REFRAMING THE INDIA-PAKISTAN KASHMIR CONFLICT:DISCURSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS OF SPACE, POWER AND IDENTITY

Abstract

The Kashmir conflict remains one of the most enduring geopolitical disputes in South Asia, symbolizing broader tensions between India and Pakistan. While existing studies have predominantly examined the issue through realist or postcolonial lenses, comparatively limited attention has been given to how evolving geopolitical discourses actively reshape national identities, legitimize power claims, and constrain pathways for conflict resolution. Employing the framework of Critical Geopolitics and qualitative discourse analysis, this study investigates how state actors, media institutions, and international bodies construct competing geopolitical imaginaries of Kashmir. It argues that these discursive practices—rooted in postcolonial legacies and reinforced by contemporary great-power rivalries—reproduce Kashmir as a symbolic arena of legitimacy, sovereignty, and existential security rather than a negotiable political space. This analysis demonstrates that entrenched discursive framings do not merely describe the conflict but actively sustain it by constraining diplomatic thinking and marginalizing local voices and alternative perspectives. By reconceptualizing Kashmir as a discursive and identity-based struggle, this study advances critical geopolitical scholarship while offering policy relevant insights. It underscores the need for discourse-sensitive and inclusive approaches that move beyond territorial fixation toward mutual recognition and cooperative security.