Militarized Nationalism and Escalation Risks in South Asia: Rethinking Deterrence Stability in the India–Pakistan Conflict over Kashmir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7080/xk14bj69Keywords:
Kashmir conflict, militarized nationalism, India–Pakistan rivalry, nuclear deterrence, strategic stabilityAbstract
This study examines how militarized nationalism and domestic political pressures in India and Pakistan disrupt classical deterrence theory and contribute to enduring strategic instability in the Kashmir conflict. By focusing on the interplay between ideological performance and crisis behavior, the research aims to critically reassess deterrence logic in a region marked by nuclear capabilities and political populism. The study employs qualitative content analysis and comparative case studies, using NVivo 14 software to analyze political speeches, military doctrines, and media narratives during high-intensity conflict episodes. Official documents, think tank reports, and peer-reviewed academic sources were reviewed to construct an integrated analytical framework grounded in international relations and political psychology. Findings indicate that both states routinely escalate conflict in pursuit of domestic legitimacy, often bypassing rational deterrence frameworks. Strategic signaling is distorted by ideological imperatives, and political leaders face internal constraints that limit their ability to de-escalate. As a result, the risk of miscalculation and uncontrolled escalation remains persistently high despite the presence of nuclear deterrents. This study is applicable to fields such as international relations, South Asian studies, strategic policy, and conflict resolution. It offers practical insight for policymakers, regional analysts, and scholars concerned with deterrence breakdown, nationalism, and inter-state rivalry under nuclear shadow. By integrating political ideology, institutional behavior, and public discourse into the study of deterrence, this research provides a new framework for understanding instability in South Asia. It advances existing scholarship by highlighting how domestic narratives of honor and identity can override strategic rationality and undermine peace-building efforts in nuclearized regional conflicts.
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