Overview

Track Two Diplomacy between India and Pakistan studies the nature and context of providing an alternative platform for conflict resolution between the two countries. Considered one of the most intractable conflicts in the world, the India-Pakistan conflict has been defined by casualties, religious extremism, and the looming threat of war. With the conflict playing out against the backdrop of many nationalisms, official Track One diplomacy remains insufficient. The author analyses the role of Track Two diplomacy when official diplomacy remains confined and sensitive to their respective official positions as well as the contribution of maintaining various communication lines intact when official channels are suspended and inaccessible. In this context, this book explores citizen-led diplomatic efforts, probing the economic and ideological forms of power that influence this mode of diplomacy outside governmental channels. The book is a general evaluation of the Track Two process in terms of its achievements, challenges and failures vis-à-vis India and Pakistan. An original contribution towards the development of a conceptual understanding of Track Two diplomacy, this book will be of interest to researchers studying International Relations, Foreign Politics, South Asian Politics, with particular emphasis on India - Pakistan relations.

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9781032594026

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Reviews

“A brilliant pioneering volume which greatly improves our understanding of the role of Track II diplomacy in India-Pakistan relations. Empirically rich and theoretically rigorous: a must read for all those concerned about South Asia and its future.” --Amitabh Mattoo, Padmashri Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India; Honorary Professor of International Relations, University of Melbourne, Australia; Chair Governing Body, Miranda House College, University of Delhi, India; Governing Board Australia India Institute at Delhi, India “Samir Ahmad offers a persuasive argument for the need to strengthen and revitalize Track-Two processes as an effective tool for conflict resolution, especially in the context of the fraught Indo -Pakistan relationship. The practice of Track-Two Diplomacy has evolved substantially since Joseph Montville's initial articulation in 1981. Today, there is an infusion of civil society representatives in Track-Two processes and the line between Track Two and Multi-Track Diplomacy is more porous. The internet facilitates greater communication between citizens committed to peace on both sides. The book is a scholarly exhortation to governments and citizens to seize the opportunity to break out of the current impasse in the bilateral relationship. Coming from the pen of an engaged peacebuilder and academic, and buttressed with painstaking research on the experience of Track Two processes in our region, the book is a valuable read for those invested in the idea of positive peace in South Asia.” --Meenakshi Gopinath, Padma Shri Awardee, Founder and Director, WISCOMP, Chair, Centre for Policy Research “Samir Ahmad’s analysis of India-Pakistan diplomacy with reference to Jammu and Kashmir is a valuable intervention in a relatively lesser explored domain of international relations. The book’s focus on Track II diplomacy foregrounds civil society as an essential stakeholder in international negotiations towards conflict resolution in Kashmir, and peace and stability in the wider South Asian region. At a juncture when Jammu and Kashmir is especially troubled and India-Pakistan diplomacy in deep freeze, Ahmad’s book is both timely and compelling.” --Seema Kazi, Associate Professor, Centre for Women's Development Studies (CWDS), New Delhi, India “This important book explores the role of Track Two Diplomacy in the context of India-Pakistan relations and manages to underscore their relevance even in the contemporary atmosphere of all round despondency about this relationship. It opens up new possibilities about how to think of conflict resolution and peacebuilding away from the rigidities of the state institutions.” --Harsh V Pant, Professor of International Relations, King’s College London & Vice President - Studies, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, India “When conventional diplomacy fails, could unconventional diplomacy work? Could peace be fostered by a track-two dialogue, which brings together members of the public representing the opposing sides? These are the questions this book explores in the context of the long-standing India-Pakistan rivalry. The exploration is grounded in rich historical context and sober analysis. It is timely not just for South Asia, but also for other parts of the world where peace requires creative and inclusive approaches.” --Yelena Biberman, Associate Professor of Political Science, Skidmore College, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, Associate, Harvard University's Davis Center

Author Information

‪Samir Ahmad is a US Fulbright Scholar and currently teaches Political Science at the Gandhi Memorial College, India. He was a visiting lecturer at Skidmore College, USA. His research areas are South Asia, Multi-Track Diplomacy, Kashmir Politics, Terrorism, and Security. He participated in several Track Two Diplomatic initiatives within and outside India.

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