A K Ganguly

Kashmir "Face-Off" India's Quandary A K Ganguly

The book 'Kashmir Face-Off India's Quandary' is about Kashmir. How it remained in the suspended, animated state since 1947 in three parts Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, China Occupied Kashmir and rightfully held Indian Jammu and Kashmir. So many years have passed in status quo state and none of the actors is ready to budge an inch.

The legal status of Jammu and Kashmir (J& K) as per the documentary evidence and seconded by the British Empire, the day the Maharaja of the State signed the Accord of Accession in 1947 October. This had made both Pakistan and China not recognising the accord. Pakistan invaded India to take by force J& K, Indian Army drove out the invading forces, but as ceasefire came into being certain territories were still held by Pakistan. Same was the case with China who in 1962 captured Aksai Chen and never returned it to India.

These occupied territories were and have been used in fermenting problems and instability, based on communal lines with a view to breakaway Kashmir from India. With the abrogation of special status which Pakistan and China have been exploiting, both these countries got the jolt which they were never expecting. It was for the first time India declared the occupied territories as part of India in August 2019 and put the reclamation of the same.

In this book, the modus, modalities and way out have been discussed to get back all the occupied territories, even at the cost of going in for forced reclamation. The narrative has been made interesting with Maps and debating the pros and cons, where India stands and what it must do to improving its posturing of reclamations.