>Do you think there was a realistic alternative to
>partition? I don't know the history.
Partition was a disaster but I doubt if there was a realistic alternative to partition in 1947. Partition has in reality meant partition of Indian muslims. If India had remained united, the total of population would have been 1.3 billion and muslims would have been 450 million. Muslims have now been equally divided into three states. Partition remains a live issue in Pakistan. See the accompanying post "Pakistan: Fresh Debate on Two Nation Theory." It tries to sum up the recent debate in Pakistani press.
Things really got worse from late 1970s and 1980s onwards, when the US began to suppport Jihadis in Afghanistan. It encouraged further islamization of Pakistani state.
Btw, another plot to kill Musharraf has been foiled last week.
Ulhas