Identity Politics in Jammu And Kashmir

Highlighting the internal dimensions of conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, the book deals with overlapping, multi-layered and multiple identity politics of this state. While focusing on identity politics of Kashmir, which remains at the root of conflict, it goes beyond its homogenized exterior and points to various internal tensions. More importantly, it goes beyond the Kashmiri identity politics and focuses on various other manifestations of identities including religious, regional and sub-regional identity politics within the State.

It seeks to draw attention to the socio-cultural diversity and political divergence within Jammu and Kashmir and talks about multiple contexts of deprivation and neglect including those defined by the categories of gender, caste and tribe. The book is divided into five sections: Identities and Politics in Kashmir; Religion, Identities and Inter-community relations; Exodus and Identity Politics of Kashmiri Pundits; Identity Politics of Women and Dalits and; The Other Kashmir.

About the Author

Rekha Chowdhary, educated in Universities of Kashmir, Jammu and Jawaharlal Nehru University, is at present Professor of Political Science at the University of Jammu. She has been working on Jammu and Kashmir and has published extensively in various journals including Economic and Political Weekly. She has been a visiting fellow at Queen Elizabeth House in University of Oxford as SAVSP scholar in 1992-1993 and as a Commonwealth fellow in 1997-1998. She taught a course on Jammu and Kashmir in SAIS, John's Hopkins University as a Fullbright scholar in 2005.