South Asia in Transition: Conflict and Tensions

South Asia has numerous, long standing conflicts left over from history. In the last few years several other issues have been added to the portfolio of security issues. Economic development in South Asia is being threatened by burgeoning human security issues. Many security issues such as demography, economic security, environmental security, terrorism, etc., are issues requiring cooperation among countries of the region. Most states in South Asia are vulnerable to non-traditional security threats. South Asia lacks capabilities and mechanisms to deal with these issues. South Asia as the successor term to the Indian sub-continent was brought into usage by the United States and Britain presumably to de-emphasise India’s natural predominance in the sub-continent and to soothe their protégé Pakistan’s sensitivities in not being viewed as part of anything termed Indian. South Asia, otherwise, normally should encompass a much wider geographical construct. Be that as it may, what is striking about the South Asia region is that it has stood engulfed in conflicts, ever since the British partitioned India into the two successor states of India and Pakistan. This book provides deep insight into various dimensions of issues relating to the subject.