When the British withdrew from India in 1947, two new states were created, India and Pakistan. Ever since there has been near permanent conflict between the two, breaking out in to all-out war on three occasions. The main point of contention in this conflict is the area of Kashmir, which both parties lay claim to. This study offers a comprehensive historical and political evaluation of the unfolding crisis, in a way that is approachable for anyone with a keen interest in the political, without needing any previous knowledge. Lars Blinkenberg (1931-) a law graduate from Aarhus University in Denmark, as well as a student of Law and Political Science at Cambridge is a man who has dedicated himself to the foreign services. He has served with Danish embassies in London and New Delhi as a counsellor before rising to Ambassador to Venezuela (81-86), Nigeria (92-96) and Syria (96-99). He is a man with a wealth of experience of international politics and conflict.

This book examines the major armed conflicts in South Asia — in India (with special reference to the Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir and the Naxalites), Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Designed as an annual series, the articles cover a set of issues across volumes. Each article provides a brief historical sketch of the emergence of armed conflict and outlines its various phases. The roles, objectives and strategies of the major state, non-state and international actors are critically evaluated.

The essays in this volume are concerned with armed conflicts in South Asia and the conflict management efforts made to mitigate them. Articles in the volume study conflict management, look at the direction armed conflict is likely to take and provide a set of alternative measures that could be perused by the actors. It addresses five key issues: history of the armed conflict, identifying the principal actors of the conflict, describing the course of the conflict and its major trends, evaluating conflict management measures undertaken, if any, presenting appropriate conclusions. It also includes additional chapters on Naxalism and sectarian strife in Pakistan. Designed as an annual series, this important collection discusses India’s geo-strategic importance including its common borders with its neighbours; the psychological and economic costs of violence, and the problem of refugee migrants; treaties and ceasefire agreements signed across countries; the role of the UN and other peacekeeping forces; and the future of failed and failing democracies. The book makes an important contribution to analysing armed conflicts and conflict resolution.

This book examines the major armed conflicts in South Asia. The articles study conflict management, look at the direction the armed conflict is likely to take and provide a set of alternative measures that could be pursued by the actors. Designed as an annual series, the articles provide a brief historical sketch of the emergence of armed conflict, outlining its various phases. This volume examines the various armed conflicts in South Asia in 2009 – in Afghanistan, FATA and NWFP, J&K, North-East India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and sectarian and Naxalite violence in Pakistan and India respectively. The volume also includes an exclusive chapter on the continuing story of suicide terrorism in Pakistan. This important collection discusses India’s geo-strategic importance and its common borders with its neighbours; the psychological and economic costs of violence and the problem of refugee migrants; treaties, memorandums and ceasefire agreements signed over the past several years across countries; the role of the United Nations and other peacekeeping forces; and the future of failed and failing states.

Are India and Pakistan rivals or enemies? Despite a voluminous output of political and, in particular, historical accounts of this extraordinary and unique relationship in international politics, there has been little attempt to theorize the culture of violence between these two states. As a consequence, the study of India-Pakistan relations suffers from what the author labels historical reiteration - that is, the dispute is historicized in a way that reproduces the preconceived division of 1947. Duncan McLeod moves the debate away from historical reiteration to instead theorize on the levels, nature and culture of violence between India and Pakistan since partition and independence in 1947. He examines the politicization of culture, cultures of rivalry and conflict, enmity and unlimited conflict. The volume will appeal to students and scholars in the fields of political theory, Asian politics and political sociology.

Shadows at Noon is an ambitious synthesis of decades of research and scholarship which explores the key strands of South Asian history in the twentieth century with clarity and authority. Unlike other narrative histories of the subcontinent that concentrate exclusively on politics, here food, leisure and the household are given equal importance to discussions of nationhood, the development of the state and patterns of migration. While it tells the subcontinent's story from the British Raj to independence and partition and on to the forging of the modern nations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the book's structure is thematic rather than chronological. Each of the chapters illuminates on overarching theme or sphere that has shaped South Asia over the course of the century. This format allows the reader to explore particular issues such as the changing character of nationalism or food consumption over time and in depth. Shadows at Noon is a bold, innovative and personal work that pushes back against standard narratives of 'inherent' differences between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Its purpose is to make contemporary South Asia intelligible to readers who are fascinated by the subcontinent's cultural vibrancy and diversity but are often perplexed by its social and political makeup. And it illuminates the many aspects that its people have in common rather than what divides them.