Description
In an attempt to portray itself as result-oriented and an omniscient problem solver, the discourse of International Relations has of late, limited itself to inter-state relations. Consequently focusing exclusively on State's foreign policy, ignoring in this process the critical analysis of inter-cultural and inter-societal relations across borders. Indo-Pak relations are victim to this narrow-sighted approach. Despite of sharing a profound cultural and civilizational bond, they have mostly been studied in the context of either their anti-colonial struggle or post-independence animosity.
A similar disregard in the academia is observed in considering feminist agitations as a possible solution the menace of patriarchal States. A vast array of feminist protests through various forms of arts, including the poetry of protest and revolution, remains unexplored; poetry where women have been re-writing their bodies and social narratives, not just against the centuries-old misogynist literary tradition but also in face of the most despotic regimes in the modern history of South Asia.
This paper will explore literary ties of sisterhood betwixt these two "enemy" States to prove that foreign policy is not the only viable approach to study international relations . Cultural and literary traditions, specially from a feminist perspective, offer a unique vantage point.
