APPLICATION OF DEUTSCH’S ‘COOPERATION-COMPETITION’ AND COLEMAN’S ‘POWER AND CONFLICT’ TO KASHMIR DISPUTE AND PAKISTAN-INDIA RELATIONS

Abstract

This paper explores the enduring Kashmir conflict and broader India-Pakistan relations through the dual lenses of Morton Deutsch’s Cooperation-Competition model and Peter Coleman’s Power and Conflict framework. By applying these theoretical approaches, the study highlights how entrenched perceptions of negative interdependence, mistrust, and zero-sum thinking have perpetuated the conflict. Deutsch’s model reveals the conflicting motivations—both cooperative and competitive—that underpin the bilateral relationship, while Coleman’s theory provides insight into how power asymmetries, deep structural biases, and legitimizing narratives obstruct meaningful dialogue. The analysis underscores that sustainable peace requires reframing the conflict from mutual antagonism to shared interest. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for Pakistan, emphasizing trust-building, acknowledgment of past actions, cultural commonality, and a shift from power-over to power-with dynamics to create the conditions necessary for cooperative conflict resolution and regional stability.