'The proliferation of violent militias in recent years represents one of the most disturbing trends in South Asia. Dedicated to causes that range from class war to ethno-religious conflict, they pose a dangerous challenge to a region where co-operation between neighbouring states appears to be slowly gaining ground. This broad and comprehensive study by a team of mainly French anthropologists, political scientists and policy experts explores the diverse ideologies, complex recruitment patterns and myriad objectives of paramilitary groups in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Burma. Based on new and often consequential research conducted in difficult and demanding circumstances, the result is a volume rich in detail and brimming with insight.' - Farzana Shaikh, Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs, author, Making Sense of Pakistan 'South Asia, like other parts of the world today, experiences more conflict involving non-state actors than armed conflict between states. But what do India and Nepal's Maoist insurgents, Tamil separatists in Sri Lanka, Islamist insurgents in Kashmir and ethnic militias in Burma have in common? This empirically rich volume proposes that despite differences in the regimes in which these armed groups operate and diversity in their goals and structures, there are reasons to consider them together.' - Contemporary South Asia