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South Asian countries have experienced a variety of secessionist movements challenging their borders since gaining independence, from the Bengali movement in Pakistan to the Kashmiri movement in India. The Stimson Center is pleased to host Ahsan Butt, Assistant Professor at George Mason University and Nonresident Fellow at the Stimson Center, to discuss his recently published book, Secession and Security: Explaining State Strategy Against Separatists, in which he argues that states, rather than separatists, determine how violent the conflict between them will be. He investigates the strategies, ranging from negotiated concessions to large-scale repression, adopted by states in response to separatist movements. Butt’s deep historical approach focuses on two main cases—Pakistani reactions to Bengali and Baloch demands for independence in the 1970s and India’s responses to secessionist movements in Kashmir, Punjab, and Assam in the 1980s and 1990s. Tamanna Salikuddin, former Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Department of State, and Alec Worsnop, Assistant Professor at University of Maryland, College Park, will offer comments at this event. Sameer Lalwani, Co-Director of Stimson’s South Asia Program, will moderate the discussion. Copies of Secession and Security will be available for purchase and signing at a discounted price of $26.00 (credit card or exact cash).
WHAT: An on-the-record discussion with Ahsan Butt on secessionist movements in India and Pakistan, and those states’ varying responses in managing them. Lunch will be served, and books will be available for purchase.
WHERE: The Stimson Center, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington DC, 20036
WHEN: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 | 12:15 PM – 2:00 PM
FOLLOW: @StimsonCenter on Twitter for event news and use #StimsonNow to join the conversation.
Featuring:
Ahsan Butt, Assistant Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, and Nonresident Fellow, Stimson Center
Ahsan Butt is an Assistant Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and a Nonresident Fellow at the Stimson Center. His research focuses on nationalism, security, international order, and South Asia. His first book is Secession and Security: Explaining State Strategy Against Separatists (Cornell University Press, 2017).
Tamanna Salikuddin, former Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Department of State
Tamanna Salikuddin is the former Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Department of State from 2014 to 2017, and former director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. National Security Council from 2011 to 2013. She has expertise in a range of topics related to South Asia, including counterterrorism, governance issues, and domestic reform in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.
Alec Worsnop, Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
Alec Worsnop is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park and a Nonresident Fellow in the Modern War Institute at West Point. He studies issues including civil war, military effectiveness, civil-military relations, and institutional development in conflict or post-conflict environments.
Sameer Lalwani, Senior Associate and Co-Director, South Asia Program, Stimson
Sameer Lalwani is a Senior Associate and Co-Director of Stimson’s South Asia Program where he researches nuclear deterrence, inter-state competition, and counterinsurgency. He is the co-editor of a new Stimson book Investigating Crises: South Asia’s Lessons, Evolving Dynamics, and Trajectories.