India - Andrew North Demands for a referendum persist in Kashmir, but the chances of it happening are remote India's foreign minister didn't know Scotland was considering divorce, until an aide whispered in her ear. A more pressing concern for some Indians was what it meant for the price of Scotch. There's also been some schadenfreudein the air, watching their former colonial master prepare to "partition" itself. For many, the idea that the UK was about to give away some of its territory voluntarily - and because the British prime minister himself had allowed a vote - was hard to comprehend. And if the Scots had voted "Yes", it would have set an uncomfortable precedent in Kashmir. India has never carried out its 1948 promise to hold a referendum there, and Kashmiris were quick to make the comparison with the Scots getting a vote. So it's not surprising Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's initial reaction to the idea the UK could break up was "God forbid". It would have just made things too complicated. |
印度 ——安德鲁·诺斯(Andrew North) 克什米尔(Kashmir)一直在寻求独立,但它独立的机会十分渺茫。 直到助手在耳边低声告知,印度外长才了解到苏格兰打算进行独立公投。而一些印度的民众更关心此事对苏格兰威士忌的价格所产生的影响。 对于自己的前殖民主要“分裂”,一些印度民众对此有些幸灾乐祸。 而对许多人来说,英国志愿放弃自己的领土以及英国首相允许进行独立公投令人难以理解。 如果苏格兰成功独立,这无疑会让克什米尔人如鲠在喉。印度从未践行其在1948年对克什米尔的承诺——允许克什米尔进行独立公投。克什米尔人很快将把自已与获得选票的苏格兰人进行对比。 所以这也不奇怪为什么当印度外长苏什马•斯瓦拉杰(Sushma Swaraj)听到英国可能会分裂说法时,会认为这是“上帝不允许的”。
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