South Asia

South Asia continues to be one of the most volatile regions of the world. Even though it has a common cultural background and shared political experience, many groups have been fiercely fighting, challenging the national governments and frustrating their nation-building efforts, such as in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The negative effects of ongoing ethnic conflicts, civil wars, communal and political violence, terrorism, counter-terrorism, religious extremism, militarisation, violation of human rights, unresolved inter-state and intra-state conflicts, and subversive economic activities are more visible today than ever before. In this context, the role of Jawaharlal Nehru to promote peace in South Asia deserves special attention. Apart from his careful handling of India's tumultuous domestic situation during the years immediately after Independence in 1947, Nehru's major contribution lies in the field of foreign policy of the country. However, post-Nehruvian era has witnessed dramatic changes in India's foreign policy, with South Asia emerging as a crisis region in the world. This book contains 13 scholarly research papers which provide deep insights into divergent issues/concerns in South Asia in the background of Nehruvian vision of peace and co-operation in the region.