[Reader-list] Query on Indo-Pak economic history

[Patrice Riemens]

> Hi all,
>
> In one of the recent op-ed articles on Dawn, the Pakistani English
> daily, the author Shahid Javed Burki had remarked the following in his
> article[1]
> ...
> Initially, the Indian government tried hard to cripple Pakistan
> economically as it was trying to stand on its feet after having gained
> independence.
> ...
> Is this an opinion or a substantiated fact? If that was indeed the case,
> it'll be interesting to know why, how and by whom was this done.
> Comments, anybody?
>
>

What I remember to have read years ago when writing my thesis, is that
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, home minister at the time of the transfer of
sovereignity, vengefully came down on British high civil servant in the
GoI (depriving him of his full pension rights by sacking him one day
before his retirement was due) because that fellow had dared to write a
report to the effect that Pakistan was viable as an economic entity - not
a very welcome news to the people in power in New Delhi.

So the above would seem credible, at least to me...

Cheers, patriwio and Diiiinooos!