India And Pakistan Engagement

India and Pakistan, nuclear neighbors and rivals, fought the last of three major wars in 1971. Far from peaceful, however, the period since then has been "one long crisis, punctuated by periods of peace." The long-disputed Kashmir issue continues to be both a cause and consequence of India-Pakistan hostility. Four Crises and a Peace Process focuses on four contained conflicts on the subcontinent: the Brasstacks Crisis of 1986–1987, the Compound Crisis of 1990, the Kargil Conflict of 1999, and the Border Confrontation of 2001–2002. Authors P.R. Chari, Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, and Brookings senior fellow Stephen P. Cohen explain the underlying causes of these crises, their consequences, the lessons that can be learned, and the American role in each. The four crises are notable because any one of them could have escalated to a large-scale conflict, or even all-out war, and three took place after India and Pakistan had gone nuclear. Looking for larger trends of peace and conflict in the region, the authors consider these incidents as cases of attempted conflict resolution, as instances of limited war by nuclear-armed nations, and as examples of intervention and engagement by the United States and China. They analyze the reactions of Indian, Pakistani, and international media and assess the two countries' decision-making processes. Fo ur Crises and a Peace Process explains how these crises have affected regional and international policy and evaluates the prospects for lasting peace in South Asia.

The book is a very concise and well-informed study of the India-Pakistan problem. It analyses how the unresolved conflict is eating into the resources of the two countries and impeding their social and economic development.

"Ashurtosh Misra's engaging volume will serve as a corrective to the view that India and Pakistan, locked in an enduring and often dangerous rivalry, cannot cooperate. They can and have. How they have done so is described here, illuminated by the insights of negotiation theory. This is a crucial contribution to the literature on India-Pakistan relations."-Kanti Bajpai, Professor in the Politics and International Relations of South Asia, Oxford University --

Estimation Of India As A Strategic Accomplice In The American Grand Game Plan To Contain Communism Was At Its Lowest Ebb During The Cold War. An Ebullient India Glowing In Its Glorified Hoary Past, Civilization, History And Exxemplay Freedom Struggle Based On Non-Violence And Truth, Was Intent On Carving Out A Place In World Politics Just In Commensurate With Its Cultural Treasure Trove And At Par With The Other Great Power, Though Such A Lofty Ambition Was Seen Abysmally In Disproportion To Its Military And Economic Deficits.

South Asia Has Been Called One Of The Most Dangerous Regions In The World. While India And Pakistan, Nuclear Neighbors And Rivals, Fought The Last Of Their Three Major Wars In 1971, The Period Since Then Has Been One Long Crisis Punctuated By Periods Of Peace. The Long-Disputed Kashmir Issue Continues To Be Both A Cause And Consequence Of India-Pakistan Hostility. Four Crises And A Peace Process Focuses On Four Contained Conflicts On The Subcontinent Since 1971: The Brasstacks Crisis Of 1986 87, The Compound Crisis Of 1990, The Kargil Conflict Of 1999, And The Border Confrontation Crisis Of 2001 02. Each Might Have Escalated To Large-Scale Conflict But Did Not. Additionally, Each Was Linked To The Introduction Of Nuclear Weapons Into The Arsenals Of India And Pakistan. Four Crises And A Peace Process Explains How These Crises Have Affected Regional And International Policy, And It Evaluates The Current Prospects For Lasting Peace In South Asia