The referendum on Scotland and it has decided to stay under the Union Jack. British Prime Minister David Cameron was right when he said recently in an interview, “Whatever the result, we are a democracy. You have to respect the expression of people through ballot box.” And they voted to stay with Britain. Scotland can stake a claim to invention that transformed modern world it gave finest world famous whisky, surgical anesthesia, penicillin, television, telephone and even the flush toilet. With a population of five million it comprises 8 per cent of total UK population, has an area of 78,770 sq km which is 33 per cent of the total land and has a GDP per capita just under $40,000, which is higher than France. England-Scotland alliance began in 1707. British political leaders have been promising greater autonomy for Scotland if people decided to stay with the Union. At home the voices of autonomy had been raised in Kashmir. In Scotland it was the people who have decided to stay with the mainland Britain and not the politicians and in Kashmir it is politicians and separatists who have been crying for autonomy and when the State was in dire need of these messiahs during the recent floods they were not seen anywhere to protect the people. Observers in Srinagar will be penetrating to learn lessons from this Scottish referendum. And while there are many and surpassing differences between Scotland and Kashmir, if there is an eccentric Scotland afterwards, instance of a tiny partial of a absolute state violation divided will be many talked about. The democratic debate on autonomy that needs to be conducted in response to former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s challenge has a general as well as specific aspect. The general aspect relates to the question of what kind of nation India is and whether it must be developed along federal or unitary lines. Over years, pro-Kashmir supporters have protested opposite Indian order though it’s not clear, given a chance, how many people would opinion for independence. But will Scotland’s opinion make any disproportion to Kashmir is to be seen.
