A Theseus Paradox: Interrogating the Shift in Islamism in Indian-administered Kashmir

Abstract

Recent years have seen a proliferation of academic writing on the transformations that Islamist movements in diverse contexts have seen and endured. Mostly, this academic writing has used the theory of post-Islamism as a peg to think about the issues that Islamists face. In a similar vein, this article looks at the shifts in the Islamist politics in Indian-administered Kashmir and agrees that these shifts somehow fit the template that post-Islamism generated. However, it adds a caution that this template is homogenizing and can explain only one type of shift. Focusing on the internal dynamics of Jama’at e Islami of Jammu and Kashmir, which created conditions for its transformation and the formation of a splinter group, the article uses the Ship of Theseus metaphor to explain these developments. Lastly, the article comments on the recent ban on Jama’at e Islami in Kashmir by the Indian government and its implications on the future of Islamism in the region.