Society And Politics Of Jammu And Kashmir

Kashmir is one of the longest-standing conflicts yet to be resolved by the international community. In 2000, Bill Clinton declared it the most dangerous place in the world and since then the situation continues to escalate. Positioned between India, Pakistan and China – three nuclear powers – Kashmir is the most militarized zone on the planet. Against this backdrop, the urgency to understand what Jammu and Kashmir means to those who actually belong to its territory has increased. This book not only helps readers navigate subtleties in a complex part of the world but is the first of its kind – written for a global audience from local perspectives, which to date have been sorely lacking.

Kashmir is one of the world's least understood conflicts. In this critically important volume, Serena Hussain has brought together a remarkable range of voices and topics. Its incisive and insightful chapters present nuanced perspectives making this book essential reading on Kashmir. - David Barsamian, Director of Alternative Radio Examining Jammu & Kashmir's complex history and many ruptures in its past and present, this book offers a rich addition to scholarship on the region. The variety of voices bridge the disconnect between two sides of the LoC and offer valuable understanding of inter-regional contestations. - Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor, Kashmir Times For more than seventy years the bloody conflict smoldering in Kashmir has been obscured by its portrayal as an 'issue' between India and Pakistan. By bringing together diverse points of view, this new collection reprises the complexity of this region and it shows us where hope might lie in the future. - Sanjay Kak, Award-winning Filmmaker and Writer Kashmir is one of the longest-standing conflicts yet to be resolved by the international community. In 2000, Bill Clinton declared it the most dangerous place in the world and since then the situation continues to escalate. Positioned between India, Pakistan and China - three nuclear powers - Kashmir is the most militarized zone on the planet. Against this backdrop, the urgency to understand what Jammu and Kashmir means to those who actually belong to its territory has increased. This book not only helps readers navigate subtleties in a complex part of the world but is the first of its kind - written for a global audience from local perspectives, which to date have been sorely lacking. Serena Hussain is Associate Professor of Sociology and Human Geography. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Bristol and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Oxford. As well as her time in academia, she has worked as an expert consultant for a number of British government departments and organizations such as Ipsos MORI, BBC World Service and Islamic Relief Worldwide. .

This textbook offers a lucid and comprehensive understanding of J&K politics, government and governance. Government and Politics of Jammu and Kashmir provides an engaging account of different aspects of the key themes of politics and governance structures of Jammu and Kashmir, right from the formation of the State to its bifurcation into two Union Territories. Spanned over 13 chapters, the book aims to provide a clear idea about the political awakening of the people in the state, creation of leadership and political formations leading to the movement against Princely Order. The analysis and findings on different themes are presented as succinctly and lucidly as possible. This book will serve as a helpful companion for undergraduate and post-graduate students of political science as well as civil service aspirants. Key Features: - First-of-its-kind textbook on the politics of Jammu and Kashmir - Concise and well-balanced coverage of state politics in India - Incorporates recent literature, latest data and illustrations - Includes pedagogically rich content, which closely follows UGC curriculum guidelines for the subject

This book examines the shifting, non-linear relationship between religion, nationalism and politics in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. In the wake of the revocation of Article 370, the state’s plural and relatively harmonious society has come under multiple strains, with religion often informing day-to-day politics. The chapters in this volume: Trace the formation of the political entity of Jammu and Kashmir and the seemingly secular politics of its three regions Discuss the rise of militancy and resistance movements in the Kashmir Valley Highlight the intersection between everyday life, nationalism and resistance through a study of the literary traditions of Kashmir, contemporary resistance photography and everyday communalism located in the changing food practices of Hindu and Muslim communities Religion and Politics in Jammu and Kashmir will be an indispensable read for students and researchers of religion and politics, democratization and democracy, secularism, sociology, cultural studies and South Asian studies.

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the complex conflict situation in Kashmir. Through an internal perspective, it charts the shift in the Kashmiri response towards the Centre and offers a detailed examination of the background in which separatist politics took roots in Kashmir, and the way it changed its nature in the militancy and post-militancy period. The volume shows how separatism and armed militancy, as manifest in the Valley in the late 1980s, (though augmented by external factors) have been internal responses to the changing nature of Kashmiri identity politics. It explores how the ideas central to Indian nationalist politics — especially democracy and secularism — echoed in Kashmir and were instrumental in dismantling the feudal structure and negotiating an autonomous space within the framework of asymmetrical federalism. Seamlessly blending facts and incisive analyses, this book raises new questions about the nature of conflict and contestation in the region. It will be of great interest to researchers and scholars of Indian politics, especially on Jammu and Kashmir, and sociology, as well as government bodies, think tanks and the interested general reader.

A cross-disciplinary anthology on contemporary Kashmir by academics from Jammu and Kashmir, the first such volume to appear. The book offers a panorama of key cultural concerns of Jammu and Kashmir today, incorporating analysis of military, cultural, religious, and social aspects of the society and polity.