A Colonial Continuity in Postcolonial Kashmir: Questioning Nitasha Kaul’s Poetry

Abstract

This study examines how Nitasha Kaul depicts Kashmir in colonial and postcolonial contexts, focusing on how neocolonial discourse influences Kashmiri identity. The fascination with Western narratives is prevalent in Kashmiri writing, with writers employing colonial tropes to acquire credibility and sympathy. Kaul positions Kashmir as crucial to India’s national identity, emphasizing its strategic role within India’s biopolitical framework. The study investigates Kaul’s portrayal of Kashmir and its people through a textual analysis of her writings, drawing on postcolonial and neocolonial theories. Although Kaul offers a new perspective, her depictions of Kashmir frequently romanticize colonial narratives and downplay the region’s rich cultural agency and indigenous resilience in favour of reducing it to a place of violence and victimization. To oppose such oppressive images, future literary works should stress Kashmiri self-reliance, prioritize local perspectives, and transcend reductive tropes. Authors and scholars must prioritize powerful narratives based on Kashmiri voices and histories in order to counter neocolonial paradigms.