This volume reconsiders Kashmir and Sindh questions in the context of insights provided by the recent literature, which relates ethnic politics in multi-ethnic Third World countries to the non-convergence of state and nation. When decolonisation results in the construction of national frontier that does not rest on a synchronisation of ethnic and state boundaries cross-border loyalties amongst significant sections of the population survive the artificial boundaries between successor states. Ethnic political assertions in outlying or frontier areas of such nation-states—especially in the background of centralising nation-building strategies—then tend to be characterised by an obliteration of the distinction between home and foreign politics in the traditional sense. In particular historical conjunctures the political actors from across the borders very often deny marks of their different objective nationalities and treat themselves as members of a single ‘loyalty group’. This makes ethnic politics of transcend its domestic contours and become a part of regional politics. In such circumstances ethnic politics constitutes a crucial determinant for national security priorities within a particular region. The present work demonstrates that while this process is clearly visible in the Kashmir insurrection, the potentials of a similar pattern can be identified in the case of the Sindh turmoil. This book would hopefully make a contribution in the realm of South Asian comparative politics.
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