India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad: The Covert War in Kashmir, 1947-2004

Praveen Swami

Language: English

Publisher: Routledge

Published: Oct 18, 2006

Description:

India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad explores the history of jihadist violence in Kashmir, and argues that the violent conflict which exploded after 1990 was not a historical discontinuity, but, rather, an escalation of what was by then a five-decade old secret war.

Praveen Swami addresses three key issues:

  • the history of jihadist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, which is examined as it evolved from 1947-48 onwards
  • the impact of the secret jihad on Indian policy-making on Jammu and Kashmir, and its influence on political life within the state
  • why the jihad in Jammu and Kashmir acquired such intensity in 1990.

This new work will be of much interest to students of the India-Pakistan conflict, South Asian politics and security studies in general.

Review

'...it reads like a spy thriller...an indispensable book for anyone seeking a well-researched and readable account of the Kashmir issue.' Nitin Pai, Editor, Pragati

'For anyone who is interested in the history of South Asian security, this book is a must-read. First published in 2007, this book is unique in its findings, exceptional in its sources, and creative in its narration (even though excessively descriptive at times).' - Avinash Paliwal King’s College London

About the Author

Praveen Swami is Chief of Bureau and Deputy Editor of Frontline Magazine , New Delhi, where he has covered the insurgencies in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as defence, intelligence and internal-security related issues. He has published several articles in academic journals on the subject of the jihadist war.