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South Asia, which consists of eight states of different sizes and capabilities, is characterized by high levels of insecurity at the inter-state, intra-state, and human level: insecurity that is manifest in both traditional and non-traditional security problems-especially transnational terrorism fuelled by militant religious ideologies. To explain what has caused and contributed to the perpetual insecurity and human suffering in the region, this book engages scholars of international relations, comparative politics, historical sociology, and economic development, among others, to reveal and analyze the key underlying and proximate drivers. It argues that the problems are driven largely by two critical variables: the presence of weak states and weak cooperative interstate norms. Based on this analysis and the conclusions drawn, the book recommends specific policies for making the region secure and for developing the long lasting inter- and intra-state cooperative mechanisms necessary for the perpetuation of that security.

This volume addresses three major security aspects in South Asia - armed conflicts, peace audit and early warning. The essays span the entire range of armed conflicts, including inter-state and intra-state actors in the region. An innovative attempt is also made to audit the peace processes in conflict-driven environments since certain areas have witnessed an end to armed conflicts. Addressing the gap between the end of violence and the response to peace, it assesses whether peace processes are fragile in South Asia. The volume further highlights early warning of impending armed conflicts permitting the placement of ameliorative measures for dealing with the situation from a law and order perspective. The role of internal and electoral politics is of special significance here. Topical and up-to-date, the essays address peace processes in Nagaland and Manipur, talks with the Taliban, elections in Nepal, ten years of Indo-Pak cease fire, and the common divide in Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

This book examines the crime-terror nexus in South Asia, focusing in particular on the activities of non-state actors that operate out of Pakistan, and challenges the conventional wisdom that the Pakistan Taleban (TTP) and Al-Qaeda are Pakistan's most serious security threats. Much research has focused on the policies of India and Pakistan towards Kashmir. But surprisingly little attention has been paid to several notable Pakistan-based non-state actors who are increasingly operating on their own, and who have the potential to greatly inhibit, if not derail, the peace process there. These groups blur the line between terrorism and organized crime with serious implications for policy in the region. India and Pakistan can engage in confidence-building measures, but if criminal actors such as Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) and D-Company cannot effectively be controlled, a lack of trust between both sides will remain. Although the role of regular military forces is not to be discounted, many of the non-state actors in Indian-Held Kashmir, such as LeT, are not confined by the same restraints as state forces, thus allowing them engage in more violent actions without fear of reprisal. In order for lawmakers, security personnel, and others to develop sound, comprehensive policies, these forces and their potential to undermine political initiatives must be fully appreciated. This book explores the dynamics of the relationship between Pakistan, D-Company, and LeT and how it affects strategic thought, decision-making, and security interests in the region and explains the triangular relationships between states, terrorist groups, and organized criminal syndicates in general, and in India and Pakistan in particular. This book will of much interest to students of South Asian politics, terrorism, organised crime, war and conflict studies, and Security Studies in general.

Religion and security play an important role in traditional societies. In South and Central Asia, traditional and moderate Islamic beliefs and practices with strong indigenous and Sufi content are diametrically opposed to radical Wahabi and Taliban brands of Islam intolerant of other cultures and groups. The emergence of radical extremist and violent Islamist movements poses serious challenges to the secular and democratic polity, inter-religious harmony, security and territorial integrity of states in the region. As such, religious extremism, terrorism, drug trafficking and arms smuggling are viewed by various countries in South and Central Asia and also in the West as the main threats to their security. Against this backdrop, this book provides local perspectives on religion, security, history and geopolitics in South Asia and Central Asia in an integrated manner. Presenting a holistic and updated view of the developments inside and across South and Central Asia, it offers concise analyses by experts on the region. Contributors discuss topics such as the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the politics and practice of Islamist terrorism in India, and the security challenges posed by religious radicalism in Bangladesh. The book makes a significant contribution to South and Central Asian Studies, as well as studies on Regional Security. K.Warikoo is Director of the Central Asian Studies Programme at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He has authored several books on Kashmir, Central Asia and Afghanistan, and is the founding editor of the quarterly journal Himalayan and Central Asian Studies . 1. Introduction K. Warikoo 2. Taliban’s Resurgence in Afghanistan and Pakistan Frederic Grare 3. Pakistan's Slide Towards Talibanisation Sushant Sareen 4. Resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan: Implications for Regional Security Deepali Gaur Singh 5. Roads to Perdition: The Politics and Practice of Islamist Terrorism in India Praveen Swami 6. Islamist Extremism in Kashmir K. Warikoo 7. Communal Peace in India: Lessons from Multicultural Banaras Priyankar Upadhyaya 8. Islamist Extremism and Terror Network in Bangladesh Smruti S. Pattanaik 9. Religious Radicalism in Bangladesh: Security Challenges to India C. A. Josukutty 10. Hizb ut-Tahrir: The Destabilising Force in Central Asia Mahesh R. Debata 11. Islamic Radicalism in Central Asia Murat Laumulin 12. Islam in Contemporary Tajikistan: Role of Muslim Leaders Muzaffar Olimov 13. Ethnic-Religious Separatism in Xinjiang: Challenge to China's Security K. Warikoo

Explains the underlying causes of four contained conflicts on the subcontinent, their consequences, the lessons learned, and the American role in each. Considers these as cases of attempted conflict resolution, as instances of limited war by nuclear-armed nations, and as examples of intervention and engagement by the U.S. and China

This book provides a detailed examination of the compound crisis between India and Pakistan that brought the region to the brink of a nuclear war in 1990. Placing the crisis in the context of concurrent international events such as the fall of the Soviet Union, the authors draw out the lesson for present-day South Asian affairs. The book also makes a significant contribution to the debates on the role of nuclear weapons, confidence and security building strategies and the place of ethnicity in contemporary international relations.

The nuclear test explosions in India and Pakistan in 1998, followed by the outbreak of hostilities over Kashmir in 1999, marked a frightening new turn in the ancient, bitter enmity between the two nations. Although the tension was eclipsed by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent American attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, it has not disappeared, as evidenced by the 2001 attack in the Indian Parliament by Islamic fundamentalists out of Kashmir. By 2002, these two nuclear-armed neighbors seemed to be once again on the brink of war. This book outlines the strategic structure of the rivalry and the dynamic forces driving it, and investigates various possible solutions. The expert contributors focus on the India-Pakistan rivalry, but also consider the China factor in South Asia's nuclear security dilemma. Although essentially political-strategic in its approach, the book includes coverage of opposing military arsenals and the impact of local terrorism on the delicate balance of power.

This book is a collection of speeches and lectures delivered by political luminaries, practitioners and noted scholars on South Asian security at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. It offers interesting insights on the emerging security dynamics of South Asia. The issues covered are highly topical and include analyses of the conflict in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism in Pakistan, conflict management in Kashmir, post-conflict restructuring in Nepal and militarization in Asia. Some of the chapters provide in-depth analyses of the regional power politics and competing foreign policy priorities, with particular emphasis on India, the major regional power. India's foreign policy and defense relations with Southeast Asia, China and Russia are covered in detail in individual chapters.