Conflict Theory Of Conflict

1096 Words5 Pages
Prior to analyze existing paradigms of media and conflict, it is pertinent to define ‘Conflict’. In the book ‘Working with Conflict Skills & Strategies for Action’ a group of scholars define- “conflict is a relationship between two or more parties (individuals or groups) who have, or think they have, incompatible goals” (Fisher @ at all, 2000. p.4). ‘Goal Clash’ is the common denominator for personal to community and national to international conflict to be aroused. The cause of a conflict has been explained by many theories; one of most prolific ‘identity theory’ of conflict illustrate that “it is caused by feelings of threatened identity which is often rooted in unresolved past loss and suffering” (Fisher @ at all 2003, p. 8). Most of ULFA…show more content…
R. Bhattacharjee and Purusottam Nayak mentions, “As the articulated economic grievance hovers around the idea of so called regional colonialism based on the alleged drain of rich resources of the region, any violent political movement makes petroleum and tea as its target” (Bhattacharjee and Nayak, p. 4). Extortion from Tea Industries and blown up Oil Pipeline have been regular feature of ULFA led insurgency situation in Assam. P. R. Bhattacharjee and Purusottam Nayak identifies that disrupting industrial activities centering on petroleum and tea are bound to block the wheel of progress in the region also by providing negative signals to prospective investors (Bhattacharjee and Nayak, p.…show more content…
4). They define an armed conflict as ‘Minor’ when less than 25 deaths in a year and in which one party is a state (Lederach, 2004 p. 4). On the contrary, ‘Intermediate Armed Conflict’ is a situation in which at least one thousand deaths have occurred in a course of conflict with at least 25 deaths occurred in a year (Lederach, 2004 p. 5). And an armed conflict classify as ‘War’ when at least one thousand deaths occurred in a year. From the above perspective, it can be points out that the conflict between ULFA and Government of India swinging in between ‘Intermediate Armed Conflict’ and ‘War’. During years of Operation Bajrang and Operation Rhino (1989-1992) and Operation All Clear of Bhutan (2003), the conflict entered into the category of ‘War’, as per death tolls; otherwise, it can be called as ‘Intermediate Armed Conflict’. Lederach also mentions that most of the current conflicts are intra state affairs which often involves the pursuit of autonomy or self-government for certain regions or groups (Lederach, 2004 p. 8). From 1989 to 1996, more than seventy conflicts of intra state affairs in sixty locations across the globe were witnessed (Lederach, 2004 p. 8). The common characteristic of this type of conflict situations is that people seek for security within their close identity groups, consequently many groups emerges and asserts recognition
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