Historian of South Asia have spent significant time and energy trying to understand the degree to which independence from the British actually constituted any sort of meaningful change. Continuities can be found in various forms: the Government of India Act, 1935, is the predecessor to both the Indian and the Pakistani constitutions; the permanent and largely unaccountable spectre of a centralised civil bureaucracy still controls key aspects of governance at local and higher tiers; and, more so in Pakistan’s case, the perennial strength of the military’s officer cadre in political decision-making.

There are, of course, significant disagreements: Some suggest that the idiom of democracy and fundamental rights that came with independence has changed how citizens view the state, what expectations they have from it, and how they engage with it.

But events of the past few months, as with many previous instances in the last 75 years, have shown that the case for colonial-era continuity is still very strong. It doesn’t matter what political views and aspirations people may have or how they are voiced. It doesn’t matter if law supports popular representation. The core principle of keeping power centralised, unaccountable, and hierarchical is still protected and enforced.

Read more here.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.