Analysing Kargil Conflict in the Light of the Democratic Peace Theory and the Decision Making Process

Abstract

This paper methodically analyses the background of the Kargil conflict and political
dimensions of both traditional rivals Pakistan and India. The Kargil conflict between
Pakistan and India in 1999, over Kashmir, has deep rooted connection with unsettled
several territorial disputes. It further explains the decision making processes during
Kargil conflict with primarily focus on how the decisions were taken in Pakistan and
India and what were the impacts of those decisions on the conflict? Pakistan was facing
a dilemma owing to disparity between civil and military leadership over ownership of
the conflict while the Indian military and political leadership was on same page so they
were able to produce a unified response. Furthermore, this paper describes how both
the democratic peace thesis cannot explain the Kargil conflict owing to its uniqueness.
India and Pakistan both need to adopt dynamic measures to improve the democratic
norms in letter and spirit to foster a peaceful atmosphere in South Asia.