmir will shake the very foundations of our country. We can't allow nationalism to be determined by religion, ethnicity and race.

Jacob George,

Changanacherry, Kerala

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