Potential consequences of nuclear politics in south asia oped. In south asia, nuclear arsenal is seen as a great equaliser and the ultimate tool to counter adversarys present or future conventional strength. Nuclear relations in south asia unt digital library. Then, it was widely assumed that being nuclear weapons states, india and pakistan could no longer go to war. The antecedent conditions that previously drove their positive engagement have already eroded. The geopolitics of south asian political stability. Instead, they find that a crisis is ultimately a political choice shaped by certain. Nuclear politics in south asia, by suresh dhanda, new delhi, regal publications, 2010, 356pp. Water disputes between various countries of south asian subcontinent south asia subcontinent is such region where geo political entity provides a base for conflicts. In fact this problem is one of the major causes of strained relationship among the users. The historical formation of modern south asia this set of lectures will trac e the historical events that re sulted in the borders of modern south asia that we see in maps today. A guide to india, pakistan, and the bombis available for free at nuclear south asia is the most comprehensive collection of perspectives regarding india and pakistans nuclear trajectories available online.
The course is designed to develop comprehension, provide basic information and offer conceptual frameworks on sociopolitical development and government in southeast asian. Regionspecific activities and initiatives south asia n. Borders in south asia have been a source of war, conflict and suffering and it is important to understand the history behind them. South asias nuclear postures and south asian stability. Indeed, popular election of the president had become a symbol of democratization since president park chungbee abolished it in 1972.
Thus, this book provides both new insights into the domestic politics behind specific nuclear policy choices in south asia, a critique of narrow realist views of nuclear proliferation, and the. On the nuclear front, no other region of the world has been experiencing developments quite like the south asia region has. Aurel croissant electoral politics in south korea aurel croissant introduction in december 1997, south korean democracy faced the fifteenth presidential elections since the republic of korea became independent in august 1948. Extraregional linkages and consequences 6 the china factor in south asian nuclear politics 93 binoda kumar mishra 7 south asia s nuclear deterrence and the usa 1 bhumitra chakma. If the already backward balochistan is hit, as it is on its way, by the pandemic, it would not be able to recollect its socioeconomic fragments for long which will halt the cpec levying shocks on chinas post pandemic global politics in south asia. After 50 years of independence, yet impoverished by an unremitting arms race, the people of india. Fear in the subcontinent possibility of nuclear war. The future of nuclear south asia is inextricably linked to power and politics in pakistan and india and to the global nuclear order. Zia claims pakistan has capability to make a bomb 1988. The region is in a geopolitically key position because of its many land and sea links with the middle east, central asia and east asia. South asia and the nuclear future rethinking the causes and consequences of nuclear proliferation conference report by todd s. The politics of nuclear weapons in south asia taylor. The main centre of united nations activity in asia and the pacific is bangkok, thailand, home to the economic and social commission for asia and the pacific. The nuclear optimists, as believers in the deterrence capabilities of nuclear arsenal, do not credit the u.
Potential consequences of nuclear politics in south asia. Jun 05, 2018 the next crisis may demand the samebut the global powers may be found wanting. Political 70e 10n 20 n 30 n 40 n 60n 80e 90e 60e 70e 80e 90e 100e 40n 3 0n 2 0n 10 n indian ocean arabian sea bay of bengal kabul dhaka new delhi thimphu kathmandu islamabad colombo india sri lanka pakistan afghanistan bhutan nepal bangladesh w e n s national boundary national capital legend 250 500. The essay aims to explain interconnections between international security, domestic politics and nuclear strategy of china, india and pakistan. Jun 15, 2015 kidwais remarks have reopened the debate over south asias nuclear stability. This is a region in which the united states, china, and japan relate directly to one another. In covering everything from infrastructure building in central asia to nuclear weapon modernization in north east asia, the report provides a baseline for further research into specific topics and trends. Nuclearization of south asia and the future of non. The nuclearization of south asia had been anticipated for decades, yet when it came, it was a surprise. Sechser on june 4 and 5, 2004, the center for international security and cooperation cisac at stanford university hosted a workshop on the question of nuclear weapons and stability in south asia. Us convinced pakistan is nuclearcapable but perhaps not nuclearweapons state two screwdriver turns away march 1987.
Pakistans political and military leaders that the operation might be feasible with a nuclear. However unlikely, deployment of tactical nuclear weapons can open the door to inadvertent. This is a revised and expanded version of a note originally prepared for the department of energy, august 1998, as part of a project on the future of us south asian relations. A guide to india, pakistan, and the bomb course lecturers rizwana abbasi is an assistant professor in the department of strategic and nuclear studies at the national defense university, islamabad. So on the nuclear side, i would argue indias nuclear posture in the past years has been a search for an. Political economy of regional integration in south asia priyanka kher abstract although it has been decades since the creation of the south asia association for regional cooperation saarc, regional integration in south asia is still a long distance from priority for south asian countries. Chapter 2 water disputes in south asian subcontinent 32 2. We believe this book of essays by prominent american, pakistani. While claiming to be protecting the world from proliferation threats in iraq, libya, iran and north korea they also have abandoned past pledges and now threaten first use of nuclear weapons against non. Courtesy of himal southasian, january 2007 the southasia. Under this dangerous bargain, it would continue to not only allow india to increase its fissile material but also the capacity to increase the buildup of nuclear weapon material hence, the strategic stability in south asia has been negatively impacted since the initial stages. Most of the scholarship has been unable to probe the deep interconnections that inform the nuclear strategy of these three countries. The stimson centers krepon adds, pakistan is a disadvantaged state that.
A number of important strategic issues have been raised by these. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely. As recently as 2002, there was a distinct possibility of a nuclear conflict between india and pakistan. Nuclearization of south asia has put forwarded three major challenges that are. Everybody agrees that it is a weak deal, but despite. Action by india and pakistan in nuclear weapons arms race is the result of the development of modern weaponry in the international arena. As a result, south asia is very influential with regard to international politics and economic activity. The geopolitics of nuclear weapons geopolitical futures. In south asia, it is believed that peace and stability can only come about with nuclear weapons.
The geopolitics of south asian political stability the diplomat. International relations of south asia ir 372po 355 spring. During the gestation period of covert development of their nuclear weapons, india and pakistan underwent a series of military. Explain the complexity of international politics and foreign policy concerns among south asian states on the one hand, and relations between south asian states and world powers on the other hand.
Neil devotta has assembled a group of experts who each provide an excellent account of their case. For the first time in almost 50 years, elections led to a takeover of power by the opposition. Nuclear politics in south asia, by suresh dhanda, new delhi. Role of the south asia in the strategic calculations of u. Electoral politics in south korea friedrich ebert foundation. The crises of democracy in south asia south asian development is in a stage of crisis. Subhas rais adaptation of liberty leading the people, painted by eugene delacroix in 1830. Associate professor, kamala nehru college, university of delhi.
The strategic landscape of south asia changed dramatically in 1998. An important and critical reevaluation of south asias posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of. Water resources of south asian subcontinent south asia is a region of both abundance and scarcity of water. International relations of south asia ir 372po 355. They also have the need to defend against regional threats. Islamist politics in south asia after the arab spring. Congressman solarz quips pakistan has a saturday night special capability. It is fed by the hindu kush and himalayan mountain system which is one of the largest storehouses of fresh water in the world. The future of nuclear south asia is inextricably linked to power and politics in pakistan and india and to the global nuclear. This recent spate of nuclear capable missile tests in south. Asia pacific in world politics 1 as a significant component of world politics, asia pacific confronts many major issues. The nuclear confrontation in south asia 199 failed to close down the offices of the lashkaretaiba and those of another militant group, the jaishemohammed.
India is targeting pakistans civilian population along the working boundary and the line of control. Southern asias nuclear powers council on foreign relations. Nuclear politics and strategy in south asia south asia journal. Pakistan, bangladesh, sri lanka and nepal, 110th congress, 1st session, august 1, 2007, pp. South korea and taiwan have advanced civilian nuclear programs and technical knowledge that could be redirected into a weapons program. South asian politics are going through the profound changes since the announcement of new u. Nuclear war in south asia summary structural political and security factors generate persistent security competition on the south asian subcontinent.
Mathur, and virendra narain nearly sixty people gathered in jaipur at the beginning of february 1973 for five days of deliberations on political development in the south asian region, comprising of pakistan, india, nepal, sri lanka and bangladesh. Democratization, elections, and the voters the restoration of direct presidential elections in 1987 provided momentum for democratization in south korea. The emergence and consequences of nuclear weapons in south asia can only be understood in the context of a history of hos tility punctuated by war. The strategic framework in south asia is comprised of a bipolar equation between india and pakistan, interconnected with a regional security complex and other major powers. Ideally, the best measure of whether the two are in fact in a classic, reciprocal nuclear arms competition would be the rate at which both sides are. With the reciprocal testing of nuclear weapons, india and pakistan emerged from the world of threshold status to an overt posture which has yet to be fully defined. The politics of south asias nuclear crisis princeton science. South asias first decade saw a limited war and various military and political crises. South asias lessons, evolving dynamics, and trajectories. Asia has the worlds highest concentration of nuclear weapons and the most significant recent developments related to nuclear proliferation, as well as the worlds most critical conflicts and. Escalation control and the nuclear option in south asia. Strategic framework of south asia is comprised of the bipolar equation between indiapakistan, interconnected with regional security complex and other major powers.
South asia is a realm of one of the oldest civilizations in the world where people from all races and religions have coexisted over a long period of time. Nuclear politics in south asia by suresh dhanda, 2010 isbn. Asia pacific in world politics lynne rienner publishers. Government and politics in southeast asia edited by john. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politico. South asia and the nuclear future university of virginia.
Hashmi professor emeritus of political science georgia southern university us currently, the western leaders and media are greatly concerned about the. South asia s lessons, evolving dynamics, and trajectories. Once the united states withdraws most or all of its forces from afghanistan, what issues are likely to continue to be of concern to u. From a position of supreme dominance in 1971, india had fallen to the position of a strategic and nuclear alsoran in 1981, delhi saw its relative position vis a vis pakistan or china rapidly deteriorate. Pdf ebook files for this publication are available as detailed below. While the united states and its coalition partners have focused primarily on afghanistan and pakistan over the past 12 years, the. Never since south asias nuclearization has global politics been so uncertain, great power relations so fraught, and competing global priorities so distracting. This book is an exhaustive historical account of the nuclear security of india and pakistan which has brought the south asian region at the peril of a nuclear holocaust. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of nuclear arsenals, nuclear ambitions and nuclear threats across different parts of asia. However, the potential danger of a nuclear war is neither in the middle east nor in the korean peninsula.
Define and utilize concepts and terms that are central to the international politics of south asia. Each claims the status of a nuclear weapon state, yet the contours of that status are unclear. There has been an avalanche of publications on southeast asia in recent years, but no one volume provides an accurate and uptodate account of political institutions and practices in the region. This book argues that southeast asian political studies have made important contributions to theory building in comparative politics through a dialogue involving theory, area studies, and. Seminar on political development in south asia a preliminary report by rakbsh hooja, p. Dec 27, 2014 a recent essay by robert kaplan offers fascinating insight into south asias. Its main takeaways suggest that rather than forming an alliance, china and.
Since the early 1990s, south asia, especially india, has witnessed important shifts in economic policy, making it important to assess the regions linkages to the global economy, along with an examination of its persistent problems of poverty and inequality. This competition in turn creates a small but difficulttoclose window for nuclear catastrophe. International politicoeconomic processes, corrupt political leadership, inefficient state institutions and growing. Nuclear doctrine s in south asia 4 south asian strategic stability unit nuclear pessimists, however, has tended to neglect the critical role that nuclear doctrines of the emerging nuclear weapon states might play in either causing deterrence failure or ensuring its. South asia under the shadow of nuclear weapons mit. The first nuclear learning coursenuclear south asia. South asia who promoted nuclear weapons in the two countries with the promise of lasting.
A guide to india, pakistan, and the bomb provides the emerging generation of strategic analysts in india, pakistan, and elsewhere a platform to study nuclear competition and dangers on the subcontinent. Nuclearization of south asia and the future of nonproliferation 4 the united state is the major culprit in the erosion of the npt. Political economy of regional integration in south asia. South asia is bounded on the south by the indian ocean. It will also explore empire and the political and military consequences of empire in south asia. Towards world war iii article pdf available in ssrn electronic journal 562. A stimson center essay by jeffrey mccausland has expanded on the dangers of pakistan incorporating tactical. Sharma, professor in the department of politics, university of san francisco, usa an introduction to south asian politics provides a timely assessment of democratic development in the region. South asia regional dynamics and strategic concerns. Action by india and pakistan in nuclear weapons crisis due to power balance theory in the south asian region. As north korea appears to move closer to possessing a deliverable nuclear warhead, the south korean government has debated acquiring a nuclear weapon. Alliance formation or balance of power farhan hanif siddiqi abstract the article seeks to investigate how alliance formation and balance of power patterns will unfold in south asia in the wake of an intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the united states and china.
The containment and prevention of nuclear proliferation, especially in asia, continues to be a grave concern for the international community. Nuclear strategy and regional stability in southern asia. South asia is about the same size as europe but has a population that is twice as large. Economically, most south asian countries are increasingly dependent on the global market. Chapter 2 water disputes in south asian subcontinent 34 riparian countries. Nuclear politics and strategy in south asia south asia. Nuclear politics in asia 1st edition marzieh kouhi. What regional dynamics are likely to affect their ability to achieve policy priorities there. The first nuclear learning course nuclear south asia. Topographically, it is dominated by the indian plate, which rises above sea level as northern parts of india south of the himalayas and the hindu kush. East asia, south east asia, south asia, central asia and europe.
Parties and their proxies working withand againstthe state 2 more than a nationalist ploy to divide south asias muslim community. South asia remains one of the most crisisprone regions in the world with some of the highest levels of contested borders, militarized interstate disputes, and terrorist attacks. The politics of nuclear weapons in south asia request pdf. New delhis hostile posture towards islamabad is much reflective of its policy of offensive arreire pensee. An important and critical reevaluation of south asia s posttests nuclear politics, in contrast to other books, this volume emphasises the political dimension of south asia s nuclear weapons, explains how the bombs are used as politicostrategic assets rather than pure battlefield weapons and how india and pakistan utilise them for politicostrategic purposes in an extremely complex and. Nuclear weapons in south asia have both precipitated one limited war not gate datasheet pdf kargil. The geopolitics of energy in south asia whole publication. Understanding the arms race in south asia carnegie. Adding a twist to the existing fissile material buildup process, the indous strategic partnership supplemented it.
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