Borders And Conflict In South Asia

'Borders and conflict in South Asia' is the first full-length study of the 1947 drawing of the Indo-Pakistani boundary in Punjab. Using the Radcliffe commission as a window onto the decolonization and independence of India and Pakistan, and examining the competing interests, both internal and international, that influenced the actions of the various major players, it highlights British efforts to maintain a grip on India even as the decolonization process spun out of control. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Pakistan, and Britain, combined with innovative use of cartographic sources, the book paints a vivid picture of both the partition process and the Radcliffe line's impact on Punjab. This book will be vital reading for scholars and students of colonialism, decolonization, partition, and borderlands studies, while providing anyone interested in South Asia's independence with a highly readable account of one of its most controversial episodes.

Borders and Conflict in South Asia is the first full-length study of the 1947 drawing of the Indo-Pakistani boundary in Punjab. Using the Radcliffe commission as a window onto the decolonisation and independence of India and Pakistan, and examining the competing interests – both internal and international – that influenced the actions of the various major players, it highlights British efforts to maintain a grip on India even as the decolonisation process spun out of control. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Pakistan and Britain, combined with innovative use of cartographic sources, the book paints a vivid picture of both the partition process and the Radcliffe line's impact on Punjab. This book will be vital reading for scholars and students of colonialism, decolonisation, partition, and borderlands studies, while providing anyone interested in South Asia's independence with a highly readable account of one of its most controversial episodes.

This book presents a radical rethinking of Border Studies. Framing the discipline beyond conventional topics of spatiality and territoriality, it presents a distinctly South Asian perspective – a post-colonial and post-partition region where most borders were drawn with political motives, ignoring the socio-cultural realities of the region and economic necessities of the people. The authors argue that while securing borders is an essential function of the state, in this interconnected world, crossing borders and border cooperation is also necessary. The book examines contemporaneous and topical themes like disputes of identity and nationhood, the impact of social media on Border Studies, trans-border cooperation, water-sharing between countries, and resolution of border problems in the age of liberalisation and globalisation. It also suggests ways of enhancing cross-border economic cooperation and connectivity, and reviews security issues from a new perspective. Well supplemented with case studies, the book will serve as an indispensable text for scholars and researchers of Border Studies, military and strategic studies, international relations, geopolitics, and South Asian studies. It will also be of great interest to think tanks and government agencies, especially those dealing with foreign relations.

In Unresolved Border, Land and Maritime Disputes in Southeast Asia the authors shed light on unresolved and lingering territorial disputes in Southeast Asia and their reflection in current inter-state relations in the region, applying a wider regional and comparative perspective.

Borders and conflict in South Asia is the first full-length study of the 1947 drawing of the Indo-Pakistani boundary in Punjab. Using the Radcliffe commission as a window onto the decolonization and independence of India and Pakistan, and examining the competing interests, both internal and international, that influenced the actions of the various major players, it highlights British efforts to maintain a grip on India even as the decolonization process spun out of control. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Pakistan, and Britain, combined with innovative use of cartographic sources, the book paints a vivid picture of both the partition process and the Radcliffe line’s impact on Punjab. This book will be vital reading for scholars and students of colonialism, decolonization, partition, and borderlands studies, while providing anyone interested in South Asia’s independence with a highly readable account of one of its most controversial episodes.

Terrorism and low intensity conflicts are not new in South Asia but the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States suddenly gave the events a new dimension. From regional considerations, terrorism acquired global connotation and in this changed perspective, South Asian terrorism and low intensity conflicts needed to be explored afresh. The geographical region covered by the book includes predominantly the member countries of SAARC, Afghanistan and Myanmar, as also specific case studies including a few instances of terrorist activities from beyond the region. The papers analyse the societal, political and economic factors responsible for the rise and salience of terrorism; the challenges posed by terrorism and low intensity conflict on peace, stability and security of the nation-states and people; the international, regional and national regime against terrorism and perpetrators of mass violence; the motives, ideologies, strategies and activities of various non-state armed groups in South Asia; and thereby contribute toward meaningful policy options in tackling terrorism and activities of armed groups.