The Kashmir Tangle

With rare objectivity, Rajesh Kadian assesses past and present conflicts in Kashmir, one of the worlds most long-standing trouble spots. He traces the regions controversial history from the 1947 partition to the surging tide of militancy now building in the Kashmir Valley, which has further strained relations between India and Pakistan. Kadians signal contribution is his presentation of realistic options for the present combatants as well as scenarios that might lead to the outbreak of another Indo-Pakistani war. With rare objectivity, Rajesh Kadian assesses past and present conflicts in Kashmir, one of the worlds most intractable trouble spots. The cause of two subcontinental wars in the past fifty years, Kashmir is on the boil again as the century draws to a close.The author presents a dispassionate, balanced overview of how and why the tangle has become steadily more snarled. Tracing the regions controversial history, he puts the partition of 1947 in clear perspective by dissecting the motives and machinations of all the principal actors: the British, the Indians, and the Pakistanis. He elucidates the subsequent history of the two halves of divided Kashmir and probes afresh the rocky relationship between the governments in Delhi and Srinagar. With that background in place, Kadian comprehensively describes the surging tide of militancy in the Kashmir Valley and the attendant Indian and Pakistani responses. Kadians signal contribution is his presentation of realistic options for the present combatants, including a radical alteration in the existing Indo-Kashmir and Indo-Pakistani relationships, the future of Azad (Pakistani) Kashmir, and the possibility of autonomy for a reunited state. He also considers the impact of the altered international situation after the dissolution of the USSR and of the intractable domestic problems in both India and Pakistan. Kadian paints a sobering picture of Kashmirs future, arguing that a long, drawnout struggle is inevitable and may lead to another Indo-Pakistani war. He concludes by painting the likely scenarios of such a war.