The Colonial Project in Indian-Occupied Kashmir: Through The Lived Experiences of Kashmir Refugees Living in Azad Kashmir Since 1989

Abstract

The ongoing settler colonial practices of India in occupied Kashmir are well-established phenomenon, however, their implications on an individual level remain underexplored. This research attempts to fill this gap by incorporating the ethnographic accounts of the 1989 refugees- the last generation of Kashmiris to witness the Indian atrocities like necro politics, bio-politics, digital apartheid, collective punishment, land dispossession, legal forcible integration, etc, and subsequently migrate to Azad Kashmir. Their lived experiences serve as the most credible source to understand settler colonialism and provide a voice for the marginalized. By conducting a phenomenological study of this group, this research depicts the long-term impacts of the Indian settler colonial project on the identity, history, culture and psychological wellbeing of the Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir and those living as refugees since 1989 in Azad Kashmir. Utilizing a postcolonial lens, this research highlights the urgency to address the issues to counter colonial practices of India and strengthen the position of Kashmiris. If left unaddressed, this research emphasizes, the continued Indian Settler Colonial practices may result in the erasure of Kashmir’s identity from the history and geographical map.