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Demystifying Kashmir

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Written by Delhi University (India) political science teacher Navnita Chadha Behera, Demystifying Kashmir is a close examination of the contested Kashmir territory, which has been a source of dispute and outright war between Indian and Pakistan for practically half a century. Yet Kashmir has its own ethnic, cultural, religious, and political history. Drawn from extensive field research, Demystifying Kashmir examines the conflict over Kashmir in the context of a political battle of statemaking between India and Pakistan, rather that an ideological Hindu-Muslim conflict. Chapters examine the medley of races caught in the midst of strife, the doomed Kashmiri insurgency of 1989 (initially an indigenous and underground movement of young people calling themselves the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front prior to developing into a mass movement for independence), and the modern day "peace puzzle" that focuses on what Behera refers to as the four P's: the parameters, players, policies, and prognosis of the peace process in Kashmir. An absolute "must-read" for anyone seeking to familiarize themselves with the history and current political situation of Kashmir, enthusiastically recommended for public and college library reference shelves.

The book is about both Jammu and Kashmir. Giving some 50 years of history of the states. It turns out that Kashmir is vital in several ways to India. It is the only Muslim majority state. By retaining Kashmir, India affirms its secular nature, even while the majority of Indians are Hindu. This is seen as a plus, compared to Pakistan, whose existance is explicitly based on a Muslim identity.

We see much cynicism by Pakistan, in lending support to Kashmiri insurgents. Even while doing little to assuage ethnic Kashmiris in regions of Pakistan. At relatively little cost in material, and essentially no cost in manpower, Pakistan manages to tie down half the Indian army in Kashmir. From a purely military standpoint, the Pakistani involvement yields a continuing bonus. With the status quo, the direct confrontation between front line Pakistani and Indian soldiers is at almost numeric parity.

The book is clear on the point that we are unlikely to see a peaceful resolution of Kashmir any time soon. The main powers, US, Russia, China and Europe, have no direct involvement in this state. Their main concern is that Pakistan and India do not go to nuclear war. So Kashmir can keep simmering. Especially since India has the manpower to maintain an indefinite occupation, and Pakistan has little incentive to stop its interventions.