State, Market and Development: A Study of Neoliberal Governance in Post-Abrogation Kashmir

The study analyses how the Indian state’s assertion of sovereignty over Kashmir has historically evolved over the decades. It then focuses on the intersection of Hindutva nationalism and market liberalisation in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370. Drawing on Rogers Brubaker’s new institutionalist theory of nationalism, the research conceptualises India’s nationalising efforts in Kashmir as part of a larger project to fully integrate the region into the Indian state, using market forces as a central mechanism. The nationalising tendency of the Indian state has set it in an antagonistic relationship with Kashmiri nationalism. These nationalisms are interlocked in a relational triad linking national minorities (Kashmiri Muslims), the nationalising state (India) and external national homeland (Pakistan), to which the national minorities are imagined to belong by virtue of ethno-religious affinity. The research frames sovereignty as not merely a legal or territorial concept, but as a dynamic process reinforced by neoliberal policies that open the region to market forces. The abrogation of Article 370 has not only facilitated the liberalisation of land laws and the promotion of private investment, but also positioned neoliberal development as a tool for political consolidation. The study examines the implications of these economic reforms—especially the opening of land markets to non-residents and the encouragement of corporate investments—for the region’s governance, sovereignty, and political economy. Sovereignty is conceptualised as a willing accomplice of neoliberal governance. By framing sovereignty as a dynamic interplay between state and market forces, the research highlights how economic integration serves not only as a strategy for governance but also as a means to assimilate Kashmir into the Indian economic framework underpinned by the slogan – “One Nation, One Market”. Theoretically, the research situates these changes within broader discussions on neoliberalism, arguing that neoliberal governance in post-abrogation Kashmir reflects a new modality of rule.