Voices from Within: A Tale of Caste and Oppression in Kashmir

Caste and identity have continued to remain sensitive issues in India for a very long time, and being so, they often get mixed up with other issues of the time. Theorizing the margins needs to go beyond the ‘visible’ Dalits and needs to pursue the inclusion of the cultures of the ‘invisible’ castes and communities. The caste, sub-caste and other castes that are not part of the organized and unorganized institutions need to be taken up as a topic of research by academics. Academic studies on caste and class in the context of the Kashmir Valley are also not free from this limitation. Moreover, there is a common perception among the intellectuals as well as in the academic world that Kashmir as an Islamic society is free from caste violence, which is, of course not true. This study tries to describe the everyday struggle undertaken by the members of the fishermen community, one of the sub-castes among Hanjis (Water Dwellers), who experience discrimination, alienation and exclusion due to their poverty and identity. They have not only been exploited by their fellow beings but also by the state from time to time. This peculiar ethnic group has been closely attached to water instead of land for centuries, and the various facets of their lives demand thorough investigation. This article also endeavours to peep into the socio-economic conditions of this community, with special reference to continuity and change.