A Critical Discourse Analysis of the International Community’s Statements (August 2019) on the Abrogation of Article 370 of Kashmir

Abstract

On 5th August 2019, India scrapped Article 370 from its constitution, which gave Indian occupied Kashmir semi-autonomous status. This constitutional change brought Kashmir under the Union of India against the wishes of the people of Kahsmir. The international community's response to this politically significant move was ambivalent. Previous literature on the international community's response to the changed status of Kashmir is limited. The purpose of the current study is to find out the underlying meaning of the International Community’s response on the issue at hand. The study is qualitative in nature, as it aims to explore and describe the underlying meaning of the statements issued by international actors regarding the constitutional amendment on Kashmir. This research employs Norman Fairclough's 3D model as the primary tool for critical discourse analysis in this study. The result will highlight the hidden agenda in the discourse of the International Community regarding the abrogation of Article 370, which changed the status of Kashmir, and the implications of the agenda for the stakeholders involved in the Kashmir issue.