Kashmir Conflict Research Articles

Indo-Israel Relations under Hindutva and Zionism Ideational Factors for Pakistan

The Indo-Israel relations are growing rapidly, especially under the Modi administration. These growing ties are based on ideological affinities, perception of common enemy and regional ambitions to attain strategic supremacy. The prevailing ideology of Hindutva in India and Zionism in Israel shapes the relations between these two countries and define the nature of consequences faced by Pakistan, especially in the context of its stance on Kashmir issue. The relations between India and Israel are manifold. The repercussions on Pakistan are not only because of Indo-Israel relations rather India’s rapidly growing relations with the Arab States, especially with the GCC. Since Pakistan could not openly support Arabs in their regional conflicts, the Arab States have changed their favors from Pakistan to India. Although, Saudi Arabia and UAE are still providing economic assistance to Pakistan but have withdrawn their support for Pakistan’s case on Kashmir. This paper primarily discusses the nature of Indo-Israel relations and how it is affecting Pakistan. The paper also considers the role of Arab States in the decline of Pakistan’s importance and impact on Kashmir after some prominent Arab States have signed the Abraham Accords. Keywords: Indo-Israel relations, Kashmir issue, Abraham Accords, GCC countries

India, Pakistan Dispute over the Kashmir Issue and the Current Situation after Articles 370 and 35A

The potential reason for South Asian instability and hostile action is the unresolved nature of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. In the past, it led to two major wars and several attempted events. Since the early 1990s, India and Pakistan have existed in an "Acting War" on Kashmir. Pakistan has been questioning India’s efforts to strengthen its control over Kashmir through force, and Pakistan supports the Kashmiri’s quest for self- determination in accordance with the UN Resolutions. Prime Minister Modi’s decision to abolish Articles 370 and 35A of the “Indian Constitution” that gave Kashmir a special status has caused controversy throughout the political arena. This paper analyzes the origin of the dispute and its impact on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan after the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. This study is important because there will be greater realization in India and Pakistan that they need to settle the Kashmir dispute for their wellbeing and that of the region. This study proposes that India and Pakistan need to engage in composite bilateral talks on all important issues. Recurrent tension over Kashmir will undercut any initiative to bring stability to South Asia as well as perpetuate the risk of a nuclear war. Keywords: Kashmir; India-Pakistan Dispute; Articles 370; Current Situation

“Maximum Autonomy with Divided Sovereignty”: An Extrapolation of Eqbal Ahmad’s Solution to the Kashmir Conflict

The Kashmir conflict, ongoing for over seventy years, is no closer to a resolution. The separatist insurgency that had emerged in the late 1980s, along with attendant military action, has claimed over 50,000 lives till date. However, the three major parties to the conflict, the Indian state, the Pakistani state and the Kashmiri separatist movement continue to have mutually-intractable positions. How might these positions be reconciled? Eqbal Ahmad’s proposal attempts to reconcile the three positions through the prism of “maximum autonomy with divided sovereignty.” This essay extrapolates Ahmad’s proposal, and presents two distinct facets to the solution: Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistin to become full territories within the Pakistani state; the Jammu region and Ladakh to become full territories within the Indian state; and the Kashmir valley to become an independent Kashmir state. The independent Kashmir state would share its sovereignty, to a limited extent, with India and Pakistan. This paper extrapolates the contours of Ahmad’s proposal, particularly in the context of previous attempts by India, Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists to force a resolution in their favor.

The colonial origins of Nehru’s foreign policy

ABSTRACT This paper discusses how Nehru’s world vision and foreign policy were shaped by his participation in the anti-colonial movement. During the Cold War years, Indian foreign policy was overwhelmingly guided by Nehruvian principles. Those principles were not completely overlooked even after the end of the Cold War when India made a shift in its foreign policy. Interestignly, even the most ‘non-Nehruvian’ government have followed some of the Nehruvian tenets. The paper also examines Nehru’s idea of Non-Alignment, his approach to the Kashmir issue, relations with China, and the question of India’s membership to the United Nations Security Council.

Prevalence of trauma among young adults exposed to stressful events of armed conflicts in South Asia: Experiences from Kashmir.

Objective: There is dearth of studies regarding the exposure of traumatic conflicts in Kashmir, India, because of limited research undertaken in this area. Therefore, the main intent of this study was to estimate the prevalence of trauma among young adults exposed to violent and stressful events of armed conflict. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on the prevalence of trauma in all the 10 districts of Kashmir Valley using multistage sampling technique. Data were collected from 693 students by means of the Demographic Information Questionnaire and Kashmir Conflict Exposure Checklist (KCEC). Results: Findings revealed that one third of the respondents were exposed to high traumatic exposure (33.3%), close to quarter of the participants reported extremely high traumatic exposure (23.7%), over one third of the respondents were exposed to moderate traumatic exposure (33.5%), and about one tenth of the sample were exposed to low traumatic exposure (9.5%) in the context of the Kashmir conflict. The prevalence of trauma was 100% in both males and females. The traumatic events with highest rate of prevalence were "feeling stressed" (97.3%), followed by "fear of search operations, crackdowns or curfews" (89.2%); "witnessing a protest or being part of it" (88.3%); "a family member, relative or friend being hit with a bullet, pellet, or any other explosive" (76.5%); and "exposure to violent media portrayals" (74.3%). Thirteen of 17 traumatic events were significantly associated with gender wherein males reported significantly higher prevalence in all of these events than females, except one. Conclusions: The findings of the current study revealed a very disturbing picture regarding the prevalence of traumatic experience of Kashmiri young adults and recommends that educational institutions and nongovernment organizations in Kashmir should pay attention toward guiding the young adults of Kashmir in the right direction for their growth, safety, and welfare, in addition to providing mental health support services, to enhance psychological competence, prevent the development of psychiatric disorders, and utilize the potentials of youth for nation building. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of Pakistani Challenge to Indian Hegemonic Ambition: A Look into History

South Asia is the largest region in the world in terms of population and India is the most dominant power among the eight member states that comprise the region, two of which possess nuclear weapons. The region is widely regarded as potential conflict zone because of the historic rivalry between India and Pakistan. As the British exited from the subcontinent, India aspired to inherit the hegemonic pole position of the colonial power as its successor. But refusal of nuclear Pakistan, the second most powerful state in South Asia to surrender to the Indian material superiority resulted in the conflict formation during the last seven decades. The enmity between India and Pakistan commenced from the violent partition of British India in 1947. In addition to the three wars that India and Pakistan fought since the British relinquished colonial occupation, there were many other conflicts that could have ignited full-fledged armed confrontation. One of the core reasons for tension in South Asia is the unresolved Kashmir problem. Pakistan’s possession of nuclear arms has further dented Indian ambition to establish unchallenged regional hegemonic stability. The nuclearization of the subcontinent in the 90’s has benefitted much smaller Pakistan by elevating it to a more potent challenger to the Indian military might. The failure of India to rise above the perennial Indo-Pak confrontation not only has acted against fulfilling its dream of achieving the great power status, but also proven to be a formidable barrier in the creation of favorable environment needed for regional cooperation in order to maintain socio-economic development in the poverty-stricken South Asia. This paper focuses on the root causes of the conflict with chronological history of events.

Conflict in Kashmir and Manipur: history, ethnicity, gender

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the conflict in the Indian states of Kashmir and Manipur. It situates both conflicts within a historical frame to underscore their origins in history. Using a comparative, inter-disciplinary lens, the paper foregrounds the political, empirical and gendered similarities in both conflict zones. The human cost of modern India’s project of integrating historically autonomous, ethnically distinct and geographically disparate regions of Kashmir and Manipur is illustrated. By way of conclusion, the paper suggests institutional respect for, and accommodation of, ethnic minority history, identity and aspiration, as an ethical, democratic way forward towards conflict resolution.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a relatively lesser used comparative, critical inter-disciplinary approach towards examining ethnic conflict. Contrary to ahistorical normative approaches focused on individual ethnic conflict, or the conventional assumption that the ethnic conflicts in India are necessarily mutually exclusive, this paper uses a comparative frame to underscore the shared historical origins and common empirical realities of the conflicts in Kashmir and Manipur. This particular approach reframes conventional epistemic debates on conflict in ways that offer a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the same.FindingsThis paper underscores the critical importance of a historically informed approach to conflict and conflict resolution in India’s ethnic borderlands. Challenging statist approaches based on coercion and repression, the paper underscores the need for respect and accommodation of ethnic minority history, identity and aspiration as essential conditions towards a just and enduring peace in both regions.Originality/valueWith exceptions, a comparative approach to conflict studies in India is relatively rare. To this extent, this paper diverges from mainstream approaches. Further, in contrast to studies focused on individual conflicts examined within a single disciplinary analytic frame, this paper uses an inter-disciplinary, intersectional approach to conflict studies. By capturing the converging historical political, social, human and gendered fields of conflict in Kashmir and Manipur, this paper offers a richer, more sophisticated understanding of the character of conflict in India.

Finding the Empathetic Genre

Empathy scholars not just show that when effortfully cultivated, empathy can be recruited for out-grouping, they also assert that literatures, through complex narrative building and perspective taking, can foster a reader’s willingness to simulate the thoughts/feelings of others. Nonetheless, these scholars insist that not all literatures have the same effect on readers. While some such as the romance (that seeks the union of lovers) are more suited for cross-cultural empathy, others like the heroic plot (that celebrates a hero’s ethnocentric victories) strengthen in-groupism. Adopting this theoretical framework, I examine Mirza Waheed’s The Book of Golden Leaves, a modern romance set in the backdrop of occupied Kashmir. The novel explores the Kashmir conflict from the perspectives of a local couple, Faiz and Roohi, as they negotiate their romantic union through obstacles including communal strife, their own ideological positions on Kashmir, and the broader political turmoil in the valley. My goal in this article is to see whether the novel, as a romance, can truly extend an empathetic view to the pain experienced by the diverse residents of the valley or whether it gets built into a heroic plot that ultimately favors a nationalistic political agenda (Indian or Pakistani). This study facilitates fresh ways of exploring empathy and literature and provides insights into understanding the Kashmir conflict.

WAR AND PEACE IN SOUTH ASIA: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF PAK-INDIA RELATIONS (2008-2018)

This research aimed to investigate the War and Peace in South Asia: A Historical Analysis of Pak-India Relations (2008-2018). The aim was to analyze the relationships of both countries with regard to war and peace in connections with mutual disputes and negotiations efforts for peace process. Because of India and Pakistan's history of poor ties going back to 1947, discussions of collaboration have often occurred in the midst of threats of war and military confrontation. They have deployed their soldiers on several times as a consequence of a major threat of conflict. Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have been strained since the early 1990s as a result of turmoil in Kashmir and terrorist actions in other Indian states. After a series of high-profile terrorist strikes that took many lives, India's hostile spirit based on hatred against Pakistan has faded. Those opposed to the peace effort between India and Pakistan have established a pattern. Terrorist attacks have thwarted almost every Indo-Pakistani peace endeavor in recent years. As a consequence, belligerent minds dominate dialogues between India and Pakistan, constantly spreading negative narratives that condemn the adversary while creating virtue-based self-images in their own countries. Such negative narratives have been reinforced during a period of conflict, when there are numerous acts of violence, leading to an ongoing cycle of distrust, anxious to fight and violence that is difficult to escape. As a result, a positive cycle of trust and confidence growing between the two countries was never able to acquire traction or establish itself. Keywords: Pak-India Relations, Kashmir Issue, Kargil Conflict, Water Dispute.

The Dismal Predicament of Kashmir from since Emancipation of India-Pakistan

Kashmir is such conflict which started based on denial of human needs like security, identity, recognition, and personal development. Kashmir issue an enduring rivalry between two states has become more complicated due to the involvement of non state actors means. South Asia, where it is fluctuating and disturbed four times but since 1999. it is stable due nuclear factor. Besides other factors, major contributing factor for disturbed balance of power. Due to the persistency of conflict, the region experienced wars, which disturbed of balance of power. Pakistan and India is based on their threat perception of each other. Having experienced of offensive realism four times, now these states are experiencing defensive realism since 1999. Balance Of power depends on their offensive and defensive nature of warfare. In such situation, human security is ignored and even it is not prime agenda of states. South Asian peace and security depends on US effective role to bring Pakistan and India to nuclear policies. Kashmir can only be resolved, if proper mechanism will be provided and with inclusion of Kashmiri's voice. Border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan which was not paid much attention should be given priority. Due to non-traditional threats„ (terrorist organization) peace and stability of the region is threatening. In this regard having realized the sensitivity to the issue, Pakistan and India should adopt a common agenda.

‘I shall paint my nails with the blood of those that covet me’: Kashmir’s Women’s Militia and Independence-era Nationalism

Abstract Towards the close of 1947, amid increasing turbulence and conflict in Kashmir, women activists established their own militia and were trained to use rifles – a rare initiative in South Asia even amid the turmoil of Partition and independence. The women were aligned with radical Kashmiri nationalism. Their militia was a self-defence force as well as a demonstration of support for Indian rule in Kashmir and for a democratic dispensation to replace the autocratic maharaja. Although the militia was short-lived and never saw active service, the sight of women drilling in the Kashmiri capital with rifles on their shoulders was a powerful demonstration of a change of regime. The testimony of former members of the women's militia emphasizes the sense of empowerment they gained – though the subsequent trajectory of the unresolved Kashmir conflict has clouded over this episode of women's political activism.

Dr. Riaz Tawhidi Kashmiri – A Representative Fiction Writer Of The Postmodern Era

Dr. Riaz Tawhidi Kashmiri is a renowned fiction writer of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Not only are the stories of local themes found in his fictions but the canvas of most of his stories is so wide that world-class themes and issues have been molded into the framework of fiction with great artistic and intellectual style. Thus most of his short stories beautifully reflect postmodern themes and on a literary level Riaz Tawhidi seems to have succeeded in establishing his position as a representative fiction writer of the postmodern era. In this article we will critically study the themes of Dr Riaz Tahwhidi’s fiction writing.

The obscure Kashmiris in the Kashmir conflict: Analysing the 1990 Kashmiri refugees

The obscure Kashmiris in the Kashmir conflict: Analysing the 1990 Kashmiri refugees

Lived Experiences of Widows of Armed Conflict in Kashmir: A Qualitative Study.

Armed conflicts create significant risks on almost every section of the society, as new forms of violence arise and the existing ones get exaggerated. In Kashmir, the long-standing conflict has resulted in the number of widows, orphans and enforced disappearance; however, little in-depth attention has been given in the literature on widows to the impact of this conflict. This present study examined the lived experiences of Kashmiri widows who had lost their husbands to the on-going conflict. Using the snowball sampling approach, 12 women were recruited for the face-to-face in-depth interviews. The findings of the study gained an in-depth understanding of the experiences of violence, deprivation, social stigma and psychological trauma, followed by their strategies for coping and struggle for justice. Widows are the worst hit victims of armed conflict and, therefore, inclusive interventions are needed to enhance the status of widows in a long run.

PAKISTAN-CHINA STRATEGIC COOPERATION (1972- 2015)

Pakistan’s search for security right after the independence led their policies to join western bloc in the midst of cold war due to threats posed from New Delhi and Kabul over territorial issues including Jammu & Kashmir issue, and Pak-Afghan Border. Pakistan’s foreign policy was driven by its commitment to Washington’s containment policy, which earned it hostility of communist bloc. Pakistan did not agreed to Washington’s policy of supporting New Delhi during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. This led Ayub Khan to explore other options and resulted in signing border agreement of 1963 with Beijing, which established the foundation of strategic partnership with Beijing. Islamabad played a significant role to end the Chinese isolation when it arranged the Nixon’s visit to Beijing in the early 1970s, which led to the Sino-US rapprochement. Since then, Beijing and Islamabad never looked back and have forged close association through the multilateral agreements over the years in the fields of military cooperation, nuclear cooperation as well as political and economic cooperation. The article summarizes the findings of doctoral studies by Noonari, which aims to explore the strategic cooperation between China and Pakistan and its impact over the US interests in the region.

The Kashmir Crisis and the Futility of U.N. Peacekeeping

The United Nations came into being on the premise of a world body tasked with ensuring sustainable peace through multilateralism. This is the primary mandate of the UN which gained new dimensions as nation-states became more complex and intertwined through globalization. An argument for the successes of U.N. peacekeeping can be made on the grounds of several interventions where U.N. sponsored policing helped create and maintain peace. However, contrary to that, very valid and extensive literature backed by historical events is present that highlights the shortcoming of said interventions. Reasons for these failed attempts at peacemaking can be attributed to a wide range of framework fault lines, geopolitical complexities, vested interests, and the overall difficulty of the task. Moreover, there are examples of these protracted, fruitless missions that haunt the UN halls to this day and have contributed to the critique leveled against the world body. One such example is the Kashmir dispute between two nuclear-armed neighbors, and the utter failure of the UN mission in the region to attain a cessation to violence.

Kashmir conflict: Yearning for an elusive peace in the contemporary South Asian Region

The conflict in Jammu & Kashmir has become a critical issue not only for India-Pakistan relations but for the whole of South Asia. After careful analysis, the origin of the conflict has been identified by scholars as a failure in demarcating a practical border between India and Pakistan by the British colonial rulers. The consequence was that after gaining independence, both countries went to war three times over Kashmir. In addition, numerous breakouts of hostilities were reported along the line of control between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region. The United Nations Organization made several attempts to arrive at a permanent solution for the Kashmir issue. In addition, several bilateral meetings were held by India and Pakistan to work out a solution to bring about long-lasting peace in Kashmir. However, all the initiatives failed, and hostilities are still going on. The situation has further deteriorated after several incidents of cross-border terrorism that had its roots in Kashmir politics. Today the Kashmir issue has become a key threat to South Asian security after the changes that have taken place in global politics as well as regional politics. The aim of this paper is to study the conflict in Kashmir to find a way to build peace in the new global context. This paper is based entirely on secondary data and uses the descriptive analysis method. Indian government policy on Jammu & Kashmir has been influenced by past events in Kashmir, while Pakistan is looking for alternative strategies to build peace in Kashmir. The impact of this conflict on the South Asian region will mostly depend on the Indian Government’s determination to keep Kashmir under its control while it is continually challenged by the Pakistani regime, which also has claims on this territory.

The India-Pakistan Conflict in Kashmir and Human Rights in the Context of Post-2019 Political Dynamics

The article takes a critical look at the multiple challenges related to the Indo-Pakistani conflict over Kashmir, with particular focus on the correlation between the countries’ policies and selected human rights (HR) related challenges in Kashmir. In particular, it investigates the post-2019 dynamics, with the major watershed being the abrogation of the semi-autonomy of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by India. The major objective of this research is to unpack the evolving complexities of the Kashmir situation by analysing holistically how certain key local/domestic, bilateral, and regional aspects influence the conflict’s trajectories and by looking at them from political and HR-related perspectives. The study concludes that domestic, bilateral, and international circumstances make both adversaries prone to bolster their belligerent narratives rather than deal with the issue constructively, by de-escalating mutual tensions and addressing the problems of the indigenous residents of Kashmir. This unresolved dispute stamps its negative imprint not only on Indo-Pakistani relations and the entire South Asian security system but also adversely affects the situation in the pieces of Kashmir administered by India and Pakistan, respectively.

South Asia’s Security Dilemma: How India and Pakistan Lost Policy Flexibility in the Kashmir Conflict

The South Asian subcontinent has seen many conflicts and wars over Kashmir, and Kashmir is at the heart of the conflict between India and Pakistan. Historically, India has gained the upper hand in many conflicts. However, both sides remain in a “security dilemma.” This security dilemma is not limited to the military, but is an all-encompassing “security dilemma.” Currently, such as territorial conflicts, security challenges, energy shortages, resource scarcity, arms race, and geopolitical wrangling has led to India-Pakistan relations remaining rife with suspicion and mistrust. The most difficult issues can be resolved if the two countries review and revise their policies and postures and make progress in building bilateral trust. This paper will examine the impact of the Kashmir conflict on the security dilemma between India and Pakistan and will discuss how both sides have lost flexibility in the security dilemma, which, by default, demands further studies on the subject.

МАЛАЙЗИЯ И ИНДИЯ: КАШМИРСКИЙ ВОПРОС

The article examines the history of the Kashmir problem, its impact on the development of relations between Malaysia and India, the history of the emergence of the Indian community in Malaysia, ways to resolve the conflict.