Confidence Building Measure between India and Pakistan Dr. Kumar Ajeet Assistant Professor, ARSD College, Delhi, India Online published on 18 June, 2014. Abstract ‘Confidence building’ in the post cold war era has become a touchstone of international crisis diplomacy. It is premised on a series of small measures that are expected cumulatively to produce the quota of goodwill, mutual trust and confidence necessary for states in conflict to achieve normal relations and genuine peace. The term came into vogue in South Asia in the late mid 1980s as a result of acute military crises faced by India and Pakistan. Confidence building measures (CBMs), where and when have been exercised in the past? What role have they played in different circumstances? What are their components and their meaning? What are their criteria of success? What are the processes through which they are built up? Why are they exercised i.e. objectives? What are the limitations/obstacles in their being carried out? Can they be labelled as a transplant from the west and an exercise in sheer cosmetics? Do they hold any promise in South Asian conditions? Today, these questions agitate the minds of many well meaning and concerned South Asians. In this paper, I have made an attempt to trace the history of CBMs, their evolution, performance and practice; later it drawn some focuses on the problems faced in applying these CBMs between India and Pakistan. My paper is divided into two parts. The first part includes: definition of CBMs, brief history of CBMs, approaches to CBMs- both Soviet and Western approach, nature and objectives of CBMs, and global experience which influenced the adoption of CBMs between India and Pakistan. The second parts of the paper focuses on types of CBMs i.e. Military and Non military, preconditions for CBMs, military CBMs in practice between India and Pakistan. Further it emphasis on the reasons why these CBMs have not been effective in the region. Suggestions have also been given as how make CBMs more effective. Finally he concluding observations have been made in his regard. Top Keywords CBMs, India, Pakistan, Nuclear Weapons, Kargil Conflict, Kashmir Dispute. Top |