South Asia's arms control process: cricket diplomacy and the composite dialogue |
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| Authors: | STUART CROFT |
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| Institution: | Professor of International Relations at the University of Birmingham, and Director of the Economic and Social Research Council's New Security Challenges Programme. He is currently completing a book on crisis and the war on terror in American political and popular culture. |
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| Abstract: | Nuclear arms control on the Indian subcontinent has had a rather chequered immediate past. In far less than ten years talks have begun, both sides have formally become nuclear powers, fought a war, nearly fought another, have threatened each other with dire consequences, and yet have reached important agreements. This article traces those developments, particularly focusing on the recent talks, from the end of 2003. It sets out the limits to the current process, but also the possibilities for further important advances.
This is a crucial process: Indian—Pakistani relations are highly crisis prone, and the nuclear dimension may add to that. Symbols—as in all processes—have been very important, and the ability of the two countries to talk politics and play cricket has been highly significant; it symbolizes the hope for the future. |
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