Asma Yaqoob

Ms. Asma Yaqoob is Research Analyst at Institute of Regional Studies.

DOI: http://DOI Number

Keywords: Indian leadership, Kashmiris, Indian grand Strategy, dissident elements, trilateral dialogue, military dynamics

Abstract

As a result of its intellectual naivete and political myopia, India has never been able to win over Kashmiris. India’s broader plan in the region and beyond will never be served by treating the Kashmiris with an iron grip. India has been trying to project itself as a global leader, but the human misery in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) threatens to derail those efforts. Given the strategic pattern of regional and international politics over the past few decades, the extensive western influence in the region, proxy wars, the dynamics of alliances and coalitions within and beyond the region, and most importantly, the rise and spread of dissident elements in IHK with strong links elsewhere, the Kashmir conflict has long ceased as a “mere territorial dispute” between India and Pakistan.  The strategic problems at play in India-Pakistan peace talks are often at odds with the conclusions reached by New Delhi and Kashmiri leadership, and vice versa. Kashmir’s peace process is too complex to be adequately explored in a single article. Therefore, this study is limited to discussing the military and political factors that have been shaping IHK over the past sixty years, leaving it susceptible to communal strife along with the rest of India. The study’s starting point is the hypothesis that developments in regional and international geopolitics over the past few years have had a significant impact on IHK, and its ultimate goal is to demonstrate the importance of revising India’s approach to the problem.

First Published

March 25, 2016

How to Cite

Asma Yaqoob, “India-Pakistan Confrontation: What has Changed About Indian-Held Kashmir since 1947?,” Regional Studies 34, no.2 (Spring 2016): 3-36, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/india-pakistan-confrontation-what-has-changed-about-indian-held-kashmir-since-1947/

Issue

Volume 34, Issue 2