The path breaking decision of Canadian government related to Quebec province is an ideal example for nations witnessing separatists’ movements.
ON November 27, 2006, the Canada Parliament, House of Common passed a motion declaring “Quebecois a nation within a United Canada." The Canadian Parliaments vote acknowledges respect for diversity, triumph of Canadian nationalism and the values on which it is based. Solution of long pending Quebec problem provides an example for Indian leadership to resolve Kashmir dispute in the same manner. Kashmir faces the same problem that the predominantly French and Roman Catholic province of Quebec faced.
Quebec is a distinct society within Canada" which "includes its French-speaking majority, unique culture and civil law tradition. Similar is the case with India’s northern sate of Jammu and Kashmir which has Muslim dominated population with unique culture. Quebec had its own civil code based on the Code Napoleon, different from the law in the rest of Canada. There is no clamour in Canada for "a uniform civil code". It has its own Charter of Rights and Freedoms; collects its own income-tax; chooses its own immigrants; participates in the summits of Francophone countries; and is a member of the national delegation to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It negotiates directly with foreign states in certain areas and has its own TV network, Tele-Quebec.
Acknowledging respect for diversity the visionary leadership of Canada paved the way for declaration of Quebec as a nation within the nation but Indian leadership failed to find the proper solution of Kashmir crisis.
In Canada, Quebec was granted greater autonomy than it enjoyed under the Constitution. Kashmir was promised a plebiscite, as was Pakistan. This was recorded in United Nations resolutions. It was never held, because our policies ensured defeat in the plebiscite. The Government of Quebec held two referenda. Separatists lost both. On May 20, 1980, a proposal that was broadly for "sovereignty-association" (economically) was rejected by a 59.56 per cent vote. The supporters polled 40.44 per cent votes; 85.61 per cent of total voters participated. On October 30, 1995, a similar proposition was defeated by 50.58 per cent to 49.42 per cent; 93.52 per cent of the voters participated. What Indian leadership consider as "secessionists" or "separatists" are called "sovereignists" in Canada,
While Canada and Quebec has succeeded in resolving disputes mutually but Indian government committed blunder by taking bilateral issue to international forum (UN). A point to be noted is that government cannot survive through adherence to the law alone a political system must be capable of reflecting the aspirations of the people.
The formula put forth by the Canadian government enables Quebec to pursue policies responsive to the particular concerns and interests of people in that province, in the same way the alienation of Kashmir people can be best removed by accepting diversity within the Union of India in the liberal spirit that Canada has shown.
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