Customer Reviews

Double Betrayal: Repression and Insurgency in Kashmir (Carnegie Endowment Book)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book offers the advantage of being short and introducing the general reader to recent events in Kashmir. However, I think the book is less of a rigorous history than an advocacy piece. Newberg is right to emphasize the human rights abuses and political repression of Kashmir by the Indian central (federal) government; however, this does not bring out the complexity of the problem, which is also influenced by economic conditions, military assistance from Pakistan, and the inevitable problem with all guerrilla movements, which is that they need popular support, but can quickly turn into oppressors themselves. And the writer seems to have interviewed a lot of militant group members, but not that many local people or government officials for their side of the story. For a more detailed, recent historical analysis, see Sumit Ganguly's book on the Crisis in Kashmir.

The authors have presented an informative and objective analysis of one of the least known and understood of freedom struggles to the American people. Kashmir, a region in South Asia bordered by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China is in a state of siege similar to Bosnia. Since the creation of India and Pakistan in August of 1947 by Great Britain, the people of Kashmir have been in a struggle to exercise their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by UN Security Council Resolutions. Thousands of young Kashmiris have lost their lives, as documented by the authors in a very revealing and understandable text.

I highly encourage Westerners who value freedom and civil liberties for all peoples to read this relevant and well documented book. It is one of the finest books on modern Kashmir I have read and a moving tribute to the tragedy of a noble people who are victims of the greed and whims of corrupt politicians.

As an American of Kashmiri and Pakistani origin, i found this book to be very intriguing. It explains Indian attrocities that have been dismissed by the rest of the world. I just wish more was written about militants as well. This book could also do with some more pictures. All in all, a good book, if youre willing to forget that it is 6 years old, and in that 6 years is where the Kashmir movement evolved from a mere shoot-and-run rebellion, to a deadly and daring guerilla war.

The authors have presented an informative and objective analysis of one of the least known and understood of freedom struggles to the American people. Kashmir, a region in South Asia bordered by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China is in a state of siege similar to the Balkans in the 1990's. Since the creation of India and Pakistan in August of 1947 by Great Britain, the people of Kashmir have been in a struggle to exercise their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by UN Security Council Resolutions. Thousands of young Kashmiris have lost their lives, as documented by the authors in a very revealing and understandable text.

I highly encourage Westerners who value freedom and civil liberties for all peoples to read this relevant and well documented book. It is one of the finest books on modern Kashmir I have read and a moving tribute to the tragedy of a noble people who are victims of the greed and whims of corrupt politicians who could drag South Asia into nuclear war since both India and Pakistan both possess nuclear capabilities and have fought two wars over Kashmir.

The author's concerns about the Kashmiris come through quite well in the book, but her analysis on fixing the blame is incomplete and superficial. Ms. Newberg has taken the safe, well-trodden path of fixing the blame principally, and wrongly, on the Indian government for the strife in Kashmir, but offers few suggestions.

The world should rightly be concerned about the violence in Kashmir, but its judgment on who is to blame should be based upon facts and not emotions, however raw they may be. The Kashmir conflict has deep historical roots that Ms. Newburg completely glosses over in her book.

Although, there are several shortcomings in the book the principal one is a complete absence of a description of the current political environment in the areas surrounding Kashmir. Kashmir is bordered by Pakistan, Tibet, Afghanistan and India. The first three states are hardly exemplary models for secular democracy. The last mentioned, India, has so far borne the burden of introducing representative democracy (however flawed it may seem to outsiders) in a region that has slowly come grudgingly under the authority of religious fundamentalism and the gun. For doing a difficult job made impossible under current circumstances, India should be applauded, not criticized. Holding elections in an area where Islamic fundamentalists, with considerable support from those other model pillars of liberal democracies - Pakistan (which has just had its fourth military coup in its history) and the Afghan Taleban threaten to shoot voters, is not an easy task for any government. This makes the task of correcting previous wrongs by any civilian government very difficult, since democratic expression is not allowed through the ballot. Ms. Newburg completely ignores this in her analysis.

Ms. Newburg also twists facts (unwittingly or wittingly) to suit her theory. The introduction of her book (page 1) has a glaring omission. I quote, "...in 1947, the ruling Hindu maharajah committed his predominantly Muslim subjects to India. Tribal leaders from Paksitan crossed into Kashmir (with the blessings of the new Pakistan government) but stopped short of Srinigar". What is completely missing from the description is the fact that the Hindu maharajah had not acceded to either India or Pakistan at the time. Only when faced with an armed invasion by Pakistan, did he seek India's help. India was willing to commit her troops, but only after the matter of accession had been settled. In the end, the matter of accession was settled, when the maharajah chose to accede to India, and Indian troops came to his aid. India's act was fully legal - as borne out by the various UN resolutions that Pakistan keeps referring to, which require Pakistan to first evacuate its armed forces from all of Kashmir. By reversing the chronological sequence of events, Ms. Newburg obfuscates the issues, in a manner that repeats itself throughout the book.

The authors have presented an informative and objective analysis of one of the least known and understood of freedom struggles to the American people. Kashmir, a region in South Asia bordered by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China is in a state of siege similar to Bosnia. Since the creation of India and Pakistan in August of 1947 by Great Britain, the people of Kashmir have been in a struggle to exercise their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by UN Security Council Resolutions. Thousands of young Kashmiris have lost their lives, as documented by the authors in a very revealing and understandable text.(p)

I highly encourage Westerners who value freedom and civil liberties for all peoples to read this relevant and well documented book. It is one of the finest books on modern Kashmir I have read and a moving tribute to the tragedy of a noble people who are victims of the greed and whims of corrupt politicians.