Ethnic Diversity, Political Aspirations and State Response: A Case Study of Pakistan
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120906585 |
| Author | Veena Kukreja |
| Date | 01 March 2020 |
| Published date | 01 March 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Ethnic Diversity,
Political Aspirations
and State Response:
A Case Study of
Pakistan
Veena Kukreja1
Abstract
This article seeks to analyse the ineluctable dilemma of Pakistan, how to weave
a viable national identity out of the regional and linguistic loyalties and their
political-aspirations. Ethnic divide or ethnic militancy ranging from autonomy to
political reorganisation has been a constant phenomenon haunting Pakistani poli-
tics. It also aims at highlighting failure of the Pakistani state to translate its socio-
cultural diversity in political terms, something that is at the heart of the country’s
persistent problem of political order and legitimacy. The state in Pakistan has
taken recourse to coercive measures, irrespective of the type of government
(civilian or military), from the very beginning to counter the political demands
of various ethnic groups in the country. The Pakistani state’s response towards
ethnic demands has been shaped by ‘law and order’ and ‘assimilation’ orientation
rather than that of a dignified accommodation of the diverse ethnicities.
Keywords
Ethnicity, diversity, autonomy, accommodation, military regime
Ethnic Diversity and Federal Democracy
Pakistan is a highly diverse or plural society in terms of its ethnic, linguistic and
religious composition. In this context, Stephen P. Cohen aptly remarks that
‘Pakistan is one of the world’s most ethnically and linguistically complex states’
(Cohen, 2005, p. 201). In terms of ethnic composition, Pakistan comprised of five
major ethnic groups at the time of its emergence. There were Bengalis, Punjabis,
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
66(1) 28–42, 2020
© 2020 IIPA
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DOI: 10.1177/0019556120906585
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1 Professor and Head of Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Corresponding author:
Veena Kukreja, Professor and Head of Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, New
Delhi, India.
E-mail: kukreja_veena@rediffmail.com
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