Pakistan: courting the abyss

Abstract

I would not normally read a book about Pakistan written by a former Indian diplomat for fear of bias. However, I knew Tilak Devasher when he was posted to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and was aware of his fascination with Pakistan and of his scholarship. Indeed, this is a thoughtful, meticulously researched and well-written work. It is certainly tough on Pakistan's failings and not quick to identify its strengths (like its vigorously free press and its remarkable resilience), but it is full of insights into Pakistan's bumpy journey since independence. Devasher is at his best when analysing the history of the Pakistan movement, why it succeeded and how it coloured the new nation-state. He places much emphasis on British assistance to the Muslim League and tells the remarkable story of how the Muslim community, ‘sullen’ (p. 5) after the defeat of the 1857 Mutiny, gradually recovered, partly due to changing from a Persian to an English educational system. The British helped through the 1871 Minto Resolution on Muslim Education, the 1875 founding of Aligarh University and eventually the establishment of the All India Muslim League in 1906. Yet, in spite of all this assistance, the All-India Muslim League performed poorly in the 1937 elections and, as late as 6 June 1946, Muhammad Jinnah, its leader, was still prepared to accept a united but federal India in place of Pakistan.