BOOK REVEIW - Victoria Schofield's 'Kashmir in the crossfire'

Published by Penguin, Excerpts from a review by Ashok Bankar

Recently, I started researching the subject of Kashmir. And part of the job -- besides traveling extensively in the state, interviewing several dozen people in all walks of life there and compiling a fairly large library of press clippings on the subject -- was reading all the major books written on Kashmir. You may not be interested in Kashmir. But if you are interested in India, then you can't afford to ignore this beleaguered state. Because like it or not, J&K has become the flashpoint of the greatest crisis facing India since Independence .... Like most people I know, I was always under the impression that the problems in Kashmir had a lot to do with the fact that the state's population mostly comprised of Muslims. And that the rebellion there was the result of their dissatisfaction with the (essentially) Hindu, secular, national government. I soon discovered that not only was I wrong, but this impression was, in fact, the brilliant creation of certain forces with vested interests in the region. The fact that I had been fooled into believing this line showed how badly misinformed I was about the real issues at stake. As I continued to read and research, my cheeks burned red with embarrassment. I knew so little, it was shameful! Not only was the problem in Kashmir completely different from my half-baked notions and impressions, it was in a way far simpler and much more complex both at once. Simpler, in the sense that the problem basically comes down to two root causes: One, Partition. Pakistan has never been able to get over the fact that a Muslim-dominated state could continue to stay with India and be reasonably prosperous and content with the status. This is the reason for the Pak-sponsored terrorism that destroyed Kashmir's tourist economy and turned the world's 'second Switzerland' into a virtual battlefield. It is also the reason why, as long as the Kashmir problem is not resolved, Pakistan and India will always face the possibility of war and even (in these post-nuclear days) nuclear war. The second cause that I was vaguely aware of, but had no clear information about, was the series of political mishaps, mishandling and outright misuse of power by political parties and successive central governments with regard to the Kashmir issue. The greatest blame, I now realise, lies with Nehru and his daughter, Indira. While his errors were mostly those of omission -- supporting Sheikh Abdullah and later abandoning him to the wolves before making a typically gallant but ineffectual attempt at reconciliation -- Indira Gandhi's sins were those of commission. She, more than any other single individual in our history, was the greatest single cause of Kashmir's problems. (Her mistake in Punjab was perhaps worse -- but after all, she died as a result of that one while, in Kashmir, thousands of other citizens continue to die as a result of her mistakes). Coming a close second to her was Sheikh Abdullah himself, with his foolishly sentimental and idealistic attempts to change the course of Kashmir politics outwardly while (perhaps) unwittingly breeding a culture of corruption and dissipation in the valley's political system, making it one of the worst-managed states in the country. Other politicians and administrators who successively tangled up the mess that is Kashmir today were Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, V P Singh, governors Jagmohan and Saxena and, of course, Farooq Abdullah himself, who has brought new shame and disgrace to his father's already stained reputation. But to really get to the complexities of the Kashmir problem, you would have to read some of the books I read. And then some more.

 Akbar, M J,1994, Kashmir: Beyond The Vale And India: The Siege Within

 Amin, Tahir. 1995, Mass Resitance in Kashmir: Origins, Evolution, Options (Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad)

 Ashcroft, Griffiths & Tiffin (eds). 1995, The Postcolonial Studies Reader (Routledge)

 Bakshi, S.R. 1994, V.K.Krishna Menon: India & Kashmir Problem (College Audience Trade Cloth S.Asia)

 Barnet, Richard. 1989, 'The costs and perils of intervention', in Low Intensity Warfare, ed Klare & Kornbluh, London

 Bauman, Zygmunt. 1992, 'Soil, Blood, & Identity' in Sociological review (Vol 40, No 4)

 Beech, J.M. (Lieutenant) 'Confronting the Uncomfortable: Western Militaries and Modern Conflict', unpublished paper

 Bhattacharjea, Ajit. 1994, Kashmir: The Wounded Valley (UBSPD Pubs, New Delhi)

 Bhutt, Kaul. 1984, Political and Constitutional Development of the (sic) Jammu and Kashmir (Seema Pubs)

 Bookman, Milica Zarkovic, The Economics of Secession (New York: St. Martin's, 1992).

 Bose, Sumantra. 1997, The Challenge in Kashmir: Democracy, Self-Determination, and a Just Peace (Sage, New Delhi)

 Bradnock, Robert W. 1990, India's Foreign Policy since 1971 (Pinter/RIAA)

 Bray, John. 1992, 'New Directions in Pakistan's Foreign Policy', The World Today, Vol 48, No.4, April p65-7

 Bristow, Damon. 1995, 'India's New Armament Strategy: A Return to Self-Sufficieny?', RUSI Whitehall Paper, London

 Brown, J.A.C. 1963, Techniques of Perusasion: From Prpaganda to Brainwashing (Pelican)

 Buzan, Barry. 1991, People, States and Fear (Harvester Wheatsheaf, 2nd Ed)

 Carlyle, Robert. 1995, 'Clausewitz's Contemporary Relevance', Occasional paper No.16, Strategic and Combat Studies Institute, Camberley

 Carr & Sloan. 1992, Low Intensity Conflict - Old Threats in a New World (Westview)

 Chiriyankandath, James. 1993, 'India: the Crisis of Secularism', The World Today, Vol 49, No.3, March p54-5

 Coker, Christopher. 1995, War and the Twentieth Century (Brasseys) 1987, Terrorism and Civil Strife

 Dawson, Pauline. 1995, Peacekeepers of Kashmir: UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (C Hurst)

 Debray, R. 1967, Revolution in the Revolution.

 Dorman & Otte (ed). ?date, Military Intervention: from Gunboat Diplomacy to Humanitarian Intervention (Dartmouth Publishing, Aldershot)

 Engineer, Asghar A. 1991, Secular Crown on Fire: The Kashmir Problem (College Audience Trade Cloth S. Asia)

 Evans, Alexander. 1995, 'Dispute in Kashmir - The Conflict Continues', in Al Mizan, Vol 1, Issue 2 1996a,

 Gabriel, Richard A. 1987, No More Heroes: Madness and Psychiatry in War (Hill & Wang, New York)

 Ganguly, Sumit. 1994, The Origins of War in South Asia: Indo-Pakistani Conflicts since 1947 (Westview, 2nd Ed)

 Ganjoo, Satish. 1990, Kashmir Politics (Anmol Pubs, New Delhi)

 Gellner, Ernest. 1987, Culture, Identity, and Politics (Cambridge University Press)

 Ghosh, Amitav, 1991, Countdown

 Government of India. c.1995b, The Proxy War Continues (M.L.Kotru) c.1995c, The Kashmir Story (Ministry of External Affairs)

 Gupta, Shekhar. 1995, India Redefines Its Role, Adelphi Paper 293 (IISS)

 Haq, Abdul. 1966, 'Azad Kashmir: Story of repression & Tyranny', Kashmir Scene (Srinagar) Vol 1(6) Oct. 1966

 Heraclides, Alexis, 1992, 'Secession, Self Determination and Nonintervention: In Quest of a Normative Symbiosis', Journal of International

 Joshi, Manoj, 1999 The Lost Rebellion: Kashmir in the nineties, Penguin

 Hewitt, Christopher. 1984, The Effectiveness of Anti-Terrorist Policies, London

 Hewitt, Vernon. 1995, Reclaiming the Past: Search for Political and Cultural Unity in Contemporary Jammu & Kashmir (Portland Books)

 Hodgin, Deanna, 1990 'A Violent Life between Two Guns', Insight, 20 August p.27.

 Hutchinson & Smith (eds). 1994, Nationalism (Oxford Reader, OUP)

 Jagmohan. 1992, My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir (Trade Cloth S. Asia)

 Janowitz & van Doorn. 1971, On Military Intervention (Rotterdam University Press)

 Jha, Prem Shankar. 1996, Kashmir 1947 (OUP Delhi)

 Kadian, Rajesh. 1992, Kashmir Tangle, Issues and Options (Asia Publications)

 Karim, Afsir (Maj Gen). 1994, Kashmir - The Troubled Frontiers (Lancer Publishers)

 Kaul, Pyarelal. 1991, Crisis in Kashmir (Suman Pubs, New Delhi) ,1996, Kashmir: Trail and Travail (Suman Pubs, New Delhi)

 Kaur, Ravinderjit. 1996, Political Awakening in Kashmir (APH Publishing House, New Delhi)

 Khalilzad, Zalmay. 1995, Strategic Appraisal 1995 (RAND - Project Air Force)

 Khir, Bustami Muhammad. 1995, 'Concept of Sovereignty in Contemporary Islamic Movements', Encounters (Vol 1, Issue 1) p5-38

 Khosa, Raspal S. ?date 'The Siachen Glacier Dispute: Imbroglio on the Roof of the World' (as yet unpublished research thesis)

 Kissinger, Henry. 1979, The White House Years (Wiedenfield & Nicholson)

 Kurshid, Salman. 1994, Beyond Terrorism: New Hope for Kashmir (UBS Publishers)

 Laclau, Ernest. 1994, The Making of Political Identites (Verso)

 Lamb, Alistair. 1991, Kashmir: A Disputed Legacy, 1946-1990 (Roxford Books), 1994, Birth of a Tragedy: Kashmir 1947 (Roxford)

 Latter, Richard. 1995, 'Strengthening Security in South Asia' (Wilton Park Paper)

 Luttwak, Edward N. 1987, Strategy: The Logic of Peace and War (Belknap Harvard)

 Madan, Vijay (Lt Gen, Retd). 1994, 'The Face Behind the Mask Behind the Veil', USI Journal Jul-Sep.

 Maheswari, Anil. 1993, Crescent over Kashmir: Politics of Mullaism (College Audience Trade Cloth S.Asia)

 Malik, Iftakhir H. 1993, The Continuing Conflict in Kashmir: Regional Detente in Jeopardy (RISCT)

 Manor, James (ed). 1994, From Nehru to the Nineties (C.Hurst)

 Martin-Baro, Ignacio. 1990, 'Religion as an instrument of Psychological Warfare', Journal of Social Issues, Vol 46 (3) p93-107

 Marwah, Ved. 1995, Uncivil Wars (Harper-Collins, New Delhi)

 Manwaring, Max. 1991, Uncomfortable Wars (Westview)

 McEwen, Michael T. 1990, The Post-Colonial State in Asia: Dialectics of Politics and Culture (Harvester Wheatsheaf, hemel Hempstead)

 Nanda, K.K. 1995, Conquering Kashmir - A Pakistani Obsession (College Audience Trade Cloth S. Asia)

 Nath, Rajendra (Maj Gen) 1994, 'Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan', Defence Today (Vol II (3) pp22-31)

 Osmaston, Henry, 'The Kashmir Problem', Geographical, (June 1990),

 Panagariya, B.C. 1994, Kashmir: Paradise in Turmoil (National Pubs, Jaipur India)

 Puri, Balraj. 1981, Jammu & Kashmir: Triumph and Tragedy of Indian Federalism (Asia Book Corp) 1993, Kashmir: Towards Insurgency, Tracts for the Times (Sangam Books)

 Raina, Dina Nath. 1994, Kashmir: Distortions and Reality (Reliance Pubs, New Delhi)

 Ray, A.K. 1994, 'Afghan Mujahideen and Terrorism in Kashmir' in Afghanistan Factor in Central and South Asian Politics (HRCF Occasional Paper 1, Trans-Asia Informatics Publishers, New Delhi)

Schofield, Victoria. 1996, Kashmir in the Crossfire (I.B.Tauris)

 Sehgal, Narender. 1994, Converted Kashmir: A Bitter Saga of Religious Conversion (Utpal Pubs, New Delhi)

 Shah, Gulam Hassan. 1989, State Politics in India: Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Voted to Power (Independent Pub Hse, New Delhi)

 Singh, Jasgit (ed). 1995, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: Under the Jackboot (Siddhi Books, New Delhi)

 Singh, K.R. ?date, 'Intra-Regional Interventions in South Asia', USI Paper No.10 (United Services Institute, New Delhi)

 Singh, Narinder. 1992, Political Awakening in Kashmir (H.K.Publications, Delhi)

 Singh, Tavleen. 1995, Kashmir: A Tragedy of Errors (Viking Penguin India)

 Siraj, Majid A. 1997, Kashmir : Disolation or Peace, Minvera Press Publishers Ltd, London

 Siraf, Yousaf, Justice. 1981, Kashmiris fight for freedom,

 Snow, D.M. 1993, Distant Thunder - Third World Conflict and the New International Order (St Martins)

 Soz, Saifuddin (ed). 1993, Kashmir Crisis: Agenda for an Effective Dialogue (Kashmir Centre for Asian Studies, New Delhi)

 Subrahmanyam, K. 1990, 'Kashmir', Strategic Analysis, Vol XIII No.II, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Delhi

 Teng, M.K. 1985, State Government & Politics in Jammu & Kashmir (Sterling Pubs) & Gadoo, C.L. c.1994/5, White Paper on Kashmir (Joint Human Rights Committee, New Delhi)

 Thomas, Raju C. 1992a, Perspectives on Kashmir: The Roots of Conflict in South Asia (Westview)

 Tinker, High. 1989, South Asia: A Short History (2nd Ed, MacMillan)

 van Creveld, Martin. 1991a, On Future War (Brasseys)

 Vargas Llosa, Mario. 1993, 'Fiction: the Power of Lies' (Meredith Memorial Lecture, pamphlet)

 Varma, B. 1988, Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism (Uppal Publishing House, New Delhi)

 Varshney, Ashutosh, 1993 'Contested Meanings: India's National Identity, Hindu Nationalism, and the Politics of Anxiety', Daedalus

 Verma, P.S. 1994, Jammu & Kashmir at the Political Crossroads (Vikas Pubs, New Delhi)

 Wakhlu, K.L. & Wakhlu O.N. 1992, Kashmir: Behind the White Curtain (Konark)

 Wani, G.A. 1995, Kashmir: History & Politics - Annotated Bibliography (2nd Edition), (Tariq Enterprises, Srinagar)

 Wani, Gul Mohd. 1993, Kashmir Politics: Problems and Prospects (Ashish Pub House, New Delhi) (ed.) 1996, Kashmir: From Autonomy to Azadi (Valley Book House, Srinagar, J&K)

 Warikoo, K. 1996, Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh - Linguistic Predicament (Himalayan Research & Cultural Foundation, New Delhi)

 Wasleker, Sundeep. 1995, Kashmir Fact-Finding Mission Report (International Centre for Peace Intiatives)

 Wirsing, Robert G. 1995, India, Pakistan, and the Kashmir Dispute: On Regional Conflict and its Resolution (MacMillan) ed. 1996, Kashmir: Resolving Regional Conflict (A Symposium), (Kartikeya Publications)

 Zahir-ud-Din. 1995, Did they vanish in thin air? (Sabha Publications, Srinagar, J&K)

 Zeldin, Theodore. 1995, An Intimate History of Humanity (Minerva) 1982, 'Personal History and the History of Emotions', in Journal of Social History, Vol 15, No.3,

 Zutshi, V.K. 1986, Emergence of Political Awakening in Kashmir (Mamohur Pubs)