Kashmir Conflict Research Articles

China’s Particular influence on the Nature of the Kashmir Сrisis

The Kashmir crisis has a protracted multi-year character and its relevance in today’s scholarly discourse is characterised by a global confrontation between East and West. Apart from the main actors India and Pakistan, there are a number of stakeholders, the first of which is China. Beijing’s longstanding support to Islamabad has contributed to the latter’s military capabilities. China’s strengthening is also taking place around India’s borders. The authors of the study aim to analyse the current situation, clearly defining the role of the Chinese side in it.

Kashmir Conflict after Article 370 and 35 A: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

This research explores the complex dynamics of the Kashmir Conflict following the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A by the Indian government on August 5, 2019. The historical roots of the incessant dispute, stemming from the British partition of the Indian Sub-continent, set the stage for ongoing tensions between two regional arch-rivals, Pakistan and India over the region. The revocation of constitutional provisions granting special privileges and autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir presents various challenges for Pakistan. Internal security concerns, diplomatic isolation, humanitarian issues, and economic implications form critical challenges. The options of Pakistan include bilateral talks, diplomatic engagement, humanitarian initiatives, promoting internal reforms, and regional stability. Balancing these challenges and options requires navigating a complex geopolitical and strategic landscape, recognizing historical grievances, and fostering peace and stability in the region.

Analyzing Recent (2019) Kashmir Socio-Political Issue: A Voyant Sentiment Analysis of Tweets

Computational Textual Analysis (CTA) is an effective way to analyze large texts by incorporating computational tools, such as, Voyant. The current study takes computer-assisted textual analysis (mixed method) to investigate the sentiments on tweets through Voyant computational method, in order to grasp the emotions of the global public who have tweeted about the recent (2019) Kashmir issue. This research is based on the conceptual framework of Ortony, Clore, and Collins (OCC) model and the keyword approach. For this purpose, different tweets have been analyzed to check the level of sentiments as either positive, negative or neutral. The findings suggested that sentiments were neutral towards the issue of Kashmir and negative towards the Indian government. Voyant has also presented the word count, density, and correlation of phrases within the larger text context. Voyant procedures like; cirrus, trend and summary showed the results based on quantitative and qualitative measures. These toolsets are easy to use without any programming skills and seem to be the best for researchers of social sciences and humanities who are trying to work in digital humanities. The study also recommends Voyant as an operative tool for textual analysis for Computational Linguists, Postmodernism, Critical Discourse Analysis, English Literature, History, Sociology, Theology, and any other field of knowledge that falls under the domain of digital humanities.

Navigating the US-China Trade War: Implications for Pakistan

The present study explores the implications of the trade war between the United States and China, with a focus on its security implications for Pakistan. The trade war between the world's two largest economies has resulted in escalating tariffs, trade restrictions, and increasing protectionism. As a major trading partner of both the United States and China, Pakistan finds itself caught in the crossfire of this economic conflict. From an economic standpoint, Pakistan has faced several challenges due to the trade war. The disruption in global supply chains and reduced bilateral trade between the US and China have adversely affected Pakistan's exports and foreign direct investment. Pakistan's economy heavily relies on exports to both countries, particularly in sectors such as textiles, electronics, and agriculture. Furthermore, the trade war's security implications for Pakistan are multifaceted. As tensions between the US and China have escalated, both countries have sought to gain influence and strategic advantages in various regions, including South Asia. Pakistan, being a significant player in the region, has experienced intensified competition for influence. The US has sought to deepen its partnership with Pakistan to counterbalance China's growing economic and military presence in the region, while China has expanded its investments and infrastructure projects in Pakistan under its Belt and Road Initiative. The security implications for Pakistan in the context of the trade war also involve regional dynamics. Pakistan shares a border with China and maintains a complex relationship with India, which has its own geopolitical interests in the region. The shifting alliances and power dynamics resulting from the trade war could potentially affect Pakistan's security environment and its ongoing challenges, such as the Kashmir dispute and terrorism.

Pakistan – w kierunku triady jądrowej

Pakistan’s political history since independence has been marked by periods of political, military, and economic instability. The Kashmir conflict remains a major point of contention between Pakistan and India. Therefore, Pakistan’s main reason for building nuclear weapons was as a deterrent against Indian conventional forces and a desire to gain a leading role in the Islamic world. The assessment of Pakistan’s nuclear potential is very difficult due to limited information and lack of transparency on the part of military circles. While all nuclear-weapon states generally aim to lower their capabilities, Pakistan, on the contrary, is developing its nuclear capabilities and is currently projected to have around 165 nuclear warheads. Pakistan’s nuclear policy is to have a full spectrum of nuclear weapons from tactical nuclear weapons to strategic ballistic missiles. The main task of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is deterrence. Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine is intended firstly to deter India from aggression against Pakistan and secondly to prevent India from being victorious in the event of war. The basis of the doctrine of the Pakistani armed forces is the current concept of offensive defense, which assumes conducting a counterattack, the purpose of which will be to transfer a possible armed conflict to the enemy’s territory.

Explaining the Role of Domestic Factors in Shaping Foreign Policies: India and Pakistan in Comparative Perspective (2014-2020)

Since 2014, India's domestic and foreign policies have reflected violent religious fanaticism and hyper-nationalism. If elected to power, Modi often stated that India would pursue a tough stance against Pakistan and would put Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) directly under the control of the Indian central government. This did not paint a positive picture. Since 2014, India's primary goal in foreign policy has remained to encircle Pakistan on all of its borders and isolate it from the rest of the world. Nearly all of the world's superpowers and the Muslim nations have encouraged diplomatic relations with India. India strategically employs all of the regional nations and global powers it has close ties to fight Pakistan. Without any regional or international pressure, it unilaterally changed the special constitutional status of Indian-occupied Kashmir. The reactionary foreign policy of Pakistan, on the other hand, did not rely on pre-emptive measures to fight India's foreign policy, which is primarily built on plotting against Pakistan. India consistently takes advantage of Pakistan's weak and nebulous international policies. This study aims to give a detailed analysis of the elements, in particular the internal or domestic ones that were responsible for influencing foreign policy decision-making in India and Pakistan between 2014 and 2020. Using Allison’s models of foreign policy has identified the factors accountable for Pakistan's unproductive and responsive external policy in contrast to India's proactive and forceful external strategy. One of the crucial findings that this study identified is that the democratic system and political continuity in India are the significant elements providing a strong base for effective policy making and building strong institutions as compared to Pakistan where the absence of both these elements are contributing to institutional crisis as well as weak and passive decision making.

India-Russia Relations Through the Ages

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech said when Indian kids are asked to mention the most valuable friend of India, they without any hesitation say it is Russia. From the very beginning of our foreign relations, we have Russia who stood beside us through thick and thin. Russia is an all-weather friend of India. Enunciation of the policy of non-alignment by India received accolades from the Soviet Union but ruffled the feather of America. After independence when India had a tussle with Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir only the Soviet Union had extended much required political support to India. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war and in particular, the 1971 war with Pakistan Indian sovereignty was threatened by America and Pakistan. Pakistan being a member of the US-led NATO alliance immediately sought help from America in the wake of an outbreak of war with India. Being a soft power, it was beyond India’s military capability to rebuff the possibility of joint aggression by Pakistan and the USA. Considering this, India concluded Peace, Friendship, and Co-operation Treaty with the Soviet Union in 1971. This treaty proved to be a boon for India when the Indo-Pak war broke out and America and China the two most powerful countries backed aggressor Pakistan. The decision of the Soviet Union to move its fleet to the Indian Ocean area was considered an effective deterrent to the decision of the US to deploy its Seven Fleet from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Bay of Bengal during the Indo-Pak war. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, India’s growing friendship with America created rifts in the Indo-Russia relationship. Shifts from a socialist planned economy to liberalisation and opening of the Indian market to the outside world and foreign private investment in the Indian market and deepening cooperation with America have led to a tumultuous relationship between two old friends. Dilapidated relations somehow improved when India decided to release the five pilots of Russian origin sentenced to life for their involvement in the Purulia arms drop case. Russia extends its support to India for its claim of permanent membership in the Security Council of UNO. Presently Russia is the second-highest defence supplier to India. In the pandemic situation of covid 19, Russian President Putin visited India ignoring his health concern and promised to give medical aid in India’s effort to fight covid 19.

Geopolitics, Conflict and Narratives: An Assessment of Kashmir Conflict after the Abrogation of Article 370

Kashmir, a triangularly contested region between India, Pakistan and China, is administratively divided between India and Pakistan; it has hitherto sparked three major wars and countless small-scale military actions regarding the contest over the region. On 5 August 2019, the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which conferred a special status on Jammu and Kashmir in the realm of peripheral governance and autonomy, altered the geopolitical and social dynamics of the region. The government has been floating the narrative that the dissolution of this article was a result of numerous inputs, with the consent of Kashmiris and with facilitation from the elected state government, over the years to achieve the objectives of integration, administrative ease and good governance. However, the manner in which the abrogation of Article 370 had been carried out under heavy militarization of the region and imprisonment of all the Kashmiri politicians was far from amicable. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the abrogation, the Kashmir valley has witnessed political instability, human rights violation and alteration of indigenous identity by forced migration and revision of exclusive land rights. The Indian government’s portrayal of abrogation as the biggest success contrast with ground realities of a militarized life in Kashmir. This paper, relying on both the primary and secondary resources including correspondence with Kashmir scholars, aims to assess the contemporary geopolitics of the Kashmir conflict after the abrogation of Article 370 by examining the reasons behind and the impact of this decision on the Kashmiri people. The research concludes that while the abrogation of Article 370 may have temporarily secured India’s hold over the region, it has exacerbated the human rights situation in Kashmir and further tensed the geopolitical tightrope between India, Pakistan, China and other international players.

A Critical Evaluation of the Mediatory Role Played by the United States in the India-Pakistan Conflict

Throughout the Cold War, the US, a strategic ally of Pakistan, forced India to accept the settlement of the Kashmir issue through political will, diplomacy, and economic measures. However, in the post-Cold War era, the US role changed from conflict resolution to crisis management, including defusing tension between the two adversaries. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has taken up that position and given Pakistan and India a way to end the long-running dispute in Kashmir. As a result, this study concludes that the US's desire to mediate has altered as a result of geopolitical and geostrategic objectives in South Asia, such as the Cold War's strategic conflicts between the US and the Soviet Union and the US's subsequent encirclement of China. This essay also examines the US's attempts at mediation throughout the Cold War and why those efforts were unsuccessful. In addition, how did the US's mediation role affect India's Kashmir policies throughout the Cold War and after? Finally, despite Pakistan's involvement in the US-Taliban peace process in Afghanistan, this study examines the main reasons why the US is politically motivated to end the India-Pakistan conflict.

Political Awakening in Kashmir through Urdu Newspapers from 1924-1975: A historical Study

This paper is intended to bring on limelight the role of some prominent political organizations in Jammu and Kashmir and their internal political development within the state. The paper is an attempt to look objectively into the role of such organizations in raising political awareness among Kashmiri masses through a variety of means and tools in the shape of newspapers, especially Urdu newspapers, which were crucial in raising political consciousness. In this context this paper will make a modest attempt to illuminate the press’s development from its beginnings and their contribution to the national awakening of Kashmir's masses. As we saw how the press encountered a number of challenges at the national level under colonial control, the state press likewise encountered a lot of challenges during this time and was opposed by the state government on every level. The Punjabi newspapers, on the other hand, were essential in raising the voice of Kashmir during early phase of the 20th century, which in turn helped the Kashmiri masses become more politically aware. Additionally, this paper would make a small attempt to investigate how these newspapers unite people socio-culturally and politically. There are large number of newspapers which cover wide-ranging issues so for as the Kashmir issue is concerned. There were a lot of newspapers published in Urdu, but most of them only lasted for about six months once they displayed their political leanings, which the government forbade.

Scrapping Article 370 on Kashmir’s Special Status: Shifting Pakistan’s Emphasis from Conflict to Diplomacy

The abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 provoked intense diplomatic response from the international community. For the most part, India received widespread support for its decision. At the same time, however, there have been criticisms of the restrictions imposed in the region on communication and civil liberties. China and Pakistan, in particular, reacted with hostility and attempted to open a new chapter on Kashmir at the United Nations Security Council. This paper explores how the global conversations on the issue of the erstwhile Kashmir have shifted. It argues that the decision to revoke Article 370 has caused a significant degree of international backlash for India, affecting the country’s narrative on the Valley.

Pak–India relations: A comparative analysis of political cartoons

A picture is worth than a thousand words. Political cartoons are an important genre in media content and can be used as a tool for propaganda in peace and war times. Permanent hostilities and rising media outlets in the region between India and Pakistan increased the importance of media to cool down hostilities. This study attempts to explore the role of political cartoons in escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, due to the Uri base and Pathankot terrorist attacks in 2016. Therefore, two daily newspapers – DAWN from Pakistan and Times of India from India – published from 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2016 were selected for frame analysis. Findings revealed that both newspapers published 82 cartoons relevant to the study, 29 in DAWN and 53 in Times of India. Analysis of the data reveals that five themes are present in the cartoon content: blame game, Kashmir conflict, role of international actors, peace efforts and dialogue, and water dispute. Blaming the other is dominant in the Times of India and peace efforts and dialogue in DAWN. The Times of India mostly supported Indian government and DAWN rejected the Pakistani stance in cartoon coverage regarding Pak–India relations.

Unravelling the Correlation of Intractability and Human Security in the Kashmir Conflict: An Analysis using Edward Azar's Social Protracted Conflict Theory

This study explores the relationship between intractability and human security challenges in conflicts. Human security plays a crucial role in intractable conflicts, acting as both a cause and an effect.When individuals are denied human security, conflicts tend to emerge, persist, and escalate. Addressing human security concerns is essential to break the cycle of intractability. The study applies Edward Azar's Social Protracted theory to examine the connection between human security and intractability. Using Azar's framework, the Genesis phase focuses on identifying the underlying issues of identity and autonomy in the Kashmir conflict. The second phase analyzes how events over time have created new dynamics in the Kashmir conflict, potentially escalating it to the point of intractability. The third phase explores the negative effects of the intractability on the affected population, leading to pessimism and additional human security challenges.The study underscores the importance of considering human security in efforts to address intractable conflicts.

Use of Conceptual Metaphors in Imran Khan and Narendra Modi's Political Speeches: A Comparative Study

This research is based on a comparative study of metaphors in political discourse. For this purpose, Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Critical Metaphor Theory (CMT) as a qualitative methodological ground and the quantitative method has been applied manually to five selected speeches of Imran Khan and Narendra Modi on the Kashmir issue after the military siege from 2019 till now. This study aims to explore the conceptual metaphors in the political speeches of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The main purpose of the study is to explore different types of conceptual metaphors like structural, ontological, and orientational that are used by these politicians to provide their thoughts, ideologies, and emotions on the said issue. This study provides new knowledge and guidance to understand the different metaphorical domains or structures in political discourse for future scholars.

Re-Annexation of Indian Occupied Kashmir: Challenges and Options for Pakistan

This paper intends to evaluate the Kashmir issue in the backdrop of the Indian actions of 5th August, 2019. Firstly, some basics of the State of Kashmir and the Kashmir issue have been narrated. Thereafter, an in-depth analysis of the Indian perfidy terming “annexation” as “accession”, elaborating the characteristics of the special status given to the occupied state, has been made. The actions of 5th August, 2019 whereby that status was completely revoked, “re-annexing” and dividing the state into two union territories, unilaterally, has been detailed. The impact of the “reannexation” has been framed, duly highlighting the plight of Kashmiris and lack of preparedness on the part of the State of Pakistan. However, some of the noteworthy initiatives by Pakistan after the Indian move have been underscored. Indian actions have resulted into various anticipated threats and opportunities for Pakistan which have been discussed in detail keeping in view the geo-strategic and internal and external socio-economic and political ground realities; some of which had compelled Modi to choose this particular point in time to realize the long-standing dream of BJP. It has been maintained that Pakistan needs to stick to its principled stand and concluded that Pakistan must take certain actions to minimize the threats and make best use of the opportunities coming its way. The recommendations have been made with a view to initiate a well-meaning effort in a systematic way through an institutionalized action plan to end the pain and suffering of the incarcerated people and to get Kashmir liberated from India in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiris.

Role of Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Resolving Kashmir Dispute: Effects on Indian Ocean Diplomacy

Role of Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Resolving Kashmir Dispute: Effects on Indian Ocean Diplomacy

RECLAIMING THE LOST PARADISE: THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR REORGANISATION ACT AND INDIA’S NEW HISTORICAL NARRATIVE ON KASHMIR

Historical narratives and collective memory are relevant to claims regarding community, territory, and identity related to the Kashmir conflict. They have been central in shaping India's national imaginary and mobilizing support for New Delhi's policies in the region. The article analyzes how the topos of "paradise on earth" has informed the trajectories of Indian state narratives on Kashmir transforming, under the Modi government, into a call to action to recover and reclaim the lost paradise. The new discursive direction has been underpinned by a renewed interest in the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits-the Brahmin community native to the Kashmir valley-whose collective identity is deeply rooted in the history and socio-cultural distinctiveness of the region. The article thus situates the renewed political and public interest in the story of the Pandits' flight from Kashmir within a broader narrative of the state underlying the current phase of India's Kashmir policy. In this way, the article provides a perspective on how the trajectory of the Indian government's historical narratives about the region has informed the dynamics of conflict, occupation, and violence in the Kashmir Valley.

Conflict and Conflicting News Discourses: An Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Pulwama Attack

ABSTRACT Discourse analysis is used to investigate print media coverage of the Pulwama attack of 2019, a recent development in the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan that pushed the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours to the brink of war. To identify the news discourses, 686 headlines of news articles published in six popular newspapers on the attack and its aftermath during February 15–25, 2019, are analysed. Three levels of discourse analysis are employed: Lexical choices, social languages and conversations. Under lexical choices, the headlines are analysed to identify the bags of words used to represent places and actions, along with the literary-rhetorical devices employed. With the social languages tool, the assumed identities and intentions of the headline writer are deduced, while the conversations tool is used to identify and categorise the events covered, issues raised, actors and institutions involved and their arguments in the headlines. Five distinct discourses—News, Political, Critical, Conflict and Peace—are thus identified and characterised. Further, consulting critical discourse theories, the study findings are used to discuss the interplay of media, discourses and power, and theorise on the sociopolitical powerplays that regulate those journalistic discourses, discussing implications and the way forward for the journalists and journalism practice covering conflicts.

Science teacher beliefs in conflict-affected zones of Jammu and Kashmir

This study examines science teacher beliefs working in the conflict-affected zones of Jammu and Kashmir. Research in these areas indicates that teacher beliefs influence their classroom practices and student learning outcomes and that teacher beliefs are highly context sensitive. Using data collected from a questionnaire and focussed group discussions, this research elucidates science teachers’ beliefs regarding how conflict affects classroom practices, conflict and teaching issues, the multifaceted role of teachers in conflict-affected zones, the role of science education in ameliorating conflict, and the changing role of teachers during three decades of active conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. A nuanced picture of teacher beliefs originated from this study suggesting that despite challenges teachers are committed to children’s academic, cognitive, and psychosocial growth.

Kashmir Issue: A Dominant Threat to Peace

Kashmir Issue: A Dominant Threat to Peace