Jammu and Kashmir is home to an extraordinary medley of races, tribal groups, languages, and religions, making it one of the subcontinent's most diverse regions. Behera argues that recognising the rich, complex, and multi-faceted character of Kashmir is critically important not only for understanding the structural causes of the conflict but also for providing opportunities to establish a just, viable, and lasting solution. Demystifying Kashmir provides a deeper understanding of the region, its people and politics, and the dangerous controversy swirling around them.
In Demystifying Kashmir, Professor Behera breaks away from conventional assumptions and challenges long-held stereotypes to redefine the dangerous conflict over control of that tumultuous region. Her nuanced portrait brings much-needed fresh and important perspective to the Kashmir question and the conflict between India and Pakistan. The book explores the political and military components of India's and Pakistan's Kashmir strategy, the self-determination debate, and the insurgent movement that began in 1989. The conclusion focuses on what Behera terms the four Ps: the parameters, players, policies, and prognosis of the ongoing peace process in Kashmir.
Navnita Chadha Behera teaches in the Department of political science at Delhi University, India, and is a former visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC. She is the author of State, Identity and Violence: Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, and has written extensively on South Asia.
