On 15 August 1947, when India & Pakistan - the two nations were born, Pak began with better indicators of social growth & prosperity, as compared to India. But something hijacked its narrative on the way. How Pakistan's hare began with better markers of growth at Partition, how India's tortoise raced ahead. Pakistan began with better indicators of social growth, but lagged later. Pakistan began with better indicators of social growth, but lagged later. Pak's children had better expectancy of survival at birth and lower infant mortality rate. India had a lower GDP than Pakistan in 1947

New Delhi: When the British colonial rulers partitioned India before granting independence to the jewel in the crown, the two newly created countries began on a fresh note. Some said that Pakistan had been granted an unfairly favourable deal in terms of fertile land and infrastructure set up by the Border Commission headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. While that argument is done and dusted, where the two nations headed to from there does hold importance now.

Pakistan began with better indicators of social growth and prosperity, as compared to India.

Its children had a better expectancy of survival at birth and lower infant mortality rate. Pakistan, till 1971 had a mortality rate per 1000 live births, and ran neck-and-neck with India (135/1000) till the slide began. Now Pakistan's infant mortality rate is sadder and higher at 61 to India's 31.

The life expectancy of an average Pakistani was pegged higher than an average Indian. An Indian hoped to live an average age of 41 in 1947, a Pakistani could look at an average of 46. Now that same figure stands at 69 and 66 respectively in India's figure.

India had a lower GDP than Pakistan in 1947. In 1960 too, Pakistan's GDP was nearly 6 per cent against India's 3.6 per cent. In a reversal of growth fortunes, Pakistan's FY 19 figures plummeted to 3.3 per cent while India's are pegged at 6.6 per cent.

The Indian and Pakistani Rupee began at par with the dollar in 1947. Today the Pakistani Rupee is 160 to a dollar and India is 71.

Pakistan and India have been struggling to maintain forest cover, as are other nations across the world. But India seems to have now gained a huge head-start on increasing its forest cover while Pakistan is worried about its dwindling green assets. From almost 3.2 per cent of its area under forest cover in 1960, Pakistan has been steadily losing its green cover and now only 1.8% of its land area is forested. The billion-tree planting drive that it undertook recently, also demands intensive sustenance which is suspect at the moment. On the contrary, India's forest cover, from 21.05% in 1960 has gone up to nearly 24%.

What Has Undone The Pakistan Story?

Basically, the Islamic nation has been done in by its Kashmir obsession and its hefty spending on military matters. While still holding a major part of what was once the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that had legally acceded to India in 1947, Pakistan is choking the fortunes of the Kashmiris and that of the Pakistani generations by focusing (initially covertly and now overtly) on its pipedream "Kashmir Banega Pakistan".