India and Pakistan
Neighbours At Odds
Avtar Singh Bhasin
Bloomsbury
538 pages; Rs 599
This study is a detailed record of India and Pakistan’s conflict-ridden relations for the past 70 years. Every major or minor event has been presented chronologically, stretching from Jawaharlal Nehru’s time to Manmohan Singh's. It is fitting that the first 13 of the 34 chapters have been devoted to the policies, decisions and actions of India’s first prime minister (1947-1964); he had to grapple with the legacy of partition and the challenges of statecraft confronting the new state of India.
The author has correctly contextualised the origin of India-Pakistan antagonism
