Interpreting the legacy of partition in the subcontinent: Indian and Pakistani perspectives

Authors

  • Shantanu Chakrabarti University of Calcutta, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.13.2016.40.03

Keywords:

Partition, India, Pakistan, ethnicity, security, communalism, South Asia, imperialism, conflict

Abstract

The twentieth century partitions, it has been argued, have been essentially the by‑products of three interlinked global developments: (a) decolonisation; (b) democratisation and the (c) Cold War dynamics. The partition of the Indian subcontinent, in particular, bore the imprint of the maelstrom produced by the intertwining of these three forces. The process of partition in South Asia did not only involve simple division and reorganisation of territories but was accompanied by devolution and indigenisation of political institutions and governance, placing partition at the heart of the process of nation‑state formation. In this sense, the longue duree process of the partitioning of the subcontinent has continued to cast its long shadow over the nation‑building process leading to internal discrepancies and the development of regional dynamics, often competitive and conflictual in nature.

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Author Biography

  • Shantanu Chakrabarti, University of Calcutta, India

    Is currently a Professor in the Dept. of History, University of Calcutta, India. He also holds the honorary position of the Conven-or, Academic Committee, Institute of Foreign Policy Studies, University of Calcutta. He was formerly a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India. His current research interests include: South Asian regional dynamics and Indian foreign policy making; privatisation of security and comprehensive security agenda in Asia.

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Published

05-02-2016

How to Cite

“Interpreting the Legacy of Partition in the Subcontinent: Indian and Pakistani Perspectives”. 2016. Politeja 13 (1 (40): 21-29. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.13.2016.40.03.

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