The reciprocated expulsions of Indian and Pakistani diplomats from each other´s capitals in February followed months of key political developments in both countries. Pakistan has returned to some form of formal democracy, however flawed, and the religious right in India has made more worrying gains at the ballot box. But it seems that nothing has changed in the countries' steadily deteriorating ties.
Given this state of affairs, where invective and distrust characterise bilateral relations, it is worth pausing for a moment to remind those in power in both countries that they will only do as well as their relationship with the other country. The India and Pakistan of today have been shaped more by their mutual relationship than any other single factor. This relationship has been sour at best, and hateful at worst. But it is this relationship that will determine to what extent any force in Indian or Pakistani politics – be it the military, the religious right, or maybe even the people – is successful.
Contemplating differences
There is no doubting that the post-partition histories of India and Pakistan are different. India associated itself with state socialism for much of its early existence, developing closer ties with the Soviet Union, while Pakistan has tagged along with the United States for the most part, even if Islamabad has been much more fickle in its political leanings. External and internal factors have contributed to India's relatively robust electoral democracy, while external and internal factors have also contributed to Pakistan's love affair with military dictatorship.
Today in India, the urban middle class is expanding rapidly. Indian society is more open than Pakistani society, in spite of the fact that religious parochialism has gained much ground in India's electoral sphere. India's economy faces far fewer structural problems than does Pakistan's, and is far less dependent on foreign money or dictation. India is also more consumerist, a perfect market for multinational capital, and therefore in some ways much more closely knit to the capitalist world economy.