This volume, fifth in the series, describes the transformations witnessed in the armed conflicts of South Asia over 2010-11. Armed conflicts pose one of the most important threats to the process of governance in South Asia. The region is not only violent, but is also characterized by the inability of states to deal successfully with different aspects of violence ethnic, political, ideological and communal.
The critical issue addressed in this volume is how armed conflicts in the region, with their long and convoluted histories, have transformed over the years, how they might evolve further, and the trajectories they are likely to take. What are the promises and threats of such transformation? The collection brings together annual reviews on strife-ridden Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir, northeast India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan, as well as regions with dominant Naxalite presence. A special feature is the section devoted to conflict transformation and early warnings, which addresses ongoing transformations of the conflicts in north and northeast India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, radical violence in south India, and the Naxal conflict. In what directions are these conflicts headed, and in what ways are they being redefined? The essays analyze these questions, as also conflict management, and provide a set of alternative measures that could be pursued by the actors. |