The (failing?) State of Pakistan

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In an Editorial today (Curb this vindictive hype!), the respected Pakistani newspaper (The Daily Times) states that "The state doesn't have the ability to impose its writ on more than half the territory, and areas under normal administration also are fast slipping into the zone of "ungoverned spaces"."

Being from India, I have always felt a remorse about the Partition, and sadness for the violence it entailed.

I have always felt that an undivided India would have been stronger, with little chances of 'nationalistic' parties of either Hindus or Muslims gaining traction, because Muslims would have made up about 30% of the population, diluting the present Hindu majority of over 80%.

In addition, there would have been Muslims of all classes, rather than just the uneducated and impoverished lot that form the majority of Muslims in India today.

I remember visiting and having dinner with the uncle of a classmate in Srinagar, when I was 19, who said this about the war of 1948 : "Nehru (the first Prime Minister of independent India) was no fool. He was from Kashmir and know it well. The land north-west of the LOC (in Pakistani control) was not worth keeping."

I wonder if Nehru's foresight extended to the possibility of Partition in 1947, realizing that western-most areas of a new country would be hard to control.

A failed state before 9/11, Pakistan seems to be on the verge of failing again, if it hasn't already.

Military rule for over half its existence of 60 years, Talibanization of the state, a Kalashnikov culture, lack of democratic institutions, a continual identity crisis, the ability of people like A.Q.Khan to rise and thrive, and the influence of the military intelligence agency (ISI) creating a 'state-within-a-state' are only a few examples of the state of affairs in current day Pakistan.

On reflection, I sometimes feel that Partition may have not been so bad, after all, for India. What it has to worry about now is Pakistan imploding into chaos. I hope that never happens, but then, there's a Murphy's Law.

To Pakistan's founder, Jinnah, all I can say is: If you wish for something very bad, you may actually get it.

To our Administration, I must offer a warning: If you deal with dirt, your hands will get dirty.