In the article, Kashmir: A Free Way to Peace, (Business Standard, Aug 5), it was suggested that perhaps the only genuine peace possibility rests with India honouring its own 53 years old proposal of a plebiscite in the Vale of Kashmir (both the India and Pakistan controlled areas and excluding Jammu and Ladakh). The suggestion of a referendum raises hackles across the political, national, and religious divide. That it does so is natural, but it does not detract from the necessity of a referendum to end the war, the suffering, the conflict.

But it is tragic and unfortunate that the sub-continent should face a third partition in just fifty years - and with Jaffna looming large, perhaps a fourth partition. These religious divides bring into question the very basis of the Indian identity - its belief in democracy, secularism, and in, well, being Hindustani.

But this questioning is mostly for academics and arm chair psychiatrists. As captured by the song Mera Joota hai Japani some forty years ago, and most recently by the brilliant lyrics of Javed Akhtar's Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani, the raw essence of being Indian is, well...

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jani, ulti seedhi jaisi bhi hai apni yehi kahani Thodi hum me hoshyari hai thodi hai nadani, thodi ham me sachai hai thodi beimani.

Today, being Indian means something different than the belief prior to the first partition in 1947. There is no other country in the world with the heterogeneity in cultures, languages, and religions - and there never has been. And as with everything else in India, the scale is huge. It is as if Europe embarked on a journey as one nation fifty years ago. Even that would not be at all comparable because 99 percent of the European population belongs to one religion. US, China, Indonesia and Brazil are the other large population countries. There is more heterogeneity in most states in India than in any of these regions, perhaps excluding the US. (Of all the countries, the diversity in the US is the most comparable to India, a fact that should provide a strong bond between the two countries).

Being Indian means being committed to secularism, despite the fact that the 1947 Partition reflected religious differences. Indian Muslims had the chance to leave for a theocratic state but excluding East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) more Muslims elected to stay in secular, albeit Hindu dominated, India than join a Muslim Pakistan. And while Muslims, like other Indians, have chosen to migrate to greener pastures in the West, particularly America, precious few have opted for Pakistan, post Partition.

That religious bonds are overrated was illustrated by the partition of Pakistan in 1971. Geography, culture and language are much more important than religion, or at least that is what humanity would like to believe, and what Indians are committed to.

There was an additional, unique, and unfortunate, component of diversity that India inherited from its Hindu dominated past - the caste system. Being Indian meant a pledge to eradicate the discriminatory evils of the caste system - and the offer of equality of opportunity to all its citizens, regardless of caste, color, creed, sex, religion, or income status.

Thode anari hain thode khiladi, ruk-ruk ke chalti hai apni gaadi Hamein pyar chahiye aur kuch paise bhi, hum aise bhi hain hum hain waise bhi

But India has not done well by its minorities, or those belonging to the lower caste. It has done better for the poor, especially in the last 10 years by finally beginning to deliver on its considerable economic potential. But the rhetoric in India, whether on protection of minorities, or on garibi hatao, has always been politically correct. It is another, and sad, story that political correctness has not meant economic correctness, and Indians have suffered immensely, and enough, for such fundamental mistakes. We have also made mistakes in the political field - witness the disastrous policy of special status for regions, or the Emergency, or.. Actually, the list of political mistakes is small, and being Indian is making only a few political mistakes, and learning from such grievous errors. Being Indian is voting with our hearts and minds for our political leaders even though most have not deserved either our respect, or our vote. Several have also voted with their feet, and migrated to environments where caste discrimination is less, where individual worth is honored, where entrepreneurs are allowed to flourish, and where (Indian) cherished ideals of individual voice is held in respect, not in contempt. Migration has been towards environments where state induced corruption is less, and not co- incidentally, economic freedom is correspondingly more. These individuals may never return, and they have good reasons not to. But what propels them to leave Indian shores is the search for values that we hold in the highest esteem, and values that are, well, very human. Not too many Chinese (and there are 1300 million such) have any rights, either with their minds or their feet. And not too many Malaysians have the right to be critical of their government. There are differences in freedom, and Indians believe in, and have, non-economic freedom of the maximum kind. And genuine efforts are underway to bring about more economic freedom, and genuine equality of opportunity.

Aankhon mein kuch aansu hain kuch sapne hain, aansu aur sapne dono hi apne hain Dil dukha hai lekin toota to nahin hain, umeed ka daaman chuta to nahi hain

What will the Kashmiris choose if the much promised Indian referendum is allowed? Will they choose independence, join Pakistan or remain with India? It shouldn't matter, and it does not matter. As long as genuine freedom of choice prevails. Most Indians "fear" that Kashmir will choose Pakistan in a plebiscite. This choice appears highly unlikely and will be against history. The Pakistani economy, and its polity, are in terrible shape; they share India's history prior to 1947, but not Indian values. They are theocratic, not secular; a military dictatorship, not a democracy; a commitment to a jehad, not a commitment to a war on poverty; a closed society, not an open one; a moribund economy, not a robustly expanding one; and an economy that cannot offer Kashmiris the subsidies they have become accustomed too.

Being Indian means being prepared for the possible eventuality that Kashmir will go its own way. And when they want to be part of India a decade hence, being Indian means welcoming them with open arms.

Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jani, jitna bhi tum samajho ge utni hogi hairani

Thodi tutu main main hai aur thodi khichatani,hum me kafi baatein hain jo lagti hain deewani