We hope that we can now safely say that the cold war is a thing of the past despite the chill it sent down the world’s spine just the other day. Equally importantly if not more so the hopes and aspirations of nearly 300 million people of liberty and freedom from an oppressive communist state is now a reality. The second most powerful nation on earth is crumbling before our eyes the edifice many called the ‘Evil Empire’ is no more.
Created on the remains of the Tsarist Empire at the turn of the century the Soviet Union was the largest nation geographically until a few days ago. The very bloody experiment of communism has died in the land where Lenin first introduced it. It was a chapter as black in the annals of human history as the Hitler era.
The world can now hope to start a new age of hope mutual faith and co-operation in bringing about lasting peace. In this it must focus on the pseudo democracy of India and bring pressure upon it so that it too follows the Russian example peacefully.
It cannot indefinitely force unwilling partners to stay together at the cost of starving its hungry millions. It needs to take stock of the situation and see the parallels the Soviet model has to offer. The excessive military spending is bleeding India to death.
But the spirit of the people struggling for independence is growing stronger.
Mikhail Gorbachev is hanging on by a mere fingernail despite his dramatic comeback last week after the failed Soviet coup. The Baltic states of Estonia Latvia and Lithuania who began their march to freedom a mere year ago are almost there with many western nations recognizing their sovereignty. At one time or another atleast 10 of the 15 Republics has voiced their desire for autonomy if not outright independence.
Gorbachev was warning of impending catastrophe and that he would resign unless the Soviet Union’s splintering republics retain military and economic ties.
Even as he spoke his audience made up of Romanians in the republic of Moldavia followed the Baltic States Ukraine and Byelorussia in declaring independence.
Shouting to be heard Gorbachev said the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse and if it does it would be a “catastrophe’’. But he said that he was willing to settle for a two-tiered union economic and military alliance of all the 15 republics and a political union of only some of them. If he failed to keep some form of unity he would leave. At best Gorbachev can hope for a loose confederation on the lines of the European Economic Community. Even in this he will be granting the most cherished dream of independence to over 200 million people.
The question is no longer of struggles to keep a forced union as the President conceded that the republics have a constitutional right to secede. He appealed to them to do it in an orderly fashion. He said “we have to be responsible not emotional about this we can’t let passion prevail over reason”.
Gorbachev has already negotiated an agreement with Yeltsin and Presidents of Kirgizia and Kazakhstan.
Predictably there is concern in India. Their only ally is not only disintegrating peacefully and almost disappearing as a power to reckon with it is setting an example a precedent. India sorely needs to follow after examining the needs of its people.
The world must bring pressure to bear on the repressive and murderous regime in India to let its minorities desiring to leave the union to secede peacefully. Not so much damage has been done thus for which cannot with some effort be undone and forgotten.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 30, 1991
