While the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been extensively analysed from journalistic and academic perspectives, the J&K borderlands, one of the most constraining, violent and securitised borders in the world, remain under-explored. The different kinds of borders in J&K and the effect of their fluidity and volatility on the lives of the people require a systematic study.

Lines and Lives, a pioneering study of both the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K, offers an understanding of border realities through interactions among the state, people, communities and physical spaces. The book demonstrates the specificities of South Asian borders, and implications for those living on the J&K border as well as those affected by the ‘bordering’ process, such as ‘divided families’ and PAJK refugees.

Through semi-structured and focus group interviews and narrative analysis, the book explores the paradoxical nature of the J&K borders which manifests in a variety of ways. The book analyses the everyday life of people living around the International Border in Arnia (Jammu) and the LoC in Poonch; studies the role played by divided families around Poonch, Rajouri (Jammu), and Kargil (Ladakh) in resisting as well as reinforcing borders; and explores cross-border interaction via the cross-LoC bus service and trade.

Scholars and practitioners of sociology, anthropology, political science, Partition and border studies, policy and strategic studies, South Asian Studies, and curious readers willing to understand the complexity of the lived experience in J&K will find this book illuminating.