Project
India: Conflicts Within
Today Maoist insurgents keen to exploit the state's enduring weaknesses stalk the Hindu heartland...
Caught between India, Pakistan and a homegrown desire for independence, Kashmir has been hostage to conflict for more than fifty years. Today violence is in decline, a trend that is attributed to fatigue, a bilateral peace process with traction, and Pakistan's preoccupation with radical Islamic militants in the tribal areas along its Western border.
Still, India's military presence remains heavy, to the frustration of young Kashmiris who would prefer to press their cause through politics instead of guns. Some fear that if the present stability is not matched by quality of life improvements, the fighting that was once an inescapable reality might one day return.
