Abstract
Ever since the partition of Indian subcontinent in 1947, India and Pakistan have marched on
the path of mutual animosity. Both the countries are struggling to clear out their relation
clouded by the debris of partition. Not only are Indo-Pakistani relations tremendously
explosive, intertwined as they are with communal relations and internal power struggles in
both countries. With their inherently linked foreign policies, both countries have used the
Indo-Pak segregation to muster support of their conjugal hard-liners against each other. The
historic rivalry is further heightened by the efforts of the ruling government of both the
nations. They play an eminent role to ignite antagonistic feelings against each other to
suffice their agendas such as winning public support and to divert the attention of the
masses from real issues especially economic turbulences.
Hence, they have been both the victims and the perpetrators of violence and
extremism. With the advent of new governments in Pakistan and India headed by Prime
Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narinder Moudi, it seems that Indo-Pakistan relations might
turn a corner. Measures have been taken to move towards a less antagonistic and more
cooperative equilibrium; aiming to extinguish the decades old conflagration of mistrust and
animosity. Both nations are interested in strengthening trade ties, exchange of Most Favored
Nation (MFN) status, share gas and oil pipelines from Iran and Central Asia, and follow the
path of peace and conflict resolution. While this may not end the intractable rivalry between
India and Pakistan, it’s imperative for the stability and prosperity of both the regions that
opportunities for mutual cooperation be pursued further. Simultaneous conflict over
territory, national identity and power position in region, makes Indo-Pak rivalry an enduring
one. (Paul, 2005). Therefore, it might result in a yawning hiatus between rhetoric and
reality.
This paper will encompass four parts. Part one will present an in-depth view of the
theory of structuralism. Part two will highlight the history of the genesis of the rivalry
between India and Pakistan. Part three will focus on current relations of the two nations.
Part four will therein confer a conclusion, based on the relationship of the two countries.
Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi , Reena Abbasi, Tabassum Javed. (2015) Structuralism and the Indo-Pak Rivalry: Responsible PoliticoEconomic Factors and Policy Analysis, South Asian Studies, Volume 30, Issue 2.
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