India and Pakistan are very different in thinking and act like constant arch-enemies. What led to this?
The rivalry between India and Pakistan is largely embedded in the relationship between the two countries. While no conflict is ever inevitable, the handling of the problems by the leaders of both the countries, many of whom view Indo-Pakistan relations as a game where the gain of one is seen as the loss of the other, has ensured that the rivalry persists, and that it has become deeply ingrained in the politics of the two neighbors. The rivalry is too deep-rooted either to disappear easily or to be capable of a rational solution. Here's some history (some)...
The rivalry between India and Pakistan is largely embedded in the relationship between the two countries. While no conflict is ever inevitable, the handling of the problems by the leaders of both the countries, many of whom view Indo-Pakistan relations as a game where the gain of one is seen as the loss of the other, has ensured that the rivalry persists, and that it has become deeply ingrained in the politics of the two neighbors. The rivalry is too deep-rooted either to disappear easily or to be capable of a rational solution. Here's some history (some)...
In the August of 1947 the British would leave India broken in two halves. The leaders of India and Pakistan would soon need to figure out the central idea around which the country would be built. In the last thirty years of British rule, the Muslims were worried that a Westminster style democracy that India was heading toward (with elections in provinces) could disenfranchise a minority that was sizable and spread throughout the country. The top leaders of both the countries choose to make their nation a secular state. These would be the Hindu-majority secular India and the Muslim-majority secular Pakistan.
Since both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, any consortium of international powers cannot enforce international consensus on either country as they did in Afghanistan or Iraq. Strategically India is in an advantageous position with existing situation. Pakistan is not. Therefore Pakistan pursues a proxy war declaring Kashmir as a jihad and funding religious radicals to execute acts of terrorism. This monster has grown beyond the control of Pakistan State and is a threat to both India and Pakistan.
The part that's important here is that both countries are disadvantaged by these rival relations. India cannot emerge as an economic super-power unless it improves its bonds with its neighbor. India has to send signals to assure that it has no intention to break up Pakistan and work toward resolving Kashmir instead of taking advantage of status quo. Pakistan has to understand that terrorism is a greater threat to itself than any other country. It can ruin the population and ethics of the nation.
Another important factor here are the people themselves. They, ultimately, are the ones who make decisions by choosing their leaders in India. They have to learn to respect the other country and treat them as their brethren, which they originally were.
Since both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, any consortium of international powers cannot enforce international consensus on either country as they did in Afghanistan or Iraq. Strategically India is in an advantageous position with existing situation. Pakistan is not. Therefore Pakistan pursues a proxy war declaring Kashmir as a jihad and funding religious radicals to execute acts of terrorism. This monster has grown beyond the control of Pakistan State and is a threat to both India and Pakistan.
The part that's important here is that both countries are disadvantaged by these rival relations. India cannot emerge as an economic super-power unless it improves its bonds with its neighbor. India has to send signals to assure that it has no intention to break up Pakistan and work toward resolving Kashmir instead of taking advantage of status quo. Pakistan has to understand that terrorism is a greater threat to itself than any other country. It can ruin the population and ethics of the nation.
Another important factor here are the people themselves. They, ultimately, are the ones who make decisions by choosing their leaders in India. They have to learn to respect the other country and treat them as their brethren, which they originally were.