Title : Of Broken Social Contracts and Ethnic Violence: the case of Kashmir
Working Paper No : 75 (series 1)
Author(s) : Neera Chandhoke
Date : December 2005
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Abstract: This paper argues
that the main reason for political discontent and violence in
Kashmir has to do with repeated infringements of the social
contract by the central government of India, often acting in
tandem with the state government. This has been accompanied by
erosion of the democratic space that permits articulation of
political discontent. The author traces the politicisation of
identity to processes that are internal to democracy and to
federalism in India. The paper draws on a survey conducted in
the district of Srinagar - an area chosen by using three
indicators to identify high conflict districts: murders,
kidnappings and riots. It considers the theoretical debates
concerning nationalism and ethnicity and examines the social
contract in Kashmir, both historically and more recently. It
concludes by drawing out the implications of the analysis for
theories on ethnic conflict.