Question

Which of these countries faced the greatest challenges to its survival and modernization during the last generationWhich country—India, Indonesia or Pakistan—faced the greatest challenges to its survival and modernization during the last generation?

Accepted Answer

I would say Pakistan.  Pakistan faces serious difficulties in creating a stable and democratic country.  It has suffered from military rule and the power of the military.  It has also suffered from the fact that its tribal areas are very difficult for its government to control in any real way.

Answer

Though the three modern nation-states of India, Indonesian, and Pakistan all have relatively young histories, their cultures and governments outside of Western colonialism and models is incredibly extensive. While it is true that India and Pakistan only won independence from the British in 1947, and similarly Indonesia from the Dutch in 1945, these power houses of South East Asia have been exchanging religions, culture, political ideas, iconography, and populations for thousands of years. Hinduism and Buddhism, for example, were first practiced throughout islands of Indonesia in the Seventh Century, and flourished as a fascinating and powerful foil to Indian Hindu-Buddhist culture until the Sixteenth Century. 
What is key about the question at hand is a focus on "survival and modernization." The essence of this question is about all three nations' responses to Western colonialism within the late 20th Century. Independence from foreign rule is an extremely difficult transition for any nation, given that colonizers exploit labor, natural resources, establish racial or religious supremacy, and generally disrupt indigenous ways of life in violent as well as systematic ways. The summaries of these three nations' 20th Century struggles however, can be linked with identity. 
Indonesia, now the fourth largest population in the world, struggled with establishing their new nation's boundaries between religion and the state. While many in the Mulsim-majority nation wanted to see Islamic law explicitly built in to the Constitution, the archipelago's extremely diverse population could not be adequately united or governed with only one religious standard. The country is now democratically run, with six officially recognized state religions. This came at a cost however, as a military coup in 1965 divided the population using religious and racial tensions. In the tragic events leading to a governmental take over by General Suharto, the military leader  led mass killings of suspected Communists, Chinese civilians, and opposition parties. Only in 1999 with the election of Megawati Sukarnoputri did the nation restore democratic balance. Since then, the country has successfully elected leaders democratically, moved towards state recognition of more religious practices outside of Islam, and has attempted to push unity and harmony as the social standard for the diverse nation. 
India and Pakistan are two nations that were formed by Indonesia's same struggles over identity, religion, and diversity. In August of 1947, the Partition of India marked the beginning of a new Pakistani state. The Partition marked the abrupt and reckless exit of British colonizers, but also the realization of political hopes for Indian Muslims of an autonomous Muslim state. The logistics of this autonomy were unclear and violent even as massive populations began migrating Northeast towards the new national border. Partition was one of the most deadly migrations in world history, and for many, these events of only one or two generations ago remain traumatic. 
Since the separation of Pakistan and India, Pakistan has gone through hardships creating and maintaining governmental order and leaders. This being said, for a country only seventy years old, they have come far in political growth out of a chaotic birth. Though Pakistan was intended to represent Indian Muslims, while the mainland would home Hindus, both populations remain diverse, and religious conflict is still a problem today. 
In these brief overviews of Indonesia, India, and Pakistan's national struggles in the late 20th century, the themes that continue to arise are ones of colonialism, budding independent democracies, and confronting religious identities and conflict. Deciding which nation has "faced the greatest challenges" is perhaps impossible, but may be answered in terms of newness. In this sense, Pakistan has faced great hardships that are unique. India and Indonesia both contain vast, diverse amounts of land and populations, but have existed as united civilizations for thousands of years. Pakistan on the other hand, broke away from this home culture and had to build a governmental system, national sense of belonging, and functioning citizenship all in the moment Britain left India in June of 1945.

Answer

Pakistan...Unforetunately, its yet not compleely settled

Answer

I would probably agree that Pakistan has had the hardest process. Historically, Pakistan has been along the route being followed by waves of fighting forces travelling from one area to another - not a good location for trying to build a stable government. India is so geographically diverse, it struggles to find agreement between different regions, but it has been more protected from outside influences.

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Which of these countries faced the greatest challenges to its survival and modernization during the last generation Which country—India, Indonesia or Pakistan—faced the greatest challenges to its survival and modernization during the last generation?

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