I hadn’t expected my open thread to ignite such a volume of comments. But it’s confirmed something I’ve long suspected: many Indians claim Pakistan is not their rival—but their reactions say otherwise.
Let me be clear: I deeply love India. I venerate her civilizational breadth. But the passion with which some Indian respondents—particularly North Indian Hindus and sections of the South Indian Brahmin class—engage with Pakistan is disproportionate. China, despite being a far more formidable geopolitical competitor, rarely evokes this level of visceral response.
Why? Because Pakistan is the sibling to Bharat. It’s the mirror. And rivalry with a sibling is always more intimate, more consuming. Continue reading “What You Hate is What You Love” — Reflections on the Indo-Pak Obsession