Conflict-induced migration in Kashmir: A phenomenological study of lived experiences of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits

Abstract

This interpretative phenomenological study addressed the question, “what are the lived experience of Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandits who have witnessed the mass migration during the insurgency period of 1989 in Indian administered Kashmir?” Literature indicated that the insurgency of 1989 in Kashmir resulted in the mass migration of the Kashmiri Pandit population from the valley to Jammu and other parts of India. Current academic discourse about migrant Kashmiri Pandits highlights their social, economical, and psychological repercussions of migration however there is minimal exact work on non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits. This study captured the lived experiences of the non-migrant Kashmiri Pandit population. From the analysis of the data, four themes emerged were; A period of Victimization and Uncertainty, Perceived Isolation, Potential threat to Identity and, Kashmiriyat: Co-existence and brotherhood. Key findings from the study found that migration has caused severe injury to social, cultural, and religious identities of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandit. However, the inter-group relations with Kashmiri Muslim community was found to be positive source of living in Kashmir