Jahangirlu: A Harsh Response to the Catalonia Crisis Will Have Catastrophic Consequences

Ramin Jahangirlu writes in an article on the 'Wire' website about the Catalonia crisis, stating, 'Separation between nations can be painful, but if done democratically, it can lead to peaceful coexistence.' Last week, the Catalan parliament voted for the separation of this region from the central government of Spain. Although this vote led to the dissolution of the regional government by the Prime Minister of Spain, it is expected that discussions regarding Catalonia's separation from Spain will not end soon, even with early elections that both sides seem to agree on. Ramin Jahangirlu, a philosopher and head of the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Center at Jindal Global University in India, likens this separation to a divorce that 'like any other divorce is hard and sometimes repulsive and destructive for both parties.' However, 'like all cases of separation, both parties have a legal right to dissolve the marriage, especially if there is no love or affection left for the other party.' According to Jahangirlu, most people in Catalonia, especially the younger generation, feel this way about the central government of Spain. They believe that the love and affection between the two sides have disappeared. 'The Spanish government can declare these people lawbreakers, arrest them, imprison them, and even execute them, but this will not solve the problem of Catalonia.' Jahangirlu believes that the 'Catalonia problem' is not about who wins or loses this contest. Rather, it relates to a larger dream that has existed in the minds of the Catalan people since 1922, the year Francesc Macià founded the political party of the Catalan state. Jahangirlu points to another important issue regarding Catalan identity. The government of General Franco (1933-1975) prohibited speaking the Catalan language for the people of this region, a measure that was ignored by over 75% of the people. Jahangirlu argues that the Catalans chanting 'Catalonia for Catalans' is a natural reaction to Franco's dictatorship. However, Mariano Rajoy, the Prime Minister of Spain, intends to prevent Catalonia's independence at all costs. Jahangirlu believes that the consequences of this decision for Rajoy's government, Catalonia, and ultimately Europe will be catastrophic. 'What many politicians today, including Rajoy, Erdoğan, and Putin, do not realize is that you cannot force people to accept their form of government. According to Spinoza, 'No individual completely surrenders their natural rights to a government that cannot allow them to have a say in the future.' Rather, individuals grant their natural rights to the society of which they are a part.' Jahangirlu states, 'In democratic societies, obedience to laws does not mean that individuals are slaves to the government. They will continue to obey the government as long as it represents the happiness and interests of the whole society. This means that the government cannot demand that people abandon their culture to maintain civil unity just because the law says so. This is where democratic laws must support the rights of every citizen or group - as long as it is logically correct. Rajoy's government has so far shown that its intention is to use the argument of force in exchange for the argument of reason and logic for forced unity among different parts of the country instead of accepting the mindset of political pluralism. But why? Jahangirlu believes the answer is simple: the Prime Minister of Spain must continuously assure the king, the political parties of this country, the people of Spain, and the members of the European Union that he is capable of maintaining the integrity of the country and keeping power by establishing order within the country. However, forcing the Catalan government to remain within the borders of Spain is not very compatible with the tradition of European liberalism. According to Jahangirlu, the European tradition derived from thinkers like Spinoza obliges the government to enhance the people's capacity to strengthen their mental and physical powers in a safe space and encourages them to use their rational power freely. The government is also obliged to prevent conflict and hatred, anger, and distrust among people. Jahangirlu continues that the cries of the people of Catalonia today are because they feel that their legitimate rights regarding their land have been ignored and someone has intruded into their home. According to this philosopher, the question of the people of Catalonia is what they can do if this (central power) does not interfere in their affairs. However, the wrong answer that the Spanish government is currently giving them is: 'We are the controlling source that determines what you should do and what you should be.' Ramin Jahangirlu ultimately concludes that as long as European countries remain silent about what is taking shape and growing in Catalonia, they will not be able to see the existing reality beyond the legal discussions of the matter and will not be able to respond to the Catalans' civil and peaceful disobedience with democracy and discourse. Jahangirlu believes that it has been 25 years since Slovakia's separation from the Czech Republic. Like any divorce, this separation was difficult. However, today, both parties to this divorce are in a very good relationship that should be envied by all European countries. This is the legacy of a very democratic divorce. Finally, Ramin Jahangirlu states that the critical situation of Catalonia is best explained by Václav Havel, a philosopher and politician from the Czech Republic: 'The measure of power is determined by thousands of relationships between the world of the powerful and those who lack power. Because these two are never separated by a line. Everyone has a part of both within them.