Kashmir conflict and its impact on India-Pakistan nuclear arms race

After Palestine, Kashmir is one of the oldest, bloodiest and unending conflict in the world. The conflict arose out when the British Empire decided to leave the Indian sub-continent and divided it by Two Nation Theory. By this theory India and Pakistan got independence and more than 500 princely states; were under British's limited or indirect rule; were given right to join with any one of them. Kashmir was Muslim majority and the biggest one among princely states. The Maharaja (king) of Kashmir Hari Singh decided to join with India but majority people of this state rejected his decision. Regarding this accession, India, and Pakistan involved in a war in their early history in 1947. After that, these two countries fought two times over Kashmir in 1965, as well as the Kargil war in 1999. India's stand for the accession of Kashmir by Maharaja has always been questioned by Pakistan that supports Kashmiri demand for the right of self-determination under the United Nations Resolution of 1948-49. China also claims her territorial right over Shaksam Valley and Aksai Chin consequently Kashmir became a triangle conflict between three nuclear powers. Looking at the historical background and developments, this dissertation offers a detailed examination of the ongoing Kashmir conflict and explains how Kashmir has become the most dangerous nuclear flashpoint on the earth. The conflict entered a menacing race in this arena with steps towards nuclear weapons that they had started since 1998. The thesis uses various theories: Realism, Security Dilemma theory, and Enduring Rivalry Theory. In this study, the causes and possible consequences of India and Pakistan nuclear arms race centering the Kashmir conflict are being discussed in detail. After analyzing different aspects of the Kashmir conflict and applying the theories, the paper concludes that the arms race centering the Kashmir conflict is unending because of the enduring struggle between India and Pakistan over the region. Key Words: Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Conflict, Nuclear Arms Race.