Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: fidayeen phase, partitionist approach, plebiscitary approach, Kashmir Valley, Northern Ireland, New Delhi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A beautiful Himalayan landscape extolled in memoir and travel literature (e.g., Sudha Koul's Tiger Ladies: A Memoir of Kashmir [2002]), Jammu and Kashmir have been punished by a complicated terrorist war for the past decade. Bose, a professor of politics, compares the area to Northern Ireland because both regions' inhabitants are exasperated with militancy and yearn for peace. Their unhappy dilemma is that their lives are embroiled in the competing nationalisms of Pakistan and India, each locked into an adamantine narrative of accusation against the perfidious opponent. Though Bose summarizes how Kashmir became a bone of contention in the blood-wracked partition of British India in 1947-48, he restrains himself from adjudicating the grievances in favor of exploring an exit from the impasse. His basic idea, as in Northern Ireland, is to put into abeyance the parties' most radical demands in the hope they will ameliorate under the influence of newly created negotiating institutions. Knowledgeable about Kashmir's religio-ethnic complexities, Bose can be profitably consulted by serious students of the conflict. Trygve Thoreson
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Review

Though Bose summarizes how Kashmir became a bone of contention in the blood-wracking partition of British India in 1947-48, he restrains himself from adjudicating the grievances in favor of exploring an exit from the impasse. His basic idea, as in Northern Ireland, is to put into abeyance the parties' most radical demands in the hope they will ameliorate under the influence of newly created negotiating institutions. Knowledgeable about Kashmir's religio-ethnic complexities, Bose can be profitably consulted by serious students of the conflict.
--Gilbert Taylor (Booklist )

One of the many remarkable things about Sumantra Bose's book is that it demonstrates that the common 'solutions' offered on Kashmir are actually dangerous.
--Sauvik Chakraverti (New York Sun )

The conflict over Kashmir remains one of the most intractable and explosive disputes of the postcolonial era and the subject of numerous books. Bose has added a clearly focused, concise, and well-written study to this list and provides an innovative set of proposals designed to settle the dispute.
--S. A. Kochanek (Choice )

[In] an intelligent, thoughtful and accessible discussion of the conflict in Kashmir, Sumantra Bose examines how the conflict became a grave threat to South Asia and explains the roots of the conflict and seeks to proffer a solution for peace in the region. (The Asian Art Newspaper )

Sumantra Bose's refreshingly readable, authoritative, and fair-minded account of the dispute goes far to illuminate both the reasons for its intractability and the requirements for its resolution.
--Robert C. Wirsing (International History Review )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (September 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674011732
• ISBN-13: 978-0674011731
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,431,418 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A balanced and informed account, November 25, 2004

By	Saleem Ali (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Numerous books have been written on Kashmir -- most are either too academic or too journalistic. This book is a refreshing mix of academic rigor and readable narrative. The author admirably stays away from political diatribes or predictive posturing that many South Asian authors tend to relish. Perhaps the only missing element is the relative lack of fieldwork on the Pakistani side of Kashmir which may have provided some further insights. Chapter 5 is a special treat to read as it provides clear and plausible recommendations for conflict resolution. Overall an excellent effort.