Separatist movements, together with the rapid polarization of the Hindu and Muslim communities, have increasingly made governing India a nightmare. Thomas explains the dilemmas facing a state that is both genuinely committed to pluralism and democracy and that wishes to maintain law and order within its current borders. Human rights abuses in Kashmir certainly stem from authoritarian tendencies within the government and army, but also from a paralyzing fear of what would happen in the event of the Indian state unravelling into its hundreds of constituent parts.