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Kashmir: Towards Insurgency
Kashmir: Towards Insurgency attempts to understand the nature and historical roots of the insurgency in Kashmir. It traces the complicated history of the early years after independence, when the stability of Kashmir was the subject of intense debate, and examines the process through which the emotional ties between Kashmir and the rest of the country were eroded and the basis of secular and democratic politics in the region were weakened. As the Indian state lost its legitimacy, militant groups gained popular support. This tract attempts to understand the logic of terrorism and secession and reflects on the ways in which such forces can be politically contained and democratic processes in Kashmir re-introduced.
124 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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May 21, 2018
What brought about the total alienation of Kashmir! Muslims by 1990? How did the successive governments in New Delhi and the Kashmir leadership jointly manage to turn ‘the greatest triumph of Indian Nationalism after Independence’ into a human tragedy?
Balraj Puri, who has been closely involved in the complex problems of Jammu and Kashmir, deals with these and many related questions in this work. He emphasises on understanding the "spirit of Kashmiriyat" for a thorough understanding of the Kashmir problem. According to Puri, the conflict, militancy and terrorism in Kashmir cannot be understood only in the context of administrative or economic reasons alone. Similarly, poverty and unemployment may cause class discontent but not community discontent. It is the deprivation of political power that is at the root of the conflict, due to which the community believes that its dignity and identity are threatened. The basic failure, according to Puri, is the constant manipulation and denial of the legitimate political aspirations of the people of the region.
The book thoroughly traces the roots of conflict in Kashmir from 1947 to 1986 and after and Puri has been able to bring together almost all the aspects from the role of the Indian state to the formation of government by the National conferences, from aspirations of the people of Jammu to the transference of leadership in Kashmir, from the rise of militancy to the gross violation of human rights by both the security forces and the militant organizations.
It is a must read as it provides a significant context to understand what the later writers have written about different aspects of Kashmir problem in the post-1990s.
Balraj Puri, who has been closely involved in the complex problems of Jammu and Kashmir, deals with these and many related questions in this work. He emphasises on understanding the "spirit of Kashmiriyat" for a thorough understanding of the Kashmir problem. According to Puri, the conflict, militancy and terrorism in Kashmir cannot be understood only in the context of administrative or economic reasons alone. Similarly, poverty and unemployment may cause class discontent but not community discontent. It is the deprivation of political power that is at the root of the conflict, due to which the community believes that its dignity and identity are threatened. The basic failure, according to Puri, is the constant manipulation and denial of the legitimate political aspirations of the people of the region.
The book thoroughly traces the roots of conflict in Kashmir from 1947 to 1986 and after and Puri has been able to bring together almost all the aspects from the role of the Indian state to the formation of government by the National conferences, from aspirations of the people of Jammu to the transference of leadership in Kashmir, from the rise of militancy to the gross violation of human rights by both the security forces and the militant organizations.
It is a must read as it provides a significant context to understand what the later writers have written about different aspects of Kashmir problem in the post-1990s.
Displaying 1 of 1 review