Democratizing State and Overcoming Trust Deficit in Kashmir

Abstract

x newlineAbstract newlineA number of dynamics impact our impressions of Conflict and Peace. What are the rationales that newlinederive theories of conflict and violence? What creates a collective defiance to authority of the state? newlineHow do the dynamic attributes of war affect the principal characters in the conflict zone? How do newlineinstitutions of state and communities endeavour to overcome insufficiency of trust in conflict- newlineafflicted places? What metamorphosis in warfare has enabled small entities to challenge the newlineorganised power of the state? What comprises an argument for peace studies to be interdisciplinary, newlineconstituting sociology, history, anthropology, international relations, political science, geography, newlinegender studies and economics? What distinguishes the interests of the groups involved in a conflict? newlineShould conflict resolution research target the conflict itself, and be indifferent to the precepts of newlinereconciliation and justice? Theoretically and analytically, the dissertation scrutinizes the tenuous newlinerelationship between studies on conflicts and studies on peace, transcending extant archetypes. newlineGoing beyond the conventional theories of conflict and violence, the dissertation also tries to bridge newlinethe gap between conflict and peace studies by exploring the vexatious issue of post-conflict newlinetransition in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural democracy like India. In addition, the dissertation newlinehighlights the provenance of Kashmir s conflict, putting together its history with the perplexing newlineingredients of the prevailing impasse in its political landscape. One cannot deny the intricate newlinelinking of the Kashmir conflict with terrorism, state sponsored violence, human rights abuse, and newlinesubversion of political processes that find their foundations in layers of history and politics in the newlinesubcontinent. To explain this, the dissertation interrogates the phenomenon of New Militancy in newlineKashmir amidst the rising waves of new- age fundamentalism in Indian and elsewhere. newlineUsing case study method, the dissertation compares and contrasts cases of conflicts in Kashmir. newlineAware of the limitations of researching on Armed forces as a serving army professional, the newlineresearcher has judiciously used official records/ papers and drawn on the secondary literature as newlinewell. Revolving around qualitative methods of analysis, the dissertation analyses the unique role newlinearmed forces can play in post-conflict transitions keeping in mind the requirements of democratic newlineaccommodation, justice, accountability and management of norms of confidence building in newlineconflict-prone societies. Using the skills of political archaeologist, the dissertation employs elite- newlinebased interviews consisting of interactions with major stakeholders who have had a close newlinerelationship with conflict in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. In short, the newlinedissertation occupies the junction of studies on ethnic violence and conflict and their resolution, newlineresearch on warfare, and studies on peace. newline