Since the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan to end World War II, citizens of the world have lived with the reality of nuclear warfare. In this post-atomic age, much diplomacy and foreign policy has been aimed at preventing what many envision as an apocalyptic third World War. While the United States succeeded to put an end to the two World Wars, nuclear warfare dictates that nations must prevent World War III before it starts - which is why the United States should pay closer attention to what's going on in South Asia.
With Pakistan and India's nuclear weapon buildup, as well a recent surge in Muslim and Hindu extremism in these nations, World War III may be more imminent than we think.
India and Pakistan are the two newest members of the nuclear club and hold all of South Asia on the brink of nuclear holocaust. While tension between the countries is nothing new, both countries now have large and growing factions of extremists bent on the other's destruction, and these hateful extremists are gaining popularity.
Since the British partition of India in 1947 and the creation of the separate states of India and Pakistan, there always has been a degree of tension between the two nations. Whether it is whose cricket teams are better, or who can blast more of the other's troops to the top of the Himalayan mountains, it is an intense and deep-rooted rivalry.
Kashmir is one primary conflict. Territorial claims to the provinces of Jammu and Kashmir have been hotly contested for more than 50 years by both nations, and the current situation shows little improvement. The border between India and Pakistan in the Karakoram mountain range is the highest military front in the world, with troops manning gun stations at well over 25,000 feet. Troops from both sides regularly exchange fire, and the Indian and Pakistani governments are either unable or unwilling to do anything about it.
Almost everyone agrees Kashmir will remain a big threat to the peace and security of South Asia until this long-standing border issue is resolved peacefully. Unfortunately, a resolution is nowhere in sight, as leaders from both sides claim full control over the land and rarely engage in constructive diplomatic dialogue.
But even more troubling than the historical dispute over Kashmir are the recent episodes of violence that have broken out in other parts of India, notably the western state of Gujarat and the capital of Mumbai.
Last year, a flurry of violence broke out in Gujarat after radical Muslims burned a train of Hindu pilgrims returning from the town of Ayodha, apparently in retaliation for the destruction of a holy mosque site in Ayodha in 1992. In response, Gujarat Hindus embarked on a campaign of mass revenge. Their mobs overtook Gujarat, destroying Muslim property and massacring as many as 3,000 Indian Muslims. Much of this violence was state-sponsored.
A report released by Human Rights Watch linked most of the violence to Hindu Nationalist groups in India. The report documents how Hindu mobs organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh raped, beat and killed hundreds of Muslims. Both of these organizations are tied closely with the ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to the Australian Financial Review, "the rise of the Hindu nationalists has been spectacular," and these groups' goal is "'Hindutva': a Hindu rather than a secular India." In addition, the report documents how local police were privy to the violence but did nothing to squelch the conflicts.
On the other side, Muslim extremism, well known in the United States, is on the rise. Al-Qaida allegedly has large networks in Pakistan, and the Indian government has long criticized the Pakistanis for promoting cross-border terrorism. Now it seems there are also radical Hindus, who have been provoked and are ready to fight.
The large majority of Hindus and Muslims have lived in peace for centuries in South Asia, and this kind of hateful nationalism and extremism must be combated in order to return to peaceful times.
But India and Pakistan must be coerced to return to the negotiation table, for the sake of global security, lest the future of the India-Pakistan conflict be dominated by Islamic militancy and Hindu nationalism. We should place this on our foreign policy radar before the explosions, like the August bombing of Mumbai by retaliatory Muslims, become nuclear.
Ishtiaque Masud is an economics junior. You can reach him at ishtiaque.masud@asu.edu.
