For long, South Asia has been an epicentre of conflicts including ethnic, political, religious and social ones. The region has multi-cultural, multiethnic, multi-religious societies and this multiplicity has given rise to a variety of clashes. Ethnic conflicts include the Chakma problem in Bangladesh, the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh problem in India, the Hindu and Muhajir problem in Pakistan, the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka and the conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan-the two most important states in South Asia. Conflicts between states, particularly between India and Pakistan, have made the subcontinent a volatile region. In this backdrop, this paper examines why ethnic conflicts have emerged in South Asia, their repercussions on societies and states, their impeding of regional cooperation and the best way forward for reaching solutions.
