The Book:
Political violence has become endemic in South Asia since the partition of the subcontinent along communal lines. Various groups- majority and minority alike-resort to violence either to accomplish their political goals or to redress perceived grievances. South Asia has long been indifferent to the roots of terrorism-often the outcome of rabid official indifference towards marginalized groups. Groups that indulged in extremism were often in the past treated kindly, provided with at times even official political patronage, economic assistance and military supplies. Blatant targeting of civilians was treated as a genuine expression of national aspirations; and terrorism in other countries was exploited to promote national interests. This duality, however could not be sustained for long. The growth of terrorism in Punjab, Kashmir, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan eventually forced the respective countries to see the long-term consequences of this evil.
The Author:
P R Kumaraswamy is a Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and New Delhi. His publications include Historical Dictionary of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (2006). He is also the Series Editor of Dictionary of Conflicts in South Asia and Indian Foreign Policy-both published by Routledge. Ian Copland teaches at the School of Historical Studies, Monash University, and Melbourne. He was educated at the universities of Western Australia and Oxford, and He has published extensively on the history of Indian princely states and the history of communal conflicts in the subcontinent. He edits the journal South Asia.
