Abstract
Situated at the interplay between politics, law, diversity governance, and security studies, this article analyzes processes of securitization and their impact on inter-community and inter-state relations in the Indian-Pakistani-Chinese disputed border area that used to be the former Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, the Indian government abolished the special autonomy status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it in two union territories (i.e. “Jammu and Kashmir” and “Ladakh”) that are controlled by the central government. In this paper we explore how dysfunctional diversity governance in a complex geopolitical context intersects with processes of securitization, affecting inter-community relations. By tracing the gradual erosion of the autonomy of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir the paper brings to light a vicious circle of securitization processes. Fear of separatism and short-sighted political strategies led Indian political elites to undermine the legal-institutional framework of the self-governance system and the democratic political processes of Jammu and Kashmir. This, in turn, led to an increasing dissatisfaction among communities and, in time, to strong religious polarization, intra-community violence and the rise of radical Islamic militant groups seeking separation of Jammu and Kashmir from India. This vicious circle turned Delhi’s fears into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The paper highlights the “continuum” of securitization processes, showing how securitizing practices sparked further security issues, by raising concerns in other subjects, rather than providing more security.