My first question as a PostGlobal panelist -- and it is quite a double-edge sword!

One line from Francis Bellamy's Pledge of Allegiance comes to mind. The last line reads: "Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Written in 1892, Bellamy considered adding the word "equality" to this last line; however, he knew that the superintendents of schools across the country opposed the thought of equality for women and African Americans. So just like that, equality vanished from the Pledge.

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There is no right or wrong answer to whether the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan was a mistake. Were mistakes made? Sure. Are mistakes still being made? Absolutely.

The fact remains that for Pakistanis, it is far too dangerous to acknowledge such a question publicly because to question partition is to question the legitimacy of Pakistan (the same goes for Bangladesh). Certainly the younger generations may not have a proper sense of the losses and gains that were suffered by both sides and so any doubts may evaporate with time. It is natural that they feel closer nationalistic ties to modern day Pakistan and not to a greater subcontinent that was bitterly divided over half a century ago. The older generation that witnessed the bloodshed and migration, meanwhile, has good reason to second guess partition given the current political instability.

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