International Journal of Kashmir Studies (IJKS)

Abstract: Coalition governance in multi-ethnic and deeply contested subnational jurisdictions represents a formidable institutional challenge, particularly when regional political parties forge alliances with national formations. This article offers an empirical assessment of the evolving electoral dynamics, legislative stability, and voter alignment patterns in Jammu and Kashmir between 2002 and 2018. Utilizing electoral data, legislative voting records, and qualitative elite interviews, the study investigates how ideological divergences and competing regional mandates within coalition administrations impact governance efficacy and public trust in democratic institutions. We examine the structural tensions between regional autonomy platforms and national integration mandates, demonstrating how coalition compromises frequently alienate core voter constituencies and generate acute political volatility. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the sociological implications of shifting electoral turnout figures across urban and rural constituencies, highlighting the persistent divergence between civic participation in municipal governance and broader geopolitical aspirations. The findings underscore that sustainable democratic legitimacy in Kashmir requires robust intra-party democracy, transparent consultative mechanisms, and genuine adherence to regional self-governance covenants. The study concludes with comparative insights relevant to coalition stability in protracted conflict settings globally.

Abstract: The nineteenth-century British imperial expansion across South and Central Asia necessitated extensive cartographic surveys, boundary commissions, and geopolitical boundary demarcations that profoundly transformed pre-modern fluid political spaces into fixed territorial borders. This historical research examines the cartographic projects and survey expeditions conducted by British military engineers and imperial commissioners in the northern frontiers of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Drawing upon archival cartography, survey memoirs from the Survey of India, and political correspondence preserved in British Library collections, the study reconstructs how mountainous borderlands—including Gilgit, Baltistan, and Ladakh—were surveyed, measured, and legally enclosed into imperial defense perimeters. We explore the bureaucratic friction between British residency officials and the princely Dogra administration regarding border sovereignty, customs collection, and tribal zone management. The paper demonstrates how colonial boundary-making practices severed centuries-old trans-Himalayan trade routes, pastoral migration patterns, and socio-cultural kinship networks. Ultimately, the study reveals how colonial cartographic violence laid the structural foundations for modern territorial disputes in the Himalayan region.

Abstract: Financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment through microfinance institutions (MFIs) and self-help groups (SHGs) have garnered substantial attention in development literature as catalysts for poverty reduction in rural economies. This empirical study assesses the socio-economic impact of microfinance credit programs on women’s entrepreneurship, household income generation, and financial autonomy across rural districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, and Anantnag in 2017–2018. Utilizing a stratified random sampling methodology surveying 600 female borrowers and non-borrower control groups, the research evaluates loan utilization patterns, business survival rates, household decision-making power, and repayment vulnerabilities under conditions of periodic civil disruptions. The empirical findings reveal that while microfinance credit significantly enhances women’s participation in micro-enterprises such as dairy farming, tailoring, and food processing, structural bottlenecks including high interest rates, limited market access, and inadequate financial literacy training constrain long-term business scalability. Furthermore, recurring internet shutdowns and transport strikes severely impede digital transactions and product distribution. The authors recommend establishing subsidized credit cooperatives, specialized vocational skill training centers, and digital market linkages to optimize the efficacy of women-centric microfinance initiatives in conflict-impacted rural regions.

Abstract: Protracted exposure to chronic political violence and community trauma generates profound psychological disturbances that frequently transcend direct victims, manifesting as intergenerational trauma within family and societal structures. This clinical and sociological investigation examines the pathways of intergenerational transmission of anxiety disorders, depression, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) among households in the Kashmir Valley. Based on clinical diagnostic evaluations and narrative interviews conducted with 300 parent-child dyads across urban and rural sectors in 2017–2018, the research explores how parental exposure to violence, disappearances, and displacement influences the emotional development, coping strategies, and worldviews of the younger generation. The findings indicate that chronic environmental instability inhibits normative emotional regulation and fosters pervasive hyper-vigilance among adolescents. The authors discuss the critical limitations of biomedical psychiatric models operating in isolation from socio-political realities and advocate for community-embedded psychosocial healing frameworks, trauma-informed schooling, and expanded destigmatized counseling services. We conclude that addressing collective trauma is an indispensable prerequisite for societal rehabilitation and long-term peacebuilding in Kashmir.

Abstract: The imposition of frequent telecommunication blackouts, mobile internet suspensions, and broadband restrictions by executive authorities in Jammu and Kashmir represents a prominent manifestation of digital authoritarianism in contemporary constitutional democracies. This legal study critically evaluates the statutory basis, executive orders, and judicial scrutiny standards governing internet shutdowns under Indian telegraph and criminal procedure frameworks up to 2018. Analyzing constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and expression (Article 19), right to carry on trade, and right to education in the digital age, the authors examine the proportionality test established by higher judicial forums. The empirical research documents the severe economic damages inflicted on e-commerce, banking, journalism, and healthcare delivery during prolonged connectivity blockades. We argue that blanket, indefinite internet suspensions violate international human rights standards regarding freedom of information and constitute disproportionate collective punishment. The paper proposes strict statutory limitations, mandatory judicial pre-approval, and transparent accountability frameworks for telecommunication restriction orders in sensitive regions.

Abstract: The architectural landscape of the Kashmir Valley is distinguished by its medieval wooden shrines and mosques (*Khanqahs* and *Ziarats*), exemplifying a unique syncretic architectural style that merges indigenous woodwork traditions with Persian and Central Asian aesthetic influences. This technical and historical study investigates the structural typology, material degradation, and conservation challenges confronting monumental wooden sanctuaries such as Khanqah-e-Moula and Shrine of Dastgeer Sahib. Utilizing architectural surveys, dendrochronological analysis, and structural pathology assessments conducted in 2017–2018, the authors examine vulnerabilities arising from timber rot, fire hazards, moisture ingress, and inappropriate modern cement interventions. The study emphasizes the ingenuity of traditional seismic-resistant timber bonding techniques while highlighting the critical shortage of skilled master carpenters versed in heritage restoration crafts. We argue that heritage conservation frameworks must integrate community custodianship, stringent fire safety protocols, and institutional funding to protect these irreplaceable wooden monuments from permanent destruction.

Abstract: Urban spaces in protracted conflict zones are frequently subjected to intense security architectures, spatial compartmentalization, and checkpoint surveillance that radically transform everyday civic mobility and urban social life. This spatial ethnographic study investigates the lived experiences of urban residents navigating the heavily militarized cityscape of Srinagar between 2016 and 2018. Utilizing urban mapping, participant observation, and qualitative interviews with commuters, merchants, and students, the research examines the psychological and practical repercussions of bunkers, barbed-wire barricades, razor-wire checkpoints, and armored vehicle patrols on public movement. The authors apply geopolitical theories of urban securitization to analyze how state security infrastructure institutionalizes a permanent state of exception, constricting public assembly, commercial vibrancy, and spatial freedom. The study highlights civilian micro-tactics of negotiation, resilience, and spatial reappropriation. We conclude that reimagining urban security paradigms toward community-friendly policing and reducing visible spatial militarization are essential steps for restoring normal civic life and urban vitality in Kashmir.

Abstract: The initiation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—a flagship mega-project under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—passes through Gilgit-Baltistan, a territory claimed by India as part of the composite erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. This strategic study examines the geopolitical, economic, and security implications of CPEC on the regional balance of power, Sino-Indian relations, and the territorial dynamics of the Kashmir dispute. Utilizing geopolitical structural theory and official diplomatic statements from 2015 to 2018, the authors analyze Indian sovereignty objections, Pakistani strategic imperatives, and Chinese economic calculus. The research evaluates how infrastructure mega-projects alter the strategic geography of the borderlands, potentially entrenching territorial divisions while simultaneously promising regional economic connectivity. We argue that CPEC complicates traditional bilateral diplomatic frameworks by introducing a third-party economic stakeholder with massive geostrategic interests. The paper concludes with strategic scenarios regarding regional stability and the necessity of inclusive multilateral economic diplomacy in South Asia.