POG india and pakistan

What is Baluchistan and why is it important?

Baluchistan is one of the regions in Pakistan. It makes up 4.5% of the population. It comprises almost 45% of the country and holds much of its natural gas and mineral wealth.

Why would the fact that East and West Pakistan were separated by India lead to the independence of East Pakistan (Bangladesh)?

The 2 sides only connection was Islam. There was nothing to keep them together, so it wasn't a surprise when East Pakistan rebelled against the dominance of west Pakistan. After much bloodshed east Pakistan became Bangladesh.

Why would Sikh and Christian groups want their independence from India?

They do not want to be controlled by a Muslim minority.

What important physical features does Marshall highlight about India/Pakistan?

They share a 1,900 mile long border

What is the "hammer and anvil" strategy?

They would hammer the afghan Taliban against the anvil of the Pakistani operation on the other side of the border.

Why does China want Tibet?

To prevent India from having it and prevent an independent Tibet allowing India to base military forces there, thus giving them the commanding heights.

How have American-NATO operations scattered extremists across the region?

When the soviets invaded Afghanistan, india gave diplomatic support to Moscow, but Pakistan was quick to help the Americans and saudis to arm, train, and pay for the mujahideen to fight in the red army.

What is a secular democracy? How has this made India's government more successful than Pakistan's?

A secular democracy is not related to religion or a church. This has made India more successful because they don't have minorities ruling over the majority and vice versa to make people angry.

What are Pakistan's Plans A and B as they relate to the Kashmir?

A- halt an Indian advance in the Punjab and possibly counterattack the border and cut off the Indian highway. B- fall back across the afghan border if necessary, and that requires a sympathetic government in Kabul

How many people migrated and even died during the partitioning of India in 1947? Why do you think the British refused to help both Pakistan and India during this process?

1 million people died and 15 million were displaced. The UK was dealing with its own issues, so they didn't want to take on the countries' problems.

What are the benefits of an India controlled Kashmir? What about a Pakistan controlled Kashmir? What would the Kashmiri people prefer?

Full control of Kashmir would give india a window into Central Asia and a border with Afghanistan, it would also deny Pakistan a border with china. If Pakistan had full control it would strengthen Islamabad's foreign policy options and deny india opportunities, it would also help secure Pakistan's water security. The Kashmiri people are in flavor of india.

Explain the meaning of Tim Marshall's quote at the beginning of the chapter, "India is not a nation, nor a country. It is a subcontinent of nationalities" by Muhammad Ali Jinnah

India has such a high population, with so many nationalities, that it makes it seem like it's own little continent

What holds Pakistan together?

Islam, cricket, the intelligence services, the military, and fear of india are what hold Pakistan together.

What is Pakistan's "natural in" with the Taliban in Afghanistan?

Most people in afghan are Pashtun, the same ethnicity as the majority of the Pakistanis of the north-west frontier. They have never thought of themselves as 2 people

What role did Pakistan play in the "War on Terror," specifically in Afghanistan?

Pakistan harbored and aided terrorists in commendation for its anti-terror efforts. The country has hosted millions of afghan refugees who fled the war in Afghanistan.

How does China's takeover of Tibet prove that Pakistan is weaker than India?

Pakistan is geographically, economically, demographically, and militarily weaker than india. It's national identity is also not as strong.

What actions have the United States taken to assure India that they're not "the new British, but with a different accent and more money?"

President Obama attended the 2015 Indian republic day military parade.

What does the acronym PAKISTAN stand for?

Punjab, afghani, Kashmir, Singh, tan.

What rivers were once home to ancient civilizations in South Asia? In what ways do these rivers continue to be population centers today?

The Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Indus. To this day the population centers are dotted along their banks, and the regions are very different from one another.

How has Pakistan reacted to the Pakistani Taliban?

The Pakistan government pretended it ruled the entire country, and the Pashtun of the north west frontier pretended they were loyal to the Pakistani state. This worked until September 11, 2001.

Why don't Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal pose a threat to India? Why does Pakistan?

The countries are very small and can never rise to threaten the area. Pakistan is a threat because it has mastered the technology of developing nuclear weapons.

What groups (and when) have invaded the Indian subcontinent?

The first Muslim invasion happened in the 7th century when the Arabs of the Umayyad caliphate made it as far as the Punjab in what is now Pakistan. From the 7th to the 18th century various invasions brought Islam to the subcontinent; east of the Indus River valley a majority of the Hindu population fought the conversion. The British came and went.

How did the 1947 British Partition affect the current day borders of the countries involved? How did it create a headache for all countries involved?

The forces of post continental nationalism and religious separatism broke the subcontinent in 2, and later into 3 major pieces: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It was exhausting for all the countries involved because riots broke out and different religions turned on one another. The British government refused pleas from the Indian and Pakistani leaders.

The linguistic and cultural diversity is partially due to the climate in the region, why would climate be a barrier? What other factory contribute to the cultural/linguistic diversity?

The freezing north of the Himalayas differs from the jungles of the south. Another factor that contributes to the diversity is the rivers and religions. Various civilizations have grown up along the rivers.

In a cluster of landlocked countries, why is Bangladesh's biggest problem being next to the sea?

The issue is that the sea has too much access to Bangladesh: flooding from the waters of the Bay of Bengal constantly affects the low lying territory.

What are China's interests in Pakistan?

The jewel of Pakistan is gwadar. Gwadar would have fulfilled Moscow's dream of a warm water port. China has been attracted to this jewel and has invested billions of dollars in the region. China would like to use Pakistan as a land route for its energy needs.