South Asia's Weak States
Understanding the Regional Insecurity Predicament

South Asia, which consists of eight states of different sizes and capabilities, is characterized by high levels of insecurity at the inter-state, intra-state, and human level: insecurity that is manifest in both traditional and non-traditional security problems—especially transnational terrorism fuelled by militant religious ideologies.

To explain what has caused and contributed to the perpetual insecurity and human suffering in the region, this book engages scholars of international relations, comparative politics, historical sociology, and economic development, among others, to reveal and analyze the key underlying and proximate drivers. It argues that the problems are driven largely by two critical variables: the presence of weak states and weak cooperative interstate norms.

Based on this analysis and the conclusions drawn, the book recommends specific policies for making the region secure and for developing the long lasting inter- and intra-state cooperative mechanisms necessary for the perpetuation of that security.

"After being preoccupied with great powers for centuries, we are now attempting to come to grips with weak and failed states and their significance to regional politics. By providing a number of perspectives on weaker states in South Asia, this volume contributes to our improved understanding."—William R. Thompson, Donald A. Rogers Professor of Political Science, Indiana University

"Most discussions of South Asia focus on the region's growing strength and promise. This volume performs a valuable service in tempering that optimism. It reminds us that, despite important advances, South Asia remains plagued by insecurity, from the state to the human level. In doing so, the volume makes a useful contribution to regional as well as to broader literatures, drawing lessons that can apply to weak states elsewhere in the world."—S. Paul Kapur, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School

T. V. Paul is Director of the McGill University/Université de Montreal Centre for International Peace and Security Studies (CIPSS) and James McGill Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

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Religion and Politics in South Asia

About the Book

Religion and religio-political forces have become potent influences in the domestic politics of many countries irrespective of geographical location, stages of economic growth, and systems of governance. The growing importance of religion as a marker of identity and a tool of political mobilization is reshaping the political landscape in an unprecedented manner, and South Asia, which contains the world’s largest populations of Muslims and Hindus with significant number of Buddhists, is no exception to this fact.

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the interaction of religion and politics in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Although the specific circumstances of each country are different, in recent decades, religion, religio-political parties, and religious rhetoric have become dominant features of the political scenes in all six countries. The contributors offer a thorough examination of these developments by presenting each country's political system and the socio-economic environment within which the interactions are taking place. The analysis of the various factors influencing the process of the interactions between religion and politics, and their impact on the lives of the people of the region and global politics constitute the core of the chapters.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Three Arguments about Religion-Politics Nexus Ali Riaz 1. The Strategic Use of Islam in Afghan Politics Abdulkader Sinno 2. The Politics of Islamization in Bangladesh Ali Riaz 3. Religion, Politics and Violence in India Amalendu Misra 4. Nepal: From Hindu Monarchy to Secular Democracy Subho Basu 5. Pakistan: A State for the Muslims or an Islamic State? Farhat Haq 6. Politicization of Buddhism and Electoral Politics in Sri Lanka A R M Imtiyaz. Appendix. Glossary

Ali Riaz is Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, USA. Previously he has taught at universities in Bangladesh and England, and worked as a broadcast journalist at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London. His recent publications include Faithful Education: Madrassahs in South Asia (2008); Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh, A Complex Web (2008).

About the Book

This work seeks to examine the development of regional cooperation in the South Asian region taking place under India’s initiative in recent period. The author proposes that global changes taking place since the end of the Cold War have led to considerable alteration in India’s regional policy since the 1990s, leading to an increasing initiative towards developing and broadening substantive functional regional cooperation even as such movements get contested by opposing forces determined by historical divides along with geopolitical and strategic concerns.

Table of Contents

1. Preface 2. Introduction 3. Regional Cooperation in the 90s: Relevance for South Asia 4. Institutionalised Cooperation in South Asia: Role of SAARC(1990-1999) 5. Indo-Bangladesh Cooperation in Present Times: Constraints and Prospects  6. Indo-Sri Lanka Relations: Development in the 90s 7. Indo-Pakistan Relations: Constraints and Prospects 8. Cooperation in South Asia: Track II Approach 9. Conclusion. Appendices. Bibliography. Index

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Regionalism in South Asia: Negotiating Cooperation, Institutional Structures

The dramatic surge in regional integration schemes over the past two decades has been one of the most important developments in world politics. Virtually all countries are now members of at least one regional grouping. South Asia is no exception to this trend. In December 1985, seven South Asian countries came together to establish South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to address issues of peace and development in the region. This book examines regionalism in South Asia, exploring the linkages between institutional structures, government capabilities, and domestic actors’ preferences to explain the dynamics of regional cooperation. It considers the formation and evolution of SAARC, explaining why its growth in terms of institutional developments and program implementation has remained modest and slow over the past two decades. It also addresses the impact of important issues such as the acquisition of nuclear capabilities by India and Pakistan, the unending conflicts in Kashmir, the war against global terror in Afghanistan, and India’s growing economy. Drawing on a wealth of empirical research, including elite interviews and trade transaction data, this book sheds new light on the main cooperation issues in South Asia today and provides important information on the trends and prospects for regional cooperation in future years.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Explaining Regional Cooperation in South Asia 3. Regional Dynamics 4. Origin and Evolution of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) 5. The Challenge of Regionalism in South Asia 6. Domestic Politics and Regional Economic Cooperation in South Asia 7. Domestic Preferences for Regional Cooperation: Cross-National Comparisons 8. Conclusion

About the Author(s)

Kishore C. Dash is Associate Professor of Global Studies at Thunderbird School of Global Management. His research interests are in the areas of international political economy, Asian studies, and political economy of contemporary South Asia. He has published in international journals, and he is the co-editor of International Political Economy: State-Market Relations in a Changing Global Order.

• ISBN: 978-0-415-43117-0
• Binding: Hardback
• Published by: Routledge
• Publication Date: 12th February 2008
• Pages: 272

About the Book

It is a political study of the controversy surrounding the issue of the uniform civil code vis-à-vis personal laws from a South Asian perspective.

At the centre of the debate is whether there should be a centralized view of the legal system in a given society or a decentralized view, both horizontally and vertically.

This issue is entangled within the threads of identity politics, minority rights, women’s rights, national integration, global Islamic politics and universal human rights. Champions of each category view it through their own prisms, making the debate extremely complex, especially in politically and socially plural South Asia.

So, this book attempts to harmonize the threads of the debate to provide a holistic political analysis.

Table of Contents

Contents 1. Introduction: Issues and Concepts 2. The Evolution of the Indian Discourse 3. It is Politics, Stupid! 4. On the Fringe: The Tribal Laws 5. The South Asian Mosaic 6. The Wider Context 7. Conclusion. Appendices. Glossary

About the Author(s)

Partha S. Ghosh is currently Professor of South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has been associated with New Delhi-based Indian Council of Social Science Research for the last two decades where he has held positions of Assistant Director (January 1978–April 1981, August 1983–December 1984)); Deputy Director ( January 1987–August 1990) and Director ( September 1990–August 1992; September 1993– December 1995). He has previously published seven books, and has contributed numerous articles to professional journals in India and abroad.

• ISBN: 978-0-415-44544-3
• Binding: Hardback
• Published by: Routledge India
• Publication Date: 1st May 2007
• Pages: 352