Rethinking conflict at the margins : Dalits and borderland Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir / Mohita Bhatia.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Rethinking Conflict at the Margins departs from the conventional academic narration of the conflict situation in Jammu and Kashmir and expands the debate by shifting the focus from the Kashmir region to the Jammu region. Generally, it is the response of Muslim-majority Kashmir region - particularly its contestation of the hegemonic and assimilative temperament of the Indian state - that captures the attention of researchers. The Hindu-majority Jammu region, which is affected by the conflict in many ways, remains in the shadows. Mohita Bhatia, in this book, seeks to fill in this crucial academic gap by locating the conflict in the Jammu region. Besides explaining the 'Hindu reactionary' and 'ultra-nationalist' responses of some sections of Jammu's society, the book also foregrounds the genuine grievances of its people and their concerns within the dominant 'Kashmir-centric' discourse. The central aim of the book is to ethnographically illustrate the everyday life and politics of marginal Hindu communities in Jammu who are affected by the conflict and conflict-based politics in multiple ways. Focusing on two marginal Hindu groups - Scheduled Castes and residents of border areas - the author raises important questions related to the nature of conflict, nationalisms and hegemony. Are dominant nationalisms, whether Kashmiri or Indian, oblivious to the concerns of peripheral sections of society? Does Kashmiri nationalism suppress the diverse voices within Jammu and Kashmir and assume a hegemonic outlook, echoing Indian nationalism? The book is also a journey beyond the issues of conflict and turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, bringing attention to caste-based struggles, realities of border areas and other aspects of life."-- Provided by publisher.