Violence and Development Along the India-Pakistan Border in Jammu & Kashmir

This book examines the impact of cross-border violence on communities living along the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Using Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, and 8 as metrics, it examines the first and second-order effects of ceasefire violations, efforts by state and private actors, and the role of coincident factors such as geography, terrain, and the socio-political environment. It uses diverse sources including newspapers, civil society reports, government records, surveys, stakeholder interviews, and field visits. The study finds that cross-border violence affects everyday life through confinement, displacement, and migration. Beyond death or injury, violence along the border impacts mental health, damages infrastructure, and reduces access to educational and financial facilities. It also discourages skilled human resources and private investment in these areas. The violence and the responses to it deter normal life and activity and, over time, leave a permanent impact on the socio-economic fabric of the region.