Kashmir, 1990-2000: Reflections on individual voices in a dirty war

Sumantra Bose evaluates the potential of independent, people-oriented activism to develop non-military and non-sectarian approaches to tackle the violent conflict in Kashmir. He concludes that the prospects of such organized movements are dim, because at present Jammu & Kashmir’s people are too traumatized and too internally divided to sustain such efforts. However, he highlights the heroic efforts made by several key individuals to defend human rights and democratic liberties. The author argues that in defying the climate of fear and transcending sectarian political cleavages, these individuals have put forward an alternative vision for resolving the Kashmir question. © 2000 The Society for International Development.