A Question of India

Xen

Banned
I was reading up on India a little bit, and I was thinking, in a world where World War II and the Cold War does not occur, is it possible that India breaks up into several different independent states? Perhaps this is the way the British decide to decolonialize India?

I was just wondering! I dont think a united India in inevitable, but is a "Balkanized" likely instead? Any help anybody can give would be appreciated
 
I was reading up on India a little bit, and I was thinking, in a world where World War II and the Cold War does not occur, is it possible that India breaks up into several different independent states? Perhaps this is the way the British decide to decolonialize India?

I was just wondering! I dont think a united India in inevitable, but is a "Balkanized" likely instead? Any help anybody can give would be appreciated

Well, it already did, since British India included Pakistan...:p

But yes, India wasnt exactly a monolithic whole, and its quite feasable to break it into a number of states. Even some which might have decided not to be independant..!
 
The entirety of Bengal (both Bangladesh and the Indian province of West Bengal) could have become a unified, independent republic. It had a very mixed population in terms of religion, but was nearly homogenous in ethnicity (over 90% Bengali), which is why partitioning it was monumentally idiotic - millions of Bengali Hindus lived in supposedly Bengali Muslim majority areas, and vice-versa. Just prevent the 1905 administrative partition of the province and its well on its way to becoming an independent state. Subhas Chandra Bose could even become the first president, and the government would use Bengali nationalism to reduce religious discord.

Unfortunately, I think an independent Sikh state is just not feasible. They don't have the numbers and are not concentrated enough in any areas - they weren't even a majority in Punjab province.

I'm sure a viable South Indian state could be established, probably along socialist lines. Any such state would become fairly developed and wealthy due to its high education levels and lack of overpopulation.
 
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