Reflecting on the collapse of the Soviet Union, we delve into lessons for a unified India. Explore the vision of “Greater India” — a mosaic of nations united by common aspirations.

THE COLLAPSE OF the Soviet Union in 1991 may have faded from memory for many, but it holds an important significance and relevance to the topic of this article, so I will begin with it.

As is well known, after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, the Soviet Union was created in 1922 as a Union of 15 Republics. The idea was that in such a Union, all Republics would mutually benefit economically and be in a better position to face external dangers. This idea proved to be correct.

At that time, the Russian Republic was the most industrialized and technically advanced among all other nationalities in the Soviet Union. But instead of taking advantage of this and exploiting the weaknesses of the non-Russian Republics, the Russians gave them all technical help and expertise to industrialize and develop.

Russian engineers and scientists voluntarily used to go to the non-Russian Republics and train people there in scientific techniques. They set up engineering colleges there and taught there, living the same way as local people, often in tents, and drawing the same small salaries.

The result was that a strong sense of comradeship developed between the Russian people, the leading nation in the USSR, and the non-Russian peoples because the latter realized that the former were their benefactors.

Consequently, when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, millions of non-Russian youths, e.g., from the Muslim Republics like Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, etc., went voluntarily to fight the Germans, and many gave their lives in the war.

The Russian leader Lenin insisted that in the Constitution of the Soviet Union, there must be a right given to all nationalities to secede from the USSR if they wish to because if, instead of being helped by the Russians, they began to be oppressed by them, they should not be forcibly kept within.

After the end of the war, the Russians became oppressors and exploiters of the non-Russians, instead of being their benefactors, and this was the main reason for the collapse and disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. This historical event holds an important lesson for India, which I will explain.

I use the term Greater India for my vision of a reunited India consisting of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (and also any other neighboring countries which may voluntarily wish to join us).

Greater India is a nation, as I will presently explain, but it has several sub-nationalities too, e.g., Punjabis, Pakhtoons, Sindhis, Baloch, Bengalis, Kashmiris, Marathas, Tamils, Odias, Nagas, etc.

Most of the people living in these sub-nationalities are poor, having huge problems of unemployment, malnutrition, price rise, lack of proper healthcare, and good education, etc. It is, therefore, in the mutual interest of all these sub-nationalities to join hands and help each other instead of fighting each other in the name of religion, caste, race, or language (as our enemies want us to do) like fools.

Does Greater India have anything in common, any common culture? How can we be united if there is nothing common among us? Are we really one nation?

I have explained that Greater India is broadly a country of immigrants, like North America, with over 92% of its people descendants of immigrants (who came mainly from the northwest, though some came from the northeast too). They migrated here seeking comfortable lives.

These immigrants brought their own cultures, religions, languages, etc., which explain the tremendous diversity of India.

With the passage of time and by the intermingling of these immigrants, a common culture emerged in India, which I have called the ‘Sanskrit-Urdu culture’, and which I have explained here.

Hindustani (simple Hindi) also unites us, as explained here.

So, broadly, we are one nation, but within us, there are several sub-nationalities. What unites us is not only our common Sanskrit Urdu culture but also the intense desire of our masses to get rid of the curse of massive poverty and unemployment.

Appalling levels of child malnourishment persist; according to the Global Hunger Index, every second child in India is malnourished. Additionally, there is an almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for our masses.

Skyrocketing price rises of food and other essential commodities further exacerbate the challenges we face.

We can abolish these great evils which have plagued us for long only if we unite and launch a mighty historical struggle for our socio-economic emancipation, and not fight each other like fools.

Our sub-nationalities will remain in Greater India as long as they are not oppressed by others, but if they are, they must have the right to secede, as Lenin envisaged.

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