On February 6, Professor Ather Zia (University of Northern Colorado) joined the South Asia Center for a talk on “The Erasure of Kashmir’s Autonomy and the Myth of Gender Discrimination.” Zia, co-founder of the Critical Kashmir Studies Collective and author of Resisting Disappearance: Military. Occupation and Women’s Activism in Kashmir, discussed the history of occupation and resistance movements in Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir. Zia’s talk touched upon the ways motifs of democracy, human rights, and gender equity have been deployed to engineer consent for the militarization and colonization of Kashmir. She discussed the re-annexation of the region which began on August 5, 2019, and how the removal of Article 370/35A has affected the everyday lives of Kashmiris. Following the lecture, Zia responded to audience questions about new forms of women’s activism in the region, the role of Kashmiri Pandits, and the importance of hope in the struggle for liberation.
Dr. Sunila Kale, Director of the South Asia Center, introduces Professor Ather Zia
