Teaching South Asia

Volume I, No. 1, Winter 2001

teaching resources

At the Crossroads, on the Web:

Electronic Resources on India-Pakistan Security Issues

At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, while the world slept, history was being made in the subcontinent. Two independent states were created in the area that was under British suzerainty for over two hundred years. This division was not merely geographical, it created schisms among a people already separated by religious, linguistic, ethnic, and other differences. The rationale for creating a separate state was that the creation of Pakistan would appease the fears of the Muslim minority in India, dominated by the Hindu majority. The division has, however, resulted in many wars, continued distrust, and on-going tension between the two neighbors. The possession of nuclear capability of both India and Pakistan has complicated the scenario even further.

This digest attempts to present Web-based resources on major security issues facing India and Pakistan. It presents the links to selected web sites covering the following:

Part A - Chronology (outline and overview of the series of crises that India and Pakistan have faced since 1947).

Part B - The Kashmir Imbroglio

Part C Nuclear Issues

Part D Teaching and Learning Resources on India and Pakistan

Part E Other sources

Teaching South Asia Editor s Note: Each of these Websites was checked for accessibility at time of publication. Because sites change and are deleted over time, we caution that some of these links may not be accessible in the future.

PART A: Dateline India-Pakistan Overview and History

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/sipa/REGIONAL/SAI/politicaltexts.html - Contains resources (books) dealing with Indian and Pakistani history, politics, and security issues.

http://www.idsa-india.org/an-jan9-6.html - Theoretical article on India-Pakistan security issues

http://www.janes.com/security/internationalsecurity/news/jir/jir0105251n.shtml - Discusses prospects for peace building measures between India and Pakistan.

http://www.state.gov/p/io/pkpg/index.cfm?docid=1810 - UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

http://www.cfr.org/public/pubs/india_126.html - Summary overview of Report of Task Force on US Policy in India and Pakistan Council of Foreign Relations, 1998.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/india/970624india-pakistan.html - New York Times article on Kashmir, also contains links to interesting sites on history of India, photo gallery, etc.

http://www.usip.org/library/pa/ip/ip_lahore19990221.html - Chronological account of peace efforts and declarations between India and Pakistan.

http://www.jjtc.com/Security/books/412.htm - Contains bibliographic links to books on security issues in general, including security issues in India and Pakistan

http://www.indianembassy.org/South_Asia/Pakistan/lahoredeclaration.html - The Lahore Declaration, 1999.

PART B: The Kashmir Imbroglio

http://www.vuw.ac.nz/asianstudies/publications/working/Kashmir.html - Asian Studies Institute article on the Kashmir Dispute

http://humanists.net/hic/nuclear_arms_race_in_south_asia_.htm - Article on the nuclear arms race and the Kashmir crisis.

http://www.southasiaonline.net/fea2_j2000.html - Journal on South Asian Studies, contains articles on the Kashmir crisis.

PART C: Nuclear Issues

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/nuclear.html - This site provides resources on position papers, speeches, policies, news coverage, research publications and other valuable aspects of nuclear issues between India and Pakistan.

http://www.nci.org/ind-pak.htm - Maps, charts, sites of India, sites of Pakistan on nuclear issues. Also provides other relevant web sites on nuclear issues between India and Pakistan.

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB6/ - Electronic Briefing Book with important declassified information on India-Pakistan nuclear issues from the National Archives. (1961-1983).

http://www.armscontrol.org/act/1998_11-12/ipnd98.asp - Arms Control Association article, 1998 -- "U.S. Waives Many Test-Related Sanctions on India, Pakistan."

http://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999_01-02/ipjf99.asp - Arms Control Association article, 1999 "India, Pakistan Agree on Security, Confidence-Building Measures

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/980601/1998060119.html - Positive aspects of nuclear tests of India and Pakistan.

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Deadline/IndiaPakistanNuclearIssues/IndiaPakistanNuclearIssues.htm - Noted South Asia scholars and policy makers comment on nuclear issues between India and Pakistan.

http://www.nbr.org/publications/review/vol2no2/essay.html - Essay on Nuclear Development in India and Pakistan, National Bureau of Asian Research.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/AD_Issues/amdipl_16/warburg_II/barnes_print.html - Essay on India-Pakistan nuclear issues.

http://ccnr.org/india_pak_coop.html - Canada s role in the nuclear program of India and Pakistan.

PART D: Teaching and Learning Resources on India and Pakistan

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/India97/shared/sibling.rivalry/ - Overview, snapshots, and summary coverage of fifty years of Independence of India and Pakistan.

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/april28/teachin-428.html Teach-in on India and Pakistan s nuclear capabilities, Stanford Online Report.

http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/lesson.plans/05/03/india.pakistan/ - Teaching about India and Pakistan, contains links to India-Pakistan nuclear issues and other sites.

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/pak/sastudy.htm - Contains links to various resource sites and centers for the study of South Asia.

http://www.ipfw.edu/pols/syllabi/991/y490hous.html - Syllabus on India, Pakistan, and South Asia.

PART E: Other Sources- The convenience of the Internet has enabled many groups and individuals to research and present their findings on the web. Some of these resources are independent, and some are non-profit organizations. They provide valuable information on historical and contemporary debates.

http://www.warresisters.org/0698india.htm - Response to India-Pakistan Nuclear Tests.

http://www.stimson.org/cbm/saif/krglxtra.htm - Discussion and OP-ed pieces etc. on aftermath of the Kargil incident in 1999.

http://www.subcontinent.com/sapra/nationalsecurity/security20001201a.html - Indian think tank on security issues.

http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0395/9503051.htm - Article on challenges of India-Pakistan relations.

http://www.ipcs.org/issues/articles/149-ip-ashutosh.htm - Article on India-Pakistan dialogue; invites reader feedback and participation in discussion.

http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/ - Independent site promoting dialogue among citizens concerned about nuclear issues in South Asia.

Rekha Datta is currently Associate Professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at Monmouth University. She joined the department in 1994. Dr. Datta received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut in 1990. She has an M.A. in Political Science from Calcutta University and a B.A. in Political Science from Presidency College, Calcutta. Dr. Datta is the author of Why Alliances Endure: The United States-Pakistan Alliance, 1954-1971. She is co-editor, with Judith Kornberg, of Women in Developing Countries: Strategies of Empowerment, Lynne Rienner Publishers, forthcoming. She is also a member of the board of editors of Project South Asia, a digital library of teaching resources for colleges and universities.

Copyright 2001 Teaching South Asia (ISSN 1529-8558) and Rekha Datta. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted in any form without written permission from Teaching South Asia or Rekha Datta.