A largely Sunni Muslim people with its own language and culture, most Kurds live in the generally contiguous areas of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Syria – a mountainous region of southwest Asia generally known as Kurdistan (“Land of the Kurds”).
Before World War 1, traditional Kurdish life was nomadic, revolving around sheep and goat herding throughout the Mesopotamian plains and highlands of Turkey and Iran. The breakup of the Ottoman Empire after the war created a number of new nation-states, but not a separate Kurdistan. Kurds, no longer free to roam, were forced to abandon their seasonal migrations and traditional ways.
The Kurd pastoral nomadic largely Sunni Muslim tribe herding goats and sheep reside in the mountainous region bounded by Turkey in the north, Armenia in the northeast, Iran in the east, Iraq in the south and Syria in the west. They speak a dialect akin to Persian, and are disliked by Iranian Shias. They are not Arabs and thus much disliked by Iraq as well. Kurds are mostly bilingual or multilingual speaking their mother tongue along with the language of the countries they are subjugated. Estimated to be around 35-40 million, they mostly live in West Asia with a sizeable strength of about 20% in Western Turkey. The Kurdish Diaspora in the west, particularly in Germany and the neighbouring countries, pursue for Kurdistan greater autonomy to preserve their ethnic culture and social norms as getting independence from the clutches of Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, Iran and Syria. It is rather a difficult proposition in the given circumstances. Needless to say, many Kurds have lost their lives and families uprooted in their struggle and there is growing fear of the possibilities of disillusioned Kurds joining ISIS in pursuits of their independent homeland.
The breakup of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of numerous countries subjugated the Kurds. In 1920, by the Treaty of Sevres, Kurds were granted independence but that was rejected by then Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and ever since their rebellion is being crushed in Turkey. Iran and Iraq similarly crushed their uprisings for independence. With conflict in Iraq and Syria, the dreaded ISIS has captured vast a territory and Syrian Kurdish leaders are openly fighting Assad’s forces. This is duly supported by Russian air strikes and poised to launch offensive on Turkey. With the US air attacks on ISIS, Turkey was supported by the US air strikes on ISIS bases in Syria. It has been fighting its own Kurd insurgents and seeing Syrian Kurds as an enemy close by and has stated it would not let them cross the Euphrates River. So strategically, it is in the interest of Turkey to grant desired autonomy to Turkish Kurds or else ISIS supported by the united Kurdish rebels would play havoc in their country escalating to full-fledged war for independent Kurdistan. All Kurds spread over in Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, Iran and Syria now realize their strength lies in their coalition to carve Kurdistan with ISIS support. The steady flow of Kurdish refugees in Turkey is another lurking threat as many ISIS insurgents would find their active support.
Many western commentators misleadingly feel that the Kurdish problem is more akin to the one of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) between India and Pakistan. But there are endless dissimilarities in both as reiterated below.
The Kurdish problem existed since the Mesopotamian and Persian civilizations. While Kurds have been struggling for a sovereign homeland for over 7,000 years of history, the J&K problem sprung up after Pakistan was created by partitioning India in August of 1947. The J&K was part of undivided India & the Maharaja signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ with India. The Pakistani Army in the garb of raiders attacked J&K and the Maharaja requested for Indian help. On 1 January, 1949 the UN forced ceasefire was announced with 65% J&K with India and the rest under the illegal control of Pakistan.
J&K, as per international law, is constitutionally part of India with 25% as illegally Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) while 10% area of Gilgit handed over to China by its ally Pakistan. Kurdistan is an undefined area occupied by Kurds bounded by parts of Turkey, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria always hostile towards one another but all enemies of Kurds.
The entire 40 million or so population of Kurdistan is Sunni Muslims that includes 1 million or so Diaspora scattered in the US, EU and rest of the West Asian countries. J&K, with a population of 12.53 million, is the only Indian state with a Muslim majority, consisting of three regions namely Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, also called mini Tibet. While Kashmir has a Muslim majority, in Jammu and Ladakh, Hindus and Buddhists are in majority.
Large numbers of Brahmins and Hindus migrated from the Srinagar valley when Pakistan sponsored militancy was at its optimum. As peace and normalcy are prevailing, the democratically elected state governments from time to time have been prevailing on their return to their homes.
J&K is the core issue between secular India and Muslim Pakistan but the Kurdistan problem is essentially Muslim and various factions of Kurdistan’s surrounding countries. It is shocking that while the Organization of Islamic States (OIC) criticizes India over Kashmir to support its member Pakistan, it has never criticized all the member Muslim countries involved in the Muslim Kurdish problem.
J&K held by India is developing at a rapid pace along with its constitutional, democratic and secular credentials and institutions. These elements are not visible in POK or so-called Kurdistan.
While sovereign independent Kurdistan is a distinct dream and Kurds have resigned for greater autonomy in Turkey, J&K is an integral part and parcel of India.
Incidentally, while Turkey is a NATO ally and Pakistan a very close friend of the US, the US thus, has to keep them happy without annoying India. It is indeed a very awkward position for the superpower. In any case, India insists on bilaterally resolving its J&K and allied problems with Pakistan while in the case of the Kurds, the OIC, Russia, the US and the UN need to intervene to ensure Kurds surrounded by half a dozen Muslim but hostile countries in West Asia get their long due rights of a nation state.
Both areas are geo-strategically very sensitive. While there are half a dozen Muslim nations surrounding Kurds, Russia and the US are involved deeply combating in Syria for different strategic interests.
Both the J&K & Kurd problems, if not tackled amicably, could be flash points for a larger escalation of conflict, destabilizing world peace.
India needs to encourage Turkey to accept Kurds as part of its country and utilize this human resource along with peace and tranquility for its further economic development and nation building. It can also morally achieve ascendancy and be a role- model for other peripheral countries to resolve the Kurdish problem in their respective regions. Likewise, as a member of OIC and a friend of both India and Pakistan, Turkey can prevail on Pakistan to resolve all its issues with India amicably so that in South Asia, peace and tranquillity prevail and economic development accelerates.
