India and Pakistan: The First Fifty YearsPart I: Political DevelopmentIndia: Democratic Progress and ProblemsIt is said that one of India's strengths politically compared to Pakistan is its fact of having elected to assume a democratic system of government. However, India as a democratic country has several problems due to several factors, including numerous cases of negligence and corruption in electoral systems, which significantly undermine the solidity of the democratic institution. Another important factor that leaves doubts about the functioning of Indian democracy is the political hegemony of Congress initially, which took time to change, and even more so the dynamism that led to the chain of leadership inherited with a transfer of power from Nehru to Indira Gandhi, finally to her children and even later Sonja Gandhi, Indira's daughter-in-law. Despite this apparent threat to excessive centralization of power, Indian democracy incorporates various other features that help decentralize government. This includes the separation of the judiciary from the executive, a multi-party system with several coalitions formed to ensure that more than one dominant party competes, even religious and segregated castes are free to rally support to make the necessary calls, and then there is even minimal military involvement in politics. The only real mistake was Indira Gandhi's emergency period. Over these fifty years it has been this transition or competition between regionalization and centralization of power that has defined the political nature of India. Much of what the centralization of po... middle of paper... meant they were also receiving aid from the United States to remain as a buffer nation to control China. The change in policy led to the Ayub-Chou alliance, where US military assistance continued but there was greater interest in relations with neighboring Islamic states. There were always going to be some disputes with some of these neighbors because of the Afghan conflict. However, Pakistan remained stagnant on the Kashmir issue, without gaining ground on India. The resolution was to become non-aligned, similar to the position held by India. Pakistan is currently in dire straits in foreign affairs due to adverse demands from the United States and the rest of the Islamic community on issues such as Iraq involvement, etc. This has been the main cause of the rise of Islamic terrorist associations in the nation.