Born at midnight, fated never to see the sunshine of amity. That, to some, is the India-Pakistan story. Whether it is Kashmir or the nuclear issue or the cricket field, the two seldom seem to agree. A shared culture has ever divided, never united. The subcontinental twins went to war within months of becoming independent. Over the following half-century, they’ve fought three other wars, clashed at the United Nations and in every conceivable global forum. Today, a nuclearised South Asia is seen as among the world’s most dangerous places. Like the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, the Indo-Pakistani rivalry is a legacy of history. It’s roots lie in the Muslim separatist movement of the 1930s and, indeed, can probably be traced back further to the 17 century battle of succession between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb. It is a complex conflict, with religious and territorial angles, with two diametrically opposed views of nationhood and national imagination. As a conundrum confronting the still young 21 century the India-Pakistan equation has few equals.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.N. Dixit
J.N. Dixit, former Foreign Secretary of India, is one of the most distinguished members of the Indian Foreign Service. Born in 1936 and educated at Delhi, he joined the diplomatic service in 1958. He served in different capacities at home and in Indian embassies in different countries for 36 years before retiring as Foreign Secretary of India in 1994. Dixit is somewhat unique amongst his colleagues as, after retirement, he emerged as one of the most thoughtful and analytical political columnists in India, writing in major leading Indian and foreign newspapers. He authored six books in six years after his retirement in 1994, dealing with his assignments in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where he served as Ambassador. This is his 7th book which is a collection of the more important articles on foreign affairs and international relations, in addition to commentaries and essays on contemporary developments, the world over, over the last 5/6 years. This volume forms relevant reference material for scholars and academics in general and for those, interested in Indian foreign policy, in particular.
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