Pakistan: Seven Decades On
MUMBAI, August 19, 2015 - At the Hall of Culture, Nehru Centre, the Asia Society India Centre hosted a lively discussion on Pakistan and its paradoxes with Christophe Jaffrelot, Research Director, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Jayant Prasad, Advisor, Foreign Policy Programs, Delhi Policy Group and senior journalist Meena Menon.
Jaffrelot began the evening by delivering an opening address that outlined the three syndromes making Pakistan "unstable". Referring to the immense work undertaken in his book, 'The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience', he identified these key tensions; the first, generated by the creation of a singular nation-state from a land of provinces with diverse ethnic groups; second, the tension that arises between an authoritarian political regime; and third, the issues that arise as a result of competing contours of Islam.
Menon steered the panel through the breadth of Pakistan's political problems in a salient conversation, while Prasad offered measured and thoughtful insight into the inner-workings of the army and the government, drawing on his wealth of experience as a former ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria and Nepal. With regard to the conflicts of democracy, Jaffrelot contended that "there was never real democracy in Pakistan" going on to paint a picture of the contemporary political environment in Pakistan, one which he suggests often operates "behind a façade of democracy".
Prasad addressed the popular perception of Pakistan in India, suggesting "Pakistan is in fact resilient despite the fashionable view in India that it is a dying nation. But indeed, it has a tough road ahead".
Though Pakistan's problems seem many, the panel was cautiously optimistic, agreeing that the nation has the ability to be resilient and to ultimately overcome.
Video: Watch the complete programme (1 hr., 35 min.)
Reported by: Lauren Bettridge, Intern, Asia Society India Centre.
Outreach Partners: