Silent Assertions: Women's Agency in Jammu and Kashmir Politics

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Conflict and Wars, Militancy and Violence, Agitations and Demonstrations - Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed it all. Amidst all this, where do the women stand? Vibhuti Ubbott and Rekha Chowdhary delve into the multifaceted role of women in the political landscape of the erstwhile state in their book Silent Assertions: Women's Agency in Jammu and Kashmir Politics. Spanning from the tumultuous events of 1947 to the present day, this book meticulously examines how women have navigated mainstream/power politics, separatist movements, and agitational politics in the region. It underlines the impact of patriarchal structures on their participation in various public spaces and questions the subordination of gender issues in the face of larger political identity issues. Through meticulous research and compelling narratives, it brings to light how women have silently but forcefully asserted their gender identity during the period of militancy. The book serves as a powerful testament to the indomitable spirit of women in their pursuit of agency and equality.

Vibhuti Ubbott is currently working as an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Higher Education Department, J&K Government. She has also worked as a Research Officer at the Centre for Women's Studies, University of Jammu and Lecturer, Political Science in the School Education Department, J&K Government. Her areas of research interest include Gender, J&K politics and Politics in India. Following her doctoral thesis on 'Patriarchy, Armed Conflict and Agency of Women in Jammu and Kashmir', she has published several academic articles on women and politics in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rekha Chowdhary, formerly Professor of Political Science at the University of Jammu (1977-2013), has been a Commonwealth Fellow (1997-1998), Fulbright Scholar (2005), ICSSR National Fellow (2013-2015), and Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla (2017-2019). Politics and society of Jammu and Kashmir have been her key areas of research. Her works include Social Diversity and Political Divergence: Identifying the Complexity of Conflict Situation and Format for its Resolution (2023, IIAS), Competitive Politics in the Shadow of Separatism (Sage, 2019), Jammu and Kashmir: Politics of Identity and Separatism (Routledge 2015) and Identity Politics in Jammu and Kashmir (Vitasta 2010, Edited).

Even when the politics 'around' Jammu and Kashmir and politics 'in' Jammu and Kashmir remain much in focus, the gender dimension does not get much attention. If women are mentioned as part of a political project, they are seen in secondary roles - as 'outsiders' to the area of politics; as passive recipients of policy decisions; as victims of conflict situation and so on. That women themselves may be at the centre of politics or that they may be political actors in their own right - is a point not taken into consideration by most of the political analysts while referring to the politics of Jammu and Kashmir.

We have, however, sought to bring women to the centre of politics in this erstwhile state - be it the power politics, protest politics or conflict politics. We have also sought to explore the 'agency' of women in various situations where they apparently seem to be playing a dormant role. We have recorded as to how women coped in very adverse situations. Silently, but very firmly, they asserted their rights and emerged strongly out of the conflict situation.