Who wins the Independence Cup: India, Pakistan or Bangladesh?

The date with destiny began on August 15, 1947. The goal was to wipe away every tear from every eye. And may everyone dream of a better future, without restrictions. Hope and ambition abounded. Such were the promises. Which country has best fulfilled those promises and who wins the Independence Cup in 2023?

India was established as a secular democracy. Pakistan, an Islamic republic, took a very different path than its founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had envisioned. (Click here and listen to what Jinnah had envisioned in Pakistan as). Bangladesh was born a secular country and its Constitution of 1972 said so. But in 1988, Islam became the state religion under the military regime of Hussein Muhammed Ershad.

THE 1950S: SOLID OPENING BY INDIA

India’s democratic foundations were stable from the first year, but that was not the case in Pakistan. In the late 1950s, India saw the rule of a prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. By then, Pakistan had already seen seven prime ministers and two military dictators. The two countries had already fought a war (1947-48). Amid Pakistan’s political turmoil, India was trying to become a stronger democracy and gain economic ground. In a 1953 interview with the BBC, Jawaharlal Nehru said: “I think we have certainly achieved a lot and there has also been a lack of achievement. We have not done what we wanted to do…”. (Click here and listen to what Nehru had to say about India’s democracy and economy)

THE 1960S: INDIA’S WORST DECADE

The 1960s was perhaps the worst decade for India. There were two wars, one of which India lost. The defeat by China was followed by droughts in 1965 and 1966, which rocked India’s largely agrarian economy and forced India to seek food aid from the United States. India won the 1965 war against Pakistan. Pakistan was doing marginally better on most socioeconomic indicators. But this was to change very soon.

THE 1970S: INDIA DEFEASES PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH IS BORN

The third country, Bangladesh, would be born in this decade. Facing Pakistan’s neglect, cultural imposition and political manipulation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for Pakistan’s freedom, saying, “This time the fight is for our freedom. Now the fight is for our independence.” . (Click here and listen to Mujibur Rahman’s historic ‘Sangram’ speech here). Mujibur declared its independence from Pakistan on March 26, 1971. India decided that it was better to fight Pakistan militarily than to receive thousands of refugees from East Pakistan. Pakistan surrendered to India on December 16, 1971, and accepted the independence of Bangladesh.

THE 80’S AND 90’S: FROM TURBULENCE TO TAKE-OFF

The 1980s were a turbulent time for India. Punjab was seething, Operation Bluestar was carried out and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. The Kashmir crisis had begun to take a bloody turn. By then, Gen Zia-ul-Haq steered Pakistan towards a radical Islamic country by enforcing sharia law. India would also win its first cricket World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. As Pakistan began its downward spiral, India was to liberalize its economy in the 1990s under Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. “I do not minimize the difficulties that await us on the long and arduous path we have undertaken. But as Victor Hugo once said, ‘no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come,’” then-Finance Minister Manmohan said. Singh in his 1991 budget speech.

THE 2000S: INDIA HAS THE TAILWIND

India runs ahead and today, it is adding a Pakistan to its GDP every year. Bangladesh, once a much poorer part of Pakistan, has beaten Pakistan on every single socio-economic measure. India is currently the fifth largest economy in the world and Pakistan has entered a debt trap that is suffocating it.

AND THE WINNER OF THE 2023 INDEPENDENCE CUP IS…

Although India and Pakistan were supposed to be independent on the same day, August 15, 1947, Pakistan wanted to go ahead. But in the actual race, they have lost to India. In more than a dozen performance indicators we studied, India leads in most, followed by Bangladesh. Pakistan loses on all counts. This despite the fact that it began in 1947 as a better part of what is now a subcontinent of three countries. So, the winner of the Independence Cup in 2023 is India. Bangladesh is the runner-up and the one who improved the fastest.

Source: All data except exchange rates and bilateral trade are from the World Bank’s World Development Indicator.

Wondering about B’desh’s pre-1971 data? It is calculated by the World Bank and other institutions based on the past performance of East Pakistan.