The British retreated from the Indian subcontinent in 1947, and the emergence of two nations, largely defined by religion ensued. The largest mass migration in history followed, and the princely state of Kashmir which initially chose to remain neutral, ceded to India, thus commencing the single biggest dispute between the two nations. Both countries, since then, have tried to negotiate peace, but disturbances along the border have ensured a sustained diplomatic interlude, much against the interest of both States.

This year, the world keenly observed as a cricketer turned politician ascended to premiership with his promise to turn Pakistan into an ‘Islamic Welfare State’. However, many are sceptical, and fear the resurgence of the army and their domination of political affairs. In Christophe Jaffrelot’s words, Pakistan remains the paradox it was created to be, yet, in its resilience despite almost seven decades of political instability, it has become a nation that revels in being paradoxical. Will Imran Khan be a representative of the Paradox or will he resuscitate Pakistan into a democracy? With external and internal pressures, what are the contours of Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’? His government and the Indian counterpart have showed interest in resolving long standing issues with overtures being made for peace talks, not only from Islamabad but also from Rawalpindi. But how should India measure the earnestness of these overtures, especially against the backdrop of the incessant ceasefire violations in Kashmir? Are stabilized relations between the two countries a boon or a bane for China? Join us for a discussion with Christophe Jaffrelot, CNRS Senior Research Fellow, Sciences Po, and Rahul Pandita, Journalist and Author, moderated by Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist at Aditya Birla Group, as we discuss Pakistan’s new government and prospects of peace in the subcontinent.

Christophe Jaffrelot is a CNRS Senior Research Fellow in Political Science, at the Centre for International Studies (CERI) of Sciences Po. He teaches at Sciences Po in three different schools. He holds degrees from Sciences Po, Sorbonne University, EHESS and INALCO (National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilisations) and a Ph.D. in political science from Sciences Po. His areas of specialization are Indian and South Asian politics.

Rahul Pandita is a conflict reporter based in Delhi. He is the author of "Hello, Bastar: The untold story of India's Maoist movement", and "Our Moon has Blood Clots: A memoir of a lost home in Kashmir", and the co-author of "The Absent State: Insurgency as an excuse for misgovernance". He is the former Opinion and Special Stories Editor of The Hindu and currently works as deputy editor with Open magazine. He is a 2015 Yale World Fellow.

Ajit Ranade is Senior President and Chief Economist with the Aditya Birla Group. He is a board member of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, and chairs the Academic Council of Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics. He writes regularly in newspapers on economic, social and political topics. He is a co-founder and Trustee of the Association for Democratic Reforms, an NGO working in area of electoral and political reforms.

RSVP with an email to [email protected]