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Paradise at War: A Political History of Kashmir: A definitive yet accessible study of perhaps the most troubled part of India
‘A political scientist on Kashmir once said to “You cannot discuss Kashmir, or the Kashmir conflict, without starting with history.”’ In this way begins Radha Kumar’s political history of Kashmir, a book that attempts to give the reader a definitive yet accessible study of perhaps the most troubled part of India. Beginning with references to Kashmir as ‘a sacred geography’ in the Puranas, Kumar’s account moves forward in time through every major development in the region’s history. It grapples with the seemingly intractable issues that have turned the state into a battleground and tries to come up with solutions that are realistic and lasting.
Situating the conflict in the troubled geopolitics of Kashmir’s neighbourhood, Kumar unpicks the gnarled tangle of causes that have led to the present troubles in the region, from wars and conquest to Empire and the growth of nationalism; the troubled accession of the state to India by Maharaja Hari Singh amidst partition; Pakistani attacks and the rise of the Cold War; the politics of the various parts of the former princely state including Jammu and Kashmir, and the areas administered by Pakistan; the wars that followed and the attempts that Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri leaders, starting with Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru, made to find peaceful solutions, including taking the Kashmir issue to the UN, which had unintended consequences for India; the demand for plebiscite; the Simla Agreement, turning the ceasefire line into the Line of Control; communal riots in the 1980s and the growth of insurgency; increase in security forces in the state in the 1990s leading to public resentment; and the guerrilla occupation of Hazratbal, the fifteenth-century mosque. Showing that a changed Post-Cold War milieu offered new opportunities for peacemaking that were restricted by domestic stresses in Pakistan, Kumar analyses the Lahore Declaration and its undoing with the Kargil operation; the morphing of insurgency
into an Islamist jihad against India; India’s attempts to parley with separatist groups; and the
progress made towards a Kashmir solution via peace talks by various Indian and Pakistani
governments between 2002 and 2007.
Kumar’s descriptions of the contemporary situation—the impact of 9/11 and the war on
terrorism; the Afghan war and the Mumbai attacks which created pressure on Pakistan
to take action against radical Islamists; the blowback in Pakistan resulting in the growing
radicalization of Pakistani institutions such as the judiciary and its spillover in Kashmir; the
Indian government’s failure to move Kashmir into a peacebuilding phase; the trouble with
AFSPA; the anti-India feelings that were triggered by counter-insurgency responses in 2010,
the contentious coalition of 2014 and the killing of suspected terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016—
underline the tragedies which ensue when conditions, timing and strategy are mismatched.
Drawing on her experience as a government interlocutor, Kumar chastises the Indian
government for never failing ‘to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when it comes to the
state’s political grievances’. Equally, she shows how Pakistan’s Kashmir policy has been ‘an
unmitigated disaster’. While arguing that India can do a great deal to reduce violence and
encourage reconciliation within the former princely state, she concludes that if Kashmir is
ever to move towards lasting peace and stability, the major stakeholders as well as regional
and international actors will need to work together on the few feasible options that remain.
Timely and authoritative, the book cuts through the rhetoric that cloaks Kashmir to give the
reader a balanced, lucid and deeply empathetic view of the state, its politics and its people.
Situating the conflict in the troubled geopolitics of Kashmir’s neighbourhood, Kumar unpicks the gnarled tangle of causes that have led to the present troubles in the region, from wars and conquest to Empire and the growth of nationalism; the troubled accession of the state to India by Maharaja Hari Singh amidst partition; Pakistani attacks and the rise of the Cold War; the politics of the various parts of the former princely state including Jammu and Kashmir, and the areas administered by Pakistan; the wars that followed and the attempts that Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri leaders, starting with Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru, made to find peaceful solutions, including taking the Kashmir issue to the UN, which had unintended consequences for India; the demand for plebiscite; the Simla Agreement, turning the ceasefire line into the Line of Control; communal riots in the 1980s and the growth of insurgency; increase in security forces in the state in the 1990s leading to public resentment; and the guerrilla occupation of Hazratbal, the fifteenth-century mosque. Showing that a changed Post-Cold War milieu offered new opportunities for peacemaking that were restricted by domestic stresses in Pakistan, Kumar analyses the Lahore Declaration and its undoing with the Kargil operation; the morphing of insurgency
into an Islamist jihad against India; India’s attempts to parley with separatist groups; and the
progress made towards a Kashmir solution via peace talks by various Indian and Pakistani
governments between 2002 and 2007.
Kumar’s descriptions of the contemporary situation—the impact of 9/11 and the war on
terrorism; the Afghan war and the Mumbai attacks which created pressure on Pakistan
to take action against radical Islamists; the blowback in Pakistan resulting in the growing
radicalization of Pakistani institutions such as the judiciary and its spillover in Kashmir; the
Indian government’s failure to move Kashmir into a peacebuilding phase; the trouble with
AFSPA; the anti-India feelings that were triggered by counter-insurgency responses in 2010,
the contentious coalition of 2014 and the killing of suspected terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016—
underline the tragedies which ensue when conditions, timing and strategy are mismatched.
Drawing on her experience as a government interlocutor, Kumar chastises the Indian
government for never failing ‘to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when it comes to the
state’s political grievances’. Equally, she shows how Pakistan’s Kashmir policy has been ‘an
unmitigated disaster’. While arguing that India can do a great deal to reduce violence and
encourage reconciliation within the former princely state, she concludes that if Kashmir is
ever to move towards lasting peace and stability, the major stakeholders as well as regional
and international actors will need to work together on the few feasible options that remain.
Timely and authoritative, the book cuts through the rhetoric that cloaks Kashmir to give the
reader a balanced, lucid and deeply empathetic view of the state, its politics and its people.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2018
41 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 10, 2020
I was looking for a comprehensive history of Kashmir. There are many books available on the subject and my aim is to get an idea of the issues involved and be informed. I heard about Ms Radha Kumar and the title of the book interested me-Political History of Kashmir. The book covers the entire gamut of events starting from 1846 Treaty down to collapse of BJP-PDP alliance in 2018. It covers all points of view including those of India's, Pakistan's & Kashmiris'. Considering the problem (created in 1947) as given, the book mostly delves in to the way& strategies adopted by various Prime Ministers from india and Presidents/Generals from Pakistan, various political parties with different ideological inclinations to resolve this intractable problem. The parties, personalities and issues involved are so many you some times loose track of them. You get an impression that the author tried to be impartial and tried to give an objective account of the entire issue. The concluding chapter is good wherein the author gives probable solutions for the issue and the lessons learnt. She, apparently with her experience in similar disputes elsewhere, believes in autonomy for both to Kashmir and POK by respective Governments within their constitutional frameworks. You get a feeling that after 1980, Article 370 was not the main issue. The issue is insurgency and demand for Azadi and how to tackle these militants and political groups demanding Azadi. I thought the author should have added a few maps to illustrate her points and give a geographical idea of the issue. Whether abrogation of Article 370 will really help, only time has to tell. When so many leaders have tried their hand in the manner they thought fit, I think Mr Modi should be given a chance to try his method. He will of course be judged by the outcomes.But, after reading the book you will realise that it is the Kashmiri people who have to suffer while everyone is trying his hand.
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December 8, 2021Will not give a rating as I was clearly not the target audience for this book. This is for hard-core Kashmir or regional scholars, diplomats, think-tankers. This is not for the armchair reader at all!
June 15, 2020
The author was one of the interlocutors for engaging all stakeholders inKashmir by the UPA-II Govt. Ranging from the past to current impasse, the author deals in detail with the intricacies involved and provides a comprehensive and gripping account of the deadly conflict.
July 4, 2020
A detailed book on the political history on Kashmir. One of the best books for anyone who wants to know about the history Kashmir and the complexities surrounding the violence in the state. Right from the Puranas to the modern day history of Kashmir is well written.
August 25, 2020
An excellent account of all the events that led to the militarization of arguably the most beautiful piece of land in the world. Thoroughly unbiased and detailed. The book can get a little dense at times, could have been more readable for a layman. Overall it remains the most detailed account of the conflict I've read.
April 23, 2021
Great book to get an unbiased and objective understanding of the Kashmir conflict.
April 2, 2022
Perfect read
Great book, very in-depth. Every person who wants to know the history of Jammu and Kashmir in an objective manner must read this book.
Great book, very in-depth. Every person who wants to know the history of Jammu and Kashmir in an objective manner must read this book.
August 21, 2022
Athentic
August 16, 2021
This book is very well researched and also segmented, in the true history of the erstwhile Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir. Not only does it helps you understand about what are the forces at play in the Kashmir conflict which has dragged on since 1947, it also makes you aware the many aspects of the efforts that were taken to at least mitigate the problems that continue to bother the people of the Valley and the two nations involved.
July 16, 2021
The author is a seasoned Kashmir affairs observer and been a part of the group of interlocutors appointed to the state in 2010, thus making the book substantially credible. It is a well-researched piece and gives an extensive political history.
But if you are someone looking for a comprehensive history of the wonder that is Kashmir, this might not be the book you are looking for. It has little about the history of the region before the 1930s. Apart from the sporadic mentions of civilian casualty figures, fake encounters and one chapter on the talks held by the author (and two colleagues) with the public, it talks too little about the problems faced by the people in the region. This gives a kind of an inorganic feeling to the book.
However the taglines itself states that it is A Political History, and the book is excellent at that. It covers everything from Pakistan’s and India’s positions, the rise of regional political parties and other groups, the Pakistani Army's dominance in the country, the UN mediation, and the influences held by the US, Britain, China and erstwhile Soviet Union. The rise, presence and effects of terrorism are fairly covered. It also contains detailed accounts of the 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, spanning the reasons and ramifications of all four. Although at times it feels like a compilation of a whole lot of figures, sometimes unnecessary, which doesn’t let the reading remain breezy.
The author has done a commendable job in covering all the peace processes. And in giving insights to each and every successive govt in both, India and Pakistan. The narrative all along the book has been completely objective and without any bias towards any political party or govt whatsoever. It is surely an informative and fascinating read.
But if you are someone looking for a comprehensive history of the wonder that is Kashmir, this might not be the book you are looking for. It has little about the history of the region before the 1930s. Apart from the sporadic mentions of civilian casualty figures, fake encounters and one chapter on the talks held by the author (and two colleagues) with the public, it talks too little about the problems faced by the people in the region. This gives a kind of an inorganic feeling to the book.
However the taglines itself states that it is A Political History, and the book is excellent at that. It covers everything from Pakistan’s and India’s positions, the rise of regional political parties and other groups, the Pakistani Army's dominance in the country, the UN mediation, and the influences held by the US, Britain, China and erstwhile Soviet Union. The rise, presence and effects of terrorism are fairly covered. It also contains detailed accounts of the 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, spanning the reasons and ramifications of all four. Although at times it feels like a compilation of a whole lot of figures, sometimes unnecessary, which doesn’t let the reading remain breezy.
The author has done a commendable job in covering all the peace processes. And in giving insights to each and every successive govt in both, India and Pakistan. The narrative all along the book has been completely objective and without any bias towards any political party or govt whatsoever. It is surely an informative and fascinating read.
September 19, 2022
“Paradise at War” by Radha Kumar is the ideal book for anyone who wants to understand the genesis of the conflict in J&K and to know the events that have transpired since Independence. On both aspects, the author has done an impeccable job covering the details, providing insights and concluding with her analysis.
It took some time for me to read this book. And for anyone starting it, I’ll urge you to spend sufficient time understanding the following events(if needed, please read these areas more than once):
1- The genesis of the conflict and how different stakeholders wanted different things
2- The steps taken by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and how that impacted the state
3- The Elections of 1987
4- The 2004-08 peace process
This book will help you form an informed opinion on what the future lies for J&K. The final chapter in the book is titled “What Hope for a Peace Process”, a question anyone reading the book will continue to think about. As for Kashmiris, they seem to only want one thing. It is “to be left alone in my Kashmir”.
It took some time for me to read this book. And for anyone starting it, I’ll urge you to spend sufficient time understanding the following events(if needed, please read these areas more than once):
1- The genesis of the conflict and how different stakeholders wanted different things
2- The steps taken by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and how that impacted the state
3- The Elections of 1987
4- The 2004-08 peace process
This book will help you form an informed opinion on what the future lies for J&K. The final chapter in the book is titled “What Hope for a Peace Process”, a question anyone reading the book will continue to think about. As for Kashmiris, they seem to only want one thing. It is “to be left alone in my Kashmir”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2019
It's a detailed book on the evolution of state of Jammu & Kashmir. Written meticulously like a policy research paper and has given every minute detail of peace process in Kashmir and role of all stake holders. There had been attempts to harmonise Kashmir with India with frequent derailing by some. In nut-shell Radha Kumar has made it clear that only a healing touch that can bring it into the folds of lasting peace.
The book is an eye opener for those who subscribe to what app university in present times in formulating their views on J&K. Writer has given her clear views on all available options for the political status of J&K - whether complete independence or partial autonomy with in union of India or complete merger with the union of India.
Definitely not a fun read recommended for serious readers only.
The book is an eye opener for those who subscribe to what app university in present times in formulating their views on J&K. Writer has given her clear views on all available options for the political status of J&K - whether complete independence or partial autonomy with in union of India or complete merger with the union of India.
Definitely not a fun read recommended for serious readers only.
Want to read
February 27, 2019Read of it here https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews