Kashmir Oral History
Kashmir Oral History or KOH, as the name suggests, is an ongoing oral history project intended to acquire and archive oral narratives revolving around “Kashmir”. The oral narratives may be recorded in various formats (video, audio, text transcripts) and are collated here for the easy access of any person interested in oral history in general and Kashmir in particular.
Scope: The word Kashmir, as used here, does not indicate geography or ethnicity. It refers to the “Kashmir conflict” that has affected various peoples and territories that are not necessarily Kashmiri-speaking, nor confined within the eponymous valley of Kashmir in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
Scope: The word Kashmir, as used here, does not indicate geography or ethnicity. It refers to the “Kashmir conflict” that has affected various peoples and territories that are not necessarily Kashmiri-speaking, nor confined within the eponymous valley of Kashmir in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
KOH is aimed at archiving the “living memories” of any individual who has witnessed and experienced events related to the Kashmir conflict during any period of time. Therefore, KOH will not just archive witness accounts and personal experiences of all the state subjects of J&K, but also of other people — such as bureaucrats, employees of nationalised organisations, and migrant labourers — who have experienced events related to Kashmir during any period.
Ongoing collaboration: We intend to make this oral history project as representative as possible of all the shades of experience of all the people impacted by the Kashmir conflict. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to reach each person. Thanks to the internet, however, you can collaborate with us and send us your recordings — say, of yourself, your family, your neighbours, and your friends. If you wish to share an oral narrative (video or audio recording or a written account) of your personal experiences or of someone you know, we will be happy to upload it on the KOH website.
Let the people speak…
For submission guidelines, please visit the Submissions section.
For other ways of contributing, please visit the Volunteer section.
Founders: This project is a collaborative independent initiative of Dr. Sadaf Munshi (Academician, University of North Texas), Anamika Mujoo Girottee (Social Development), and Ajay Raina (Filmmaker).
Funding: The initial seed financing of the project was provided by the founders. The pilot project is funded by a USD 6,000 grant from Charn Uswachoke International Development Fund (University of North Texas).
