THOUGHTS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN: TO 70 YEARS OF 2 STATES’ INDEPENDENCE

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  O. Bordilovska

Abstract

The paper deals with the most common issues of political and economic history, security challenges, bilateral relations of two biggest states in South Asia, India and Pakistan. The article is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of independence, since 1947 partition of British India gave the chance to both of the states to create a new story. The author presents her own understanding of the specifics and paradoxes of the history of India and Pakistan, with the special attention to the most interesting facts and processes, starting with the very beginning – the celebration of Independence Day – August 14 in Pakistan and August 15 in India. This symbolic fact has provided a long history of complicated bilateral relations, full of entrust and enmity, up to the open military conflicts between the two. The communal hostage and religion-based riots created one of the most severe situation in the world’s history, with millions killed and millions people shifted. Not only states, provinces and villages, but families have been divided because of the “two nations’ theory”. While Pakistani leaders and citizens of the new state celebrated the event with large scale euphoria, Indian politicians were full of skeptics, with the hopes that Pakistan is nor forever and that India should be once reunited. At the same time, as the author points out, it is not such an easy job – to divide the common history. One of the paradoxes is that many famous historical places, like the oldest Indus river civilization towns Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are in Pakistan now, not in India. One more paradox – born in New-Delhi Pervez Musharraf became the President of Pakistan, while born in Peshavar Manmohan Singh – Prime-Minister of India. So, many new myths and documents were needed for the new nations identities, many problems are still here to be solved, and the author makes the conclusion, that with the new generations India and Pakistan may finally start a real neighborhood and collaboration.

How to Cite

Bordilovska, O. (2017). THOUGHTS ON INDIA AND PAKISTAN: TO 70 YEARS OF 2 STATES’ INDEPENDENCE. The World of the Orient, (3 (96), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.15407/orientw2017.03.005
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