Paradise At War: A Political History of Kashmir – Radha Kumar

Paradise At War offers a balanced, lucid, and deeply empathetic political history of Kashmir, cutting through the heavy rhetoric that often cloaks the region. Renowned academic and former government interlocutor Radha Kumar provides an authoritative account of the complex forces that have shaped modern Kashmir.

The book traces critical historical milestones, from the hopeful Lahore Declaration and its swift undoing by the Kargil operation, to the morphing of regional insurgency into an Islamist jihad against India. Kumar meticulously explores India's attempts to parley with separatist groups and details the progress made toward a peace solution by various Indian and Pakistani governments between 2002 and 2007.

Analyzing contemporary crises, Kumar examines the profound impact of 9/11, the Afghan War, and the Mumbai terror attacks. She details the subsequent blowback and radicalization within Pakistani institutions, alongside the Indian government's failures to transition Kashmir into a sustainable peacebuilding phase. From the contentious implementation of AFSPA and the mass anti-India protests of 2010, to the unstable 2014 coalition government and the explosive aftermath of Burhan Wani's killing in 2016, this book underlines the political tragedies that ensue when strategy and timing are mismatched.

Drawing on firsthand experience, Kumar critiques both India's political missteps and Pakistan's disastrous foreign policy, concluding with a realistic roadmap for reconciliation, peace, and stability.