South Asia in Transition ― Democracy, Political Economy and Security

Developments in South Asia in the areas of democracy, political economy and security in the post-Cold war era are intriguing and raise questions about whether the region is on the road to a transformation. Combining theoretical insights and empirical analysis on the region's post-Cold War dynamics, Bhumitra Chakma investigates whether South Asia is moving from being a space of conflict to one of cooperation and peace. He scrutinizes the state of democracy and political economy in three major states - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - and examines several key issue areas, including nuclear weapons, the Afghan war, human security, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and India-Pakistan relations.

Bhumitra Chakma is Senior Lecturer at the School of Politics, Philosophy and International Studies and Director of the South Asia Project at the University of Hull, UK. Previously, he taught at the International Relations Department at Dhaka University, Bangladesh, and at the School of History and Politics at the University of Adelaide, Australia. His recent books include The Politics of Nuclear Weapons in South Asia (2011), Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons (2009), and Strategic Dynamics and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation in South Asia (2004).