{"id":295488,"date":"2025-05-19T12:01:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=295488"},"modified":"2025-05-19T06:28:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T05:28:31","slug":"india-pakistan-escalation-of-conflict-promoting-positive-peace-through-a-bottom-up-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/05\/india-pakistan-escalation-of-conflict-promoting-positive-peace-through-a-bottom-up-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"India-Pakistan Escalation of Conflict: Promoting Positive Peace Through a Bottom-up Approach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n

15 May 2025\u00a0–\u00a0Since the partition from India in 1947, Pakistan has been\u00a0<\/em>engaged in around a dozen significant\u00a0and minor conflicts with India. Wars and negotiations are carried out based on\u00a0the interests and directives\u00a0of the respective central governments. Both Indian\u00a0and Pakistani citizens are worried\u00a0about a full-scale conflict, and the\u00a0wounds of numerous wars\u00a0are\u00a0deeply felt\u00a0at\u00a0the local level. Recently, the population has\u00a0been traumatized by Operation Sindoor and\u00a0its\u00a0subsequent\u00a0retaliation. This research aims to promote\u00a0peace by placing the people at the\u00a0forefront, educating them about peace, and\u00a0exerting pressure from the\u00a0grassroots\u00a0level\u00a0up\u00a0to the provincial and\u00a0national levels to restore peace,\u00a0unity, coexistence, security, and prosperity. The\u00a0objectives\u00a0are to promote positive peace between the two nations by empowering local people, fostering connections between\u00a0them, and sharing the findings with interested\u00a0parties. Information was\u00a0gathered through networking-tracking methods and archival research. This\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a0<\/span>paper uses experiences and\u00a0literature reviews to examine the bottom-up approach in conflict resolution or transformation, focusing on past conflicts between India and Pakistan (yesterday), current\u00a0local-level\u00a0applications (today), and the potential for\u00a0promoting\u00a0positive peace\u00a0in\u00a0the future\u00a0(tomorrow). In the current era of\u00a0nuclear\u00a0weapons, the\u00a0best\u00a0way to\u00a0minimize war and the\u00a0destruction\u00a0of property, infrastructure, and\u00a0loss of life\u00a0is to prevent\u00a0catastrophe by raising\u00a0public awareness. Thus, this study pursues a bottom-up approach to attain positive peace for all at schools, health centers, workplaces, parks, walking streets, and homes. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before near the edge of catastrophe, on May 10, 2025,\u00a0high-ranking\u00a0military officials from India and Pakistan were set\u00a0to discuss the\u00a0terms of\u00a0a\u00a0ceasefire agreement\u00a0brokered by the US,\u00a0which had led to a temporary cessation of hostilities (The Economic Times, May 14, 2025; Al Jazeera Staff, May 9, 2025; & Biswas, May 9, 2025). The agreement, announced by President Trump,\u00a0brought an end to\u00a0four days of intense shelling and aerial incursions\u00a0between the two nuclear-armed nations. Both countries\u00a0remain\u00a0on high alert. India took a step towards de-escalation by reopening 32 airports for civilian use on May 12,\u00a0helping to alleviate tensions\u00a0in\u00a0the long-disputed region of Kashmir since its partition in 1947 (Jan, May 12, 2025). This tension was neither the beginning nor the end. India and Pakistan fought in 1947-48 (Ho & Gupta, May 10, 2025), 1965 (Kumar, September 6, 2024), 1971 (Sutherland, May 8, 2025), the Kargil War in 1999 (Dh Web Desk, May 3, 2025), and Operation Sindoor in 2025. The recent conflict, which resulted in\u00a0numerous\u00a0casualties and properties along with loss of life, had\u00a0sparked concerns of a full-scale war. Despite the ceasefire, both\u00a0countries have claimed military\u00a0successes, raising concerns of a potential full-scale war.<\/p>\n

On May 7, India retaliated against\u00a0Pakistan and Pakistan-administered areas\u00a0in response to\u00a0a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, resulted in the killing of 26 individuals, including Hindu and\u00a0Christian tourists,\u00a0a local Muslim, and\u00a0one Nepali,\u00a0by five militants in the picturesque Pahalgam valley (PTI, May 15, 2025). India accused a Pakistan-based terrorist group of carrying out the attack, while Islamabad denied any involvement (France 24, May 9, 2025). Tensions\u00a0escalated\u00a0as\u00a0both\u00a0nations accused\u00a0each other of cross-border shelling and claimed\u00a0to have\u00a0downed\u00a0drones and aircraft. India reported\u00a0targeting 11 Pakistan Air Force bases and\u00a0asserted that Pakistan suffered casualties at the Line of Control (Ahlawat, May 15, 2025). Pakistan retaliated by striking military installations in India and claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft (Siddiqui, May 14, 2025). India\u00a0refuted these claims,\u00a0stating\u00a0that all its pilots\u00a0returned safely.<\/p>\n

Prior to\u00a0May 7, 2025,\u00a0India had a significant influence on the economics and geopolitics of South Asia. India\u00a0saw itself as the big\u00a0brother to all countries in this region, and it was. After\u00a0a militant attack in Pahalgam, India accused Pakistan of being responsible, possibly to divert attention from its own security vulnerabilities. Pakistan, on the other hand, denied the accusations\u00a0and called for an impartial international investigation, claiming to be a victim of terrorism.<\/p>\n

In response to the situation, India\u00a0conducted airstrikes (Operation Sindoor)\u00a0on\u00a0many locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, targeting terrorist\u00a0hideouts. Pakistan\u00a0refuted these\u00a0claims, asserting that\u00a0civilians were\u00a0the ones affected. Nepal reacted emotionally to the incident, with some showing support for Pakistan and others for India.\u00a0The Chinese-made J-10C fighter jet\u00a0shot down a French Rafale fighter jet\u00a0flown by India, leading to increased tensions in India and Western countries regarding the use and production of arms and ammunition manufactured by China (Shah & Ali, May 9, 2025). The downing of a French Rafale jet by a Chinese-made J-10C counterpart heightened tensions, raising concerns about China\u2019s technological advancements, socio-economic strategies, and nuclear\u00a0capabilities. The conflict shifted the focus to China’s growing influence, with previous wars\u00a0rooted\u00a0in ideology and identity.<\/p>\n

The Nepalese government appeared uncertain in its stance, stating it was\u00a0combating terrorism, while India believed Nepal\u00a0supported its actions. That was not true. The United States condemned the terrorist attacks in India, leading India to believe it had\u00a0US backing support. China supported Pakistan, citing its own struggles against terrorism, while Western nations stood in solidarity, condemning the terrorist attacks, potentially seeking to benefit from the conflict. There were\u00a0attempts to pressure India to distance itself from the BRICS group.<\/p>\n

Amid escalating tensions, the Pakistani Director Generals of Military Operations reached out on May 10, 2025, to the Indian counterpart\u00a0and\u00a0proposed a temporary ceasefire (Dutta, May 13, 2025). Despite external and internal pressures, India quietly accepted the ceasefire offer. During the phone call, both countries agreed to cease all military actions against each other on land, in the air, and at sea. Even before the news of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan was made public, the US President revealed that a ceasefire had taken place\u00a0through\u00a0his mediation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has openly thanked US President Trump, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, China, and Turkey, but India is silent. Recently, President Trump expressed a desire to resolve the long-standing India-Pakistan conflict permanently.\u00a0 With\u00a0Trump clearly taking credit and\u00a0showing\u00a0his vested interest, India is in a dilemma. \u00a0 This development has shifted the focus to India, potentially causing feelings of humiliation. It raises questions about Trump’s role and the United States’ intentions to assert control over regional resources and security against China\u2019s advancement.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0primary economic driver\u00a0of the US\u00a0is the war economy. The US\u00a0intervened\u00a0in the India-Pakistan war\u00a0for\u00a0two main\u00a0reasons. Firstly, the US had depleted its weapons stockpiles for the first time since World War II\u00a0due to\u00a0the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Secondly, with even Rafale unable to match Chinese counterparts, it was inevitable that India would deploy its own US-manufactured fighter jets against Pakistan. Trump’s push for negotiations may stem from a desire to avoid global humiliation and vulnerabilities resulting from the use of US-made fighters against Chinese jets.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0purpose\u00a0of this study is to\u00a0explore the effectiveness of a bottom-up approach in promoting positive peace\u00a0among\u00a0grassroots\u00a0communities in India and Pakistan. Positive peace requires a shift in mindset and awareness at the local level. It is\u00a0essential\u00a0to integrate the concept\u00a0of positive peace through a bottom-up approach into\u00a0educational\u00a0curricula and make it accessible to the\u00a0public to\u00a0benefit from its insights.<\/p>\n

The overall objective of this pioneering\u00a0paper\u00a0aims to\u00a0serve as a guide for learners to understand the bottom-up approach. The specific objectives include\u00a0explaining how\u00a0positive peace can empower local people and prevent conflicts between\u00a0India\u00a0and\u00a0Pakistan, establishing\u00a0connections among people from the\u00a0two nations, and sharing\u00a0the\u00a0findings with interested individuals and organizations.<\/p>\n

The study on the bottom-up approach\u00a0to attain peace in India and Pakistan seeks to provide descriptive and explanatory insights based on\u00a0universal principles. Information was\u00a0gathered through networking\u00a0and\u00a0tracking methods.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0state-of-the-art paper utilizes experiences and archival literature reviews to explore the bottom-up approach, drawing on past (yesterday) conflicts between India and Pakistan, the axiomatic truth of the bottom-up approach at the local level in the present (today), and fostering hope by sharing knowledge on present understanding to promote\u00a0positive peace for the future\u00a0(tomorrow). The work is based on personal experiences\u00a0and\u00a0observations\u00a0accumulated over four decades, rather than\u00a0relying\u00a0solely\u00a0on theoretical concepts.<\/p>\n

Conflict Transformation by Means of Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conflict transformation is a process that\u00a0aims to\u00a0address\u00a0the root causes of conflict\u00a0in order\u00a0to create positive peace (Pollack, May 9, 2025). By changing perceptions and responses to conflict, it seeks to promote understanding, cooperation, and reconciliation for long-term peace, security, and stability.\u00a0 This approach\u00a0recognizes conflict as\u00a0a\u00a0natural\u00a0part of human interaction and seeks to use it as a catalyst\u00a0for positive change. It focuses on\u00a0addressing underlying issues such as injustice, discrimination,\u00a0inharmony, and indignity, while\u00a0promoting dialogue, empathy, coexistence, and mutual respect. Conflict transformation\u00a0operates at various levels in track 1, 2, and 3 levels,\u00a0from interpersonal disputes to large-scale conflicts,\u00a0in order\u00a0to prevent violence and build resilient and inclusive societies. This proactive and holistic approach to peacebuilding through conflict transformation\u00a0aims to create a more peaceful and just world by fostering\u00a0dialogue, understanding, and cooperation.<\/p>\n

Western powers are\u00a0attempting to hinder India’s rise as\u00a0a superpower.\u00a0Historically, the British\u00a0sought to prolong their presence in India and exploit its resources for their benefit. In\u00a0the past, the British used Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan as a tool to secede India. This manipulation persists today. It is crucial for India to avoid getting entangled\u00a0in\u00a0regional\u00a0conflicts and concentrate on achieving\u00a0superpower\u00a0status. The Indian government has not emphasized\u00a0this to the public, nor have the people\u00a0demanded a focus on the country’s advancement and growth through peaceful dialogue\u00a0with Pakistan, adopting positive and negative peace.<\/p>\n

Dichotomous positive and negative peace refer to two different concepts in the realm of peace studies (Gallardo, February 26, 2024). Positive peace is characterized by the presence of social justice, truth and fact, vetting, harmony, and equality among individuals, families, communities, and societies. It focuses on addressing the root-causes of conflict or violence and promoting perpetual or positive peace through cooperation and understanding. On the other hand, negative peace is the absence of violence and fear of violence. It is achieved through the use of force without necessarily addressing the underlying causes. Furthermore, negative peace provides a temporary solution to violence and conflict, while positive peace is long-lasting, meaningful, and aims to restore perpetual peace worldwide (Grewal, August 30, 2003; Dijkeme & d\u2019H\u00e8res, May 2007; & https:\/\/www.visionofhumanity.org\/introducing-the-concept-of-peace\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Johan Galtung: Summary of positive (perpetual) peace and negative peace<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Source:<\/em> Perpetual Peace by Johan Galtung, December 2, 2024. https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2024\/12\/perpetual-peace-by-johan-galtung\/<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The\u00a0author\u00a0designed and created\u00a0the\u00a0box mentioned above to illustrate\u00a0the\u00a0differences between\u00a0negative and positive\u00a0dimensions of peace, as defined by\u00a0peace veteran theorist Johan Galtung.<\/p>\n

Bottom-up Approach through a Peace Pyramid<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bottom-up approach to peace\u00a0emphasizes the importance of\u00a0grassroots local participation,\u00a0viewing ordinary people and local communities as the\u00a0main agents of change. This approach\u00a0contrasts with\u00a0top-down strategies, which often prioritize institutional reforms and political elites (Accord, December 20, 2021 & Coyne, 2023).\u00a0 The\u00a0“bottom-up approach”\u00a0involves starting from the smallest, most basic units and building\u00a0up to a larger, more complex system or structure (Coyne, 2023). The\u00a0Bottom-up Approach Peace through a Pyramid (BAPP) given below\u00a0symbolizes strength through unity and collective efforts. Unity and collaboration\u00a0are essential for\u00a0progress and success,\u00a0whether in\u00a0personal or professional\u00a0endeavors, as\u00a0Henry Ford\u00a0famously\u00a0said, “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”\u00a0 (Peoria Magazine, Undated).<\/p>\n

The BAPP is a civilian\u00a0initiative that operates at the\u00a0local level to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0conflict transformation among\u00a0the Indian-Pakistani\u00a0population. It helps in resolving tensions and promoting peace through\u00a0two stages: ex-ante and ex-post peace. By fostering collaboration between leaders and\u00a0the community, the program focuses on promoting dialogue, diplomacy, conflict resolution, and transformation. The key components of the program include the Peace Accord, Justice, and Reculturation, which are essential for building\u00a0a more peaceful, hopeful, prosperous, and\u00a0culturally enriched society. The ultimate goal is to create a harmonious and\u00a0prosperous society for all\u00a0following the\u00a0signing of a peace accord.<\/p>\n

India and\u00a0Pakistan have not signed\u00a0a\u00a0peace accord,\u00a0only a\u00a0ceasefire\u00a0agreement. The Peace Accord is the final stage of the\u00a0peace process, following\u00a0dialogue tracks\u00a01, 2, and 3\u00a0as outlined in the Pyramid. This\u00a0accord\u00a0typically sets out\u00a0the terms of the ceasefire and establishes\u00a0a framework for future post-conflict initiatives. The signing of the Accord\u00a0would\u00a0be a\u00a0major\u00a0milestone in the peace process\u00a0and would be celebrated by people from\u00a0both India\u00a0and\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0involved\u00a0in all dialogue tracks.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0examining global armed conflicts or violence, it is evident that those at the grassroots level\u00a0are the most victimized, oppressed, marginalized,\u00a0and\u00a0vulnerable. India and Pakistan cannot escape from this fact. This\u00a0study\u00a0aims to empower these individuals through a bottom-up approach. The\u00a0short paper is based on\u00a0personal experiences,\u00a0passion, and participant observation\u00a0collected over four decades, rather than\u00a0relying solely on\u00a0theoretical\u00a0concepts.<\/p>\n

Peacebuilding is a new approach that aims to transition from conflict to peace by restoring\u00a0justice and promoting\u00a0peace and stability (https:\/\/www.un.org\/peacebuilding\/<\/a>). It involves the participation of\u00a0all parties, civil society, and\u00a0local\u00a0elected\u00a0bodies in\u00a0truth-seeking activities. During conflict, humanitarian aid is crucial\u00a0at the grassroots level, known as Track 3,\u00a0as an immediate response. Peacebuilding is a\u00a0continuous\u00a0process that\u00a0aims to prevent and manage conflicts by transforming negative relationships into positive ones across different boundaries. It involves violence prevention, conflict resolution, and\u00a0cultural transformation (Schilling, 2012), especially important\u00a0for grassroots communities (Dialogue Track 3) compared to other Dialogue Tracks (2 and 1) (Bloomfield, 2006).<\/p>\n

The peace agreement necessitates\u00a0justice initiatives for\u00a0victims of\u00a0the\u00a0India-Pakistan conflict. Justice\u00a0embodies\u00a0fairness, equality, and righteousness, ensuring\u00a0all individuals\u00a0are treated\u00a0with dignity\u00a0and\u00a0receive\u00a0their rightful entitlements. In a just society, laws are applied impartially to all, regardless of\u00a0social status and origin. Justice\u00a0holds\u00a0individuals\u00a0accountable for their\u00a0actions and ensures consequences for\u00a0misconduct.\u00a0 The goal is to create\u00a0a society where everyone is treated\u00a0fairly and has\u00a0opportunities for a fulfilling life.\u00a0 In democratic transitions, justice\u00a0addresses\u00a0past atrocities\u00a0through\u00a0truth-telling, vetting, reparation, prosecution,\u00a0non-recurrence\u00a0guarantees, and justice policies (Pathak, April 22, 2024).<\/p>\n

First, truth-telling\u00a0about victims’ rights involves\u00a0gathering and evaluating information\u00a0from survivors, witnesses, and accused individuals. This includes asking questions about the violation of rights and ensuring accused persons have\u00a0access\u00a0to\u00a0information\u00a0and the opportunity to defend themselves\u00a0(Barolsky & Paradies, September 7, 2023). Second, vetting is the process of carefully investigating and evaluating a person\u2019s qualifications and background to determine suitability and credibility before the decision to hire, promote, or transfer takes place (Lucas, July 12, 2009).<\/p>\n

Third, reparation is a\u00a0type\u00a0of compensation\u00a0offered by the state to address\u00a0victims\u2019\u00a0psychological, material, physical, and emotional harm, including support for their livelihood through cash and other forms of\u00a0assistance.\u00a0 This includes relief compensation, restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and memorialization (Pathak, March 24, 2005 & Redress, 2003). Fourth, prosecution\u00a0is intended to deter\u00a0individuals from\u00a0seeking\u00a0unlawful revenge\u00a0and\u00a0to\u00a0uphold the\u00a0principles\u00a0of\u00a0justice. It is a direct\u00a0method of ensuring that those who have committed crimes in the past are held accountable for their actions (Tripathee, 2018).<\/p>\n

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Fifth, non-recurrence is to focus on institutional reforms that ensure guarantees of non-repetition at the state, semi-public institutions, and societal levels (McAuliffe, December 2022). Justice is being characterized by truthful, fair, impartial, and just behavior. It guides distributive, retributive, and restorative justice efforts in transitional justice (Sanders, 1974).<\/p>\n

Reculturation and (transitional) justice are\u00a0crucial for resolving conflicts and achieving positive peace after\u00a0a peace accord. The study\u00a0focuses on\u00a0grassroots\u00a0efforts\u00a0in Dialogue Track 3, involving project preparation,\u00a0initiation, formulation, planning, and development;\u00a0conflict transformation; and management\u00a0(Simplilearn, November 20, 2024). This bottom-up approach aims to\u00a0understand\u00a0the needs of the people involved (Main, November 30, 2023). Typically, grassroots study begins with peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and peacemaking in dialogue tracks 3, 2, and 1, respectively. Post-peacebuilding, as proposed by\u00a0Boutros Boutros-Ghali,\u00a0emphasizes preventive measures\u00a0in the peace accord agenda (Reychler, December 2017).<\/p>\n

Confidence-building strategies can be\u00a0enhanced through\u00a0a combination of\u00a0indirect and\u00a0direct sharing as well as\u00a0snowball tactics. Formal and direct\u00a0communication, knownwn as front-channel communication, is utilized\u00a0in the protocols\u00a0to\u00a0initiate\u00a0a dialogue between two\u00a0parties in Track 1. A mediator or facilitator is responsible for\u00a0managing front-channel communication, which follows formal diplomatic procedures aimed at achieving\u00a0a peace accord. Track 1 involves official representatives such as heads of state, ministries, and senior government officials. The\u00a0peace agreement is signed by the\u00a0Head of Government or\u00a0their\u00a0representative and\u00a0the\u00a0Head of the Conflicting Party or\u00a0their\u00a0representative\u00a0in Dialogue Track 0.5.\u00a0 In\u00a0Track 2, the conversation process, discussions, decisions, and peace accord\u00a0from Track 1 are\u00a0relayed to Track 3.<\/p>\n

Front-channel dialogue\u00a0in Track 1 is direct\u00a0communication\u00a0between India and Pakistan, either verbal or non-verbal, in real-time. It is commonly used in direct and formal, face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and video chats, allowing\u00a0for immediate feedback and clarification. On the other hand, backchannel dialogue at Track 2 is a form of communication that occurs during a conversation where one person provides feedback or responses to the speaker without interrupting them. This can be done through non-verbal cues\u00a0like\u00a0nodding or\u00a0verbal cues like “uh-huh.” It\u00a0helps\u00a0show the speaker that the listener is engaged and\u00a0encourages them\u00a0to continue sharing their thoughts. Tracking dialogue at Track 3 is the process of monitoring and understanding the conversations between the actors from India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n

Peacebuilding at Dialogue Track 3 is\u00a0crucial at the grassroots level\u00a0because\u00a0people at\u00a0the\u00a0local level are the most vulnerable in\u00a0the\u00a0India-Pakistan conflict compared to those\u00a0at the\u00a0provincial\u00a0(Track 2) and\u00a0central\u00a0(Track 1) levels. Track 2 involves\u00a0conflict resolution or transformation initiatives\u00a0led\u00a0by practitioners and theorists\u00a0(Davidson & Montville, 1981-1982), with involvement from\u00a0provincial government leadership, civil society representatives, and mid-level political party leaders. Backchannel dialogue, facilitated by unarmed peacekeepers, allows for indirect and informal discussions among stakeholders (Heinz, 2002). This dialogue requires support from officials\u00a0in Track 1\u00a0to\u00a0apply pressure and offer\u00a0global\u00a0moral support. Unarmed peacekeeping at Dialogue Track 2 bridges\u00a0the gap\u00a0between peacemaking (Track 1) and peacebuilding\u00a0(Track 3), focusing on grassroots efforts for sustainable peace.<\/p>\n

Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0conflict between\u00a0India and Pakistan\u00a0is causing\u00a0suffering for\u00a0the\u00a0people of both countries, and Nepal is also concerned as it\u00a0shares a\u00a01,880-km long porous border with India.\u00a0Being a small, landlocked country, Nepal relies\u00a0on India for petroleum products. The\u00a0ongoing\u00a0tension between India and Pakistan has\u00a0led\u00a0to\u00a0shortages\u00a0of\u00a0cooking gas\u00a0and\u00a0food grains in Nepal.<\/p>\n

The recent\u00a0rise in tensions between India and Pakistan has\u00a0raised concerns about the potential for\u00a0more\u00a0violence and instability in the SAARC region. To prevent further escalation\u00a0and promote lasting peace, it is\u00a0essential to\u00a0adopt\u00a0a grassroots approach that addresses the root causes of the conflict. A\u00a0crucial aspect of this\u00a0approach\u00a0involves\u00a0collaborating with local communities and civil society organizations to facilitate dialogue, reconciliation, conflict resolution,\u00a0and conflict transformation. By empowering local stakeholders and actors to\u00a0spearhead\u00a0peacebuilding efforts, trust can be\u00a0established, cooperation can be\u00a0nurtured, and a shared commitment to positive peace and stability can be\u00a0forged. Additionally, it is imperative to address\u00a0the underlying issues that\u00a0fuel\u00a0the conflict, such as economic\u00a0disparities, justice\u00a0inequalities, socio-cultural exclusion, and political marginalization. By\u00a0advocating for\u00a0social justice, inclusive development, and good governance, a more equitable and peaceful society can be cultivated, thereby\u00a0reducing the likelihood of future conflicts and violence.<\/p>\n

India and China have contrasting ideologies. India is disorderly and\u00a0under-governed\u00a0compared to\u00a0the\u00a0orderly and over-governed China. India\u00a0follows a\u00a0bourgeois-cum-competitive multi-party democracy, while\u00a0China\u00a0practices a\u00a0non-competitive proletarian people\u2019s democracy. China\u2019s economy is governed by proletarian power and politics, while India’s power and politics are influenced by economically affluent individuals (Pathak & Bastola, 2022). Therefore, even though India has\u00a0some of\u00a0the richest businessmen in the world, the government is poor.\u00a0 In contrast, in\u00a0China, the government is\u00a0wealthy\u00a0because the industry and business are under\u00a0government\u00a0control. Pakistan, on the other hand,\u00a0has a controlled democracy\u00a0with\u00a0military\u00a0influence.<\/p>\n

India has\u00a0competitive relations with\u00a0neighboring countries\u00a0such as\u00a0China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.\u00a0 Despite strong societal, cultural, familial, and religious ties between India and Nepal, the people of Nepal have a\u00a0close\u00a0relationship with the\u00a0Indian people\u00a0but a strained\u00a0one\u00a0with the government. India has\u00a0influenced\u00a0Nepali leaders by\u00a0offering\u00a0cash or\u00a0incentives to maintain their\u00a0support, leading to\u00a0negative sentiment\u00a0towards the Indian government\u00a0among the Nepalese people. India perceives the frustration of the Nepali people as being due to its proximity to China, but that is not true.<\/p>\n

India\u00a0is against the internationalization of the Kashmir issue and rejects foreign interference,\u00a0including\u00a0facilitation or mediation.\u00a0 Several US presidents\u00a0have\u00a0attempted to meddle in the Kashmir issue\u00a0before President Trump. The US seeks to keep an eye on India and strategically encircle China by getting involved in this matter due to Kashmir’s border with China, too.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, promoting positive peace in the India-Pakistan region\u00a0necessitates a comprehensive and holistic approach that\u00a0tackles the root causes of the conflict and empowers local communities to\u00a0drive\u00a0the peacebuilding process. By\u00a0collaborating to build a fair, inclusive, and peaceful society, a sustainable peace that benefits all\u00a0individuals\u00a0in the region can be achieved.<\/p>\n

The bottom-up approach to peace promotes mutual respect, mutual benefit,\u00a0mutual sovereignty,\u00a0and territorial integrity\u00a0from local to national levels. It advocates for\u00a0mutual coexistence, non-interference, and non-aggression even on an international level.
\nThis\u00a0approach\u00a0is not just a goal for today\u00a0or\u00a0yesterday\u00a0but for tomorrow,\u00a0envisioning\u00a0a peaceful future for all.\u00a0 It involves seeking peace within oneself\u00a0and understanding our inner selves, as Galtung emphasized.<\/p>\n

Promoting positive peace through a bottom-up approach is\u00a0essential in addressing the underlying causes of the escalating India-Pakistan conflict.\u00a0 Engaging local communities and empowering\u00a0individuals at the grassroots level\u00a0can lead to\u00a0a more peaceful, genuine, and prosperous future for the region. By fostering dialogue and reconciliation, both countries can create a favorable environment for stability, security, dignity, respect for identity, and prosperity. Empowering grassroots individuals is essential for a more peaceful, harmonious, and coexistent South Asia and, ultimately, a more peaceful world.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    <\/a>______________________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a> Prof. Bishnu Pathak was a former Senior Commissioner at the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP), Nepal who has been a Noble Peace prize nominee 2013-2019 for his noble finding of Peace-Conflict Lifecycle similar to the ecosystem. A Board Member of the <\/em>TRANSCEND Peace University<\/em><\/a> holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary Conflict Transformation and Human Rights in two decades. Arduous Dr. Pathak who is an author of over 100 international paper-book publications has been used as references in more than 100 countries across the globe. Immense versatile personality Dr. Pathak\u2019s publications belong to Human Rights, Human Security, Peace, Conflict Transformation, and Transitional Justices among others. He can be reached at ciedpnp@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    15 May 2025\u00a0–\u00a0Since the partition from India in 1947, Pakistan has been\u00a0engaged in around a dozen significant\u00a0and minor conflicts with India. Wars and negotiations are carried out based on\u00a0the interests and directives\u00a0of the respective central governments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":115421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[759,809,1302,473,92],"class_list":["post-295488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transcend-members","tag-india","tag-johan-galtung","tag-pakistan","tag-positive-peace","tag-violent-conflict"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295495,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295488\/revisions\/295495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}