Pakistan, Bangladesh and core identity questions

The Hindu Editorial Analysis
8 May 2025

Pakistan, Bangladesh and core identity questions

(Source – The Hindu, National Edition – Page No. – 08)

Topic: GS 2: International Relations | India and its Neighborhood | Post-Colonial Nation Building | Ideological Nationalism and State Identity

Context

• Two recent developments have reignited debate about Pakistan’s national identity and its persistent reliance on the two-nation theory:
  1. Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Asim Munir, restated the ideological foundation of Pakistan as being “fundamentally different” from Hindus.
  2. Bangladesh’s public demand for Pakistan’s apology over 1971 war atrocities has renewed discussions around memory, justice, and national self-definition.

Introduction

In South Asia, history is not just remembered—it is often weaponized.
Pakistan’s recurring invocation of the two-nation theory, alongside Bangladesh’s struggles with its past, reveals deeper insecurities and unresolved identity crises.
This editorial explores how historical memory, religious identity, and regional politics continue to shape contemporary Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Two-Nation Theory and Its Aftershocks

1. Revival and Reinforcement in Pakistan

• Gen. Munir claimed Pakistanis are “fundamentally different from Hindus” by tradition and culture, echoing Jinnah’s founding ideology.
• This assertion reflects a deliberate ideological reset, rooted in a desire to reaffirm Pakistan’s uniqueness and justify state policies.

2. The Theory’s Inadequacy and Limitations

• Critics argue that the two-nation theory, while instrumental in Partition, is now intellectually bankrupt and politically dangerous.
• It oversimplifies South Asia’s diversity, reinforces sectarianism, and alienates minorities like Baloch, Bengalis, and Ahmadis.

Bangladesh: Between Memory and Realpolitik

1. Strained Reconciliation with Pakistan

• Bangladesh’s recent demand for an apology from Pakistan for the 1971 genocide was described as a rare historical reckoning.
• However, Pakistan’s silence and strategic indifference suggest an attempt to rewrite or ignore history.

2. The Costs of Amnesia

• Failing to acknowledge past atrocities hampers regional healing and denies victims their due justice.
• Bangladesh’s position is complicated by internal divisions, with some political factions advocating rapprochement with Pakistan.

Ideology, Identity, and Domestic Fragility

1. Sectarianism and Authoritarianism in Pakistan

• The repeated invocation of religious difference has enabled internal repression—in Balochistan, against Shia minorities, and dissenters.
• Pakistan’s political model often swings between military dominance and weak democratic facades, using ideology as a unifying (but exclusionary) force.

2. Challenges for National Cohesion

• Without pluralism and introspection, Pakistan risks remaining trapped in ideological nostalgia, unable to craft a modern identity rooted in democratic and inclusive values.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s persistent reliance on the two-nation theory reflects not confidence but deep ideological insecurity.
As long as the state avoids confronting its past—whether 1971 in Bangladesh or internal ethnic suppression—it cannot truly reconcile with its neighbors or itself.

For South Asia to move forward, memory must not be manipulated, and history must not be used to justify exclusion.
True stability requires truth-telling, regional empathy, and a willingness to embrace diversity—not deny it.

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