All Things Policy Beyond Borders: Partition, Identity, and the India-Pakistan Entanglement
Aug 14, 2025
Join Atul Mishra, an esteemed academic and author of 'The Sovereign Lives of India and Pakistan,' as he delves into the intricate relations between India and Pakistan. He discusses how the shadow of Partition still influences their national identities. The conversation explores the dynamics of identity politics, the impact of colonial history, and the vulnerabilities of minority communities. Mishra also highlights possible pathways for reconciliation and regional integration, inviting listeners to rethink the narratives that shape this enduring entanglement.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Identity Explains The Rivalry
- Identity and power both shape India-Pakistan conflict, but identity offers deeper explanatory power than mere geopolitics.
- Identity conflicts evolved across three historical stages from 1880s politicization to irreconcilable post-Partition identities.
Geopolitics Misses Cultural Causality
- Geopolitical analysis misses cultural and identity drivers that actively shape state behaviour between India and Pakistan.
- Atul Mishra argues societies and community dynamics are causal, not peripheral, to bilateral tensions.
1880s Census Made Politics Of Difference
- The 1880s census and rising demands for self-government politicized majority/minority categories across the subcontinent.
- This official categorization transformed local identities into continental-scale political actors, seeding Partition-era logic.
