This August marks 75 years since Partition, the violent division of British India into the independent states of India and Pakistan. Millions were displaced in what was one of the largest mass migrations in history, while countless others lost their lives. Decades later, Partition’s impact continues to loom large in the two countries’ conceptions of identity, domestic politics, and foreign and security policies – driving their rivalry and fueling new tensions.
In this panel discussion, three experts on India-Pakistan relations will explore how Partition’s legacy continues to shape prospects for peace and security in the subcontinent, and what this means for future efforts to advance stability across the region. As part of this conversation, we are especially pleased to highlight a new book by Stimson South Asia program’s Non-Resident Fellow Christopher Clary, which details the history of Islamabad and New Delhi’s seven-decade rivalry and offers an explanation for its endurance and evolution over time.
Read the full event transcript here.
Featured Speakers
Pallavi Raghavan, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Ashoka University, and author of Animosity at Bay: An Alternative History of the India–Pakistan Relationship, 1947–1952
Christopher Clary, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University at Albany and author of The Difficult Politics of Peace: Rivalry in Modern South Asia
Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History, Tufts University, and author of The Pity of Partition: Manto’s Life, Times, and Work across the India-Pakistan Divide
Moderator
Elizabeth Threlkeld, Senior Fellow and Director, South Asia Program, Stimson Center