Author: Ira Pande
Several Contributors/
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 380
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788172238360
Description
At a time when India and Pakistan are both reeling under terror attacks and hysterical talk of an impending war, it is important to take stock of where we have reached, individually and as part of the Indian subcontinent; sixty years after the two nations were carved out as two distinct entities.
This volume of essays by writers from both sides of the border attempts to do just that. As the editor, Ira Pande, says in her introduction, 'There is a balance here between the 'hard' topics (politics, economy, diplomacy, religion et al) and 'soft' (music, crafts, language, cricket, and cinema) to bring out the full range of our engagement with each other.'
The historical swamp that is Urdu, the strategic wilderness of the Rann of Kutch, the complex manoeuvrings of nuclear politics, the emotional rollercoaster of encounters experienced and relived, the difficulty of reconciling the idea of Pakistan with the importance accorded to pluralism within India-every single essay in this collection examines an aspect of the India-Pakistan experience with a clear and unflinching gaze.
Lived experience, shared concerns, food and travel, nostalgia and analysis, and an extraordinary selection of previously unpublished photographs from the ‘40s and 50s’ make this an unusual compilation on the subject of two nations forever in love and hate with each other.
CONTRIBUTORS
Ashutosh Varshney
Arvind Sharma
Swapan Dasgupta
U.C. Dubey
Philip Oldenburg
Ashok Malik
B.G. Verghese
Meghnad Desai
Prem Shankar Jha
Salman Haidar
C. Raja Mohan
Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy
Ajai Sahni
Mukul Kesavan
Ajoy Bose
Beena Baruah
Sonia Jabbar
Salima Hashmi
Yousuf Saeed
Laila Tyabji
Shiv Visvanathan
Alok Rai
Ira Pande
Kai Friese
Anonymous
Rehan Ansari
Madhu Purnima Kishwar
Urvashi Butalia
Sabeena Gadihoke
Nadeem Aslam
Sunil Sethi
Daniyal Mueenuddin
Kulwant Roy
Contents
KARAN SINGH
Preface
IRA PANDE
Introduction
1: THE DIVISION OF SPOILS
ASHUTOSH VARSHNEY
The Idea of Pakistan
ARVIND SHARMA
Founding Myths
SWAPAN DASGUPTA
A Tale of Two Democracies
MAJ. GENERAL U.C. DUBEY
Photo Essay: The Razmak Album
PHILIP OLDENBURG
Different Faiths, Divided States
ASHOK MALIK
Envy – and We
2: GROWING PAINS
B.G. VERGHESE
From Tragedy to Triumph
MEGHNAD DESAI
Twin Troubles
PREM SHANKAR JHA
Double Deadlock
SALMAN HAIDAR
Diplomatic Baggage
C. RAJA MOHAN
The Great Nuke Game
3: DARKENING SKIES
PERVEZ AMIRALI HOODBHOY
Towards Theocracy?
AJAI SAHNI
Encounters in a Nightmare
MUKUL KESAVAN
Bad Manners
AJOY BOSE
Portrait of a Nation
BEENA SARWAR
Media Matters
AMIT BARUAH
The Fourth Party
SONIA JABBAR
The Terrorist’s Story
4: CHAINS AND LINKS
SALIMA HASHMI
Photo Essay: Art on Edge
YOUSUF SAEED
Fled is that Music
LAILA TYABJI
Tandoori Chikan, Polyester Khadi
SHIV VISVANATHAN
Celebrating Manto
ALOK RAI
Longing for Urdu
IRA PANDE
Khanasutra
5: PERSONAL HISTORIES
KAI FRIESE
Mirrorland
ANONYMOUS
Shadow Speak
REHAN ANSARI
An Ordinary Nobody
MADHU PURNIMA KISHWAR
Messy Legacy
URVASHI BUTALIA
Unfinished Histories
SABEENA GADIHOKE
History in the Making
INTERVIEW
SUNIL SETHI
A Conversation with Nadeem Aslam
DANIYAL MUEENUDDIN
Nawabdin Electrician
CONTRIBUTORS