KASHMIRI RHETORICS OF SURVIVANCE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BASHARAT PEER’S CURFEWED NIGHT AND RAHUL PANDITA’S OUR MOON HAS BLOOD CLOTS By MAZHAR ABBAS NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES ISLAMABAD NOVEMBER, 20I9 Kashmiri Rhetorics of Survivance: A Comparative Analysis of Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Night and Rahul Pandita’s Our Moon has Blood Clots By MAZHAR ABBAS M. A. Literature, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 2000 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY In English Literature To FACULTY OF ENGLISH STUDIES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES, ISLAMABAD © Mazhar Abbas, 2019 ii NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES: FACULTY OF ENGLISH STUDIES THESIS AND DEFENSE APPROVAL FORM The undersigned certify that they have read the following thesis, examined the defense, are satisfied with the overall exam performance, and recommend the thesis to the Faculty of Languages for acceptance. Thesis Title: Kashmiri Rhetorics of Survivance: A Comparative Analysis of Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Night and Rahul Pandita’s Our Moon has Blood Clots Submitted By: Mazhar Abbas Registration #: 1386-MPhil/ELit-AF17 Master of Philosophy Degree name in full English Literature Name of Discipline Prof. Dr. Sibghatullah Khan Name of Head of the Department Signature of Head of Department Prof. Dr. Muhammad Safeer Awan Name of Dean (Supervisor) Signature of Dean (Supervisor) Maj. Gen. Muhammad Jaffer HI(M) (Retd) Name of Rector Signature of Rector Date iii CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I, Mazhar Abbas Son of Nazir Hussain Bhatti Registration # 1386-MPhil/ELit-AF17 Discipline English Literature Candidate of Master of Philosophy at the National University of Modern Languages do hereby declare that Kashmiri Rhetorics of Survivance: A Comparative Analysis of Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Night and Rahul Pandita’s Our Moon has Blood Clots I submit in partial fulfillment of MPhil degree, is my original work, has not been submitted or published earlier, and will not be submitted for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution in future. I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my thesis/dissertation at any stage, even after the award of a degree, the work may be cancelled, and the degree revoked. Signature of Candidate Name of Candidate Date iv ABSTRACT Title: Kashmiri Rhetorics of Survivance: A Comparative Analysis Of Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Night And Rahul Pandita’s Our Moon has Blood Clots This research focuses on the Vizenorian trope of survivance after situating it in indigenous critical theory as presented by Professor Jodi Byrd and Morten-Robinson, using it a priori for analyzing indigenous Kashmiri narrativized rhetorics. The research, then, defines and postulates the term as a cultural practice used in indigenous narratives for implicit as well as explicit social, political, and legal objectives. Appropriating this trope for Kashmiri narrativized rhetorics, focusing on autobiographical narratives of Basharat Peer’s Curfewed Night and Rahul Pandita’s Our Moon has Blood Clots, the research further explores Malea Powell and Earnest Stormberg’s postulations regarding rhetorication of narratives and presence of survivance practices in American Indian rhetorics to assist in validating the argument of Kashmiri cultural survivance practice. The act of comparative and contrastive analysis of these Kashmiri narrativized rhetorics in the research substantiates this argument, demonstrating political and legal ramifications of Kashmiri cultural survivance practices in the individual cultural community as well as in common Kashmiri composite culture, or Kashmiriyat, in the presence of incumbent protracted paracolonialism, concluding on the perspective of further inquiry into Kashmiri trickster[ization]. Key Words: Kashmir rhetorics, Kashmiri survivance, Kashmiri composite culture, Kashmiri cultural survivance, Kashmiri rhetorics of survivance, Kashmiriyat v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page THESIS AND DEFENSE APPROVAL FORM ............................................................. ii CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION ..................................................................................iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ vii DEDICATION.................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Thesis Statement ............................................................................................... 5 1.3 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 5 1.4 Critical Framework ........................................................................................... 6 1.5 Research Methodology ...................................................................................... 7 1.6 Delimitation of The Study ................................................................................. 8 1.7 Organization of The Study ................................................................................ 9 1.8 Significance and Rationale of The Study ........................................................ 12 CHAPTER-2 REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE .......................................... 15 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Survivance in Indigenous Critical Theory ...................................................... 16 2.3 Survivance: Origin, Etymology and Semantics .............................................. 17 2.4 Survivance: Cultural Trope and Theorization by Vizenor .............................. 20 2.5 Different Aspects of Survivance: Cultural and Politico-Legal Connotations . 25 2.6 Aestheticization and Rhetorication of Survivance .......................................... 32 2.7 Appropriation to Kashmiri Context and Gaps in Research ............................. 34 2.7.1 Kashmiri Narratives and Their Rhetorication ................................................. 34 2.7.2 Kashmiri Survivance with Reference to Kashmiriyat ..................................... 36 2.7.3 Curfewed Night and Our Moon has Blood Clots: Representative Kashmiri ...... Narratives .......................................................................................................37 2.8 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER-3 THE CASE OF SURVIVANCE IN CURFEWED NIGHT BY BASHARAT PEER .......................................................................................................... 44 vi 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 44 3.2 Survivance in Curfewed Night ........................................................................ 44 3.3 Cultural Aspects of Kashmiri Survivance in Curfewed Night ........................ 45 3.4 Politico-Legal Aspects of Kashmiri Survivance in Curfewed Night............... 52 3.5 Kashmiri Rhetoric of Survivance in Curfewed Night ..................................... 55 3.6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER-4 CHAPTER-4 THE CASE OF SURVIVANCE IN OUR MOON HAS BLOOD CLOTS BY RAHUL PANDITA ....................................................................... 61 4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 61 4.2 Case of Survivance in Our Moon has Blood Clots ......................................... 61 4.3 Cultural Aspects of Kashmiri Survivance in Our Moon has Blood Clots ...... 62 4.4 Politico-Legal Aspects of Kashmiri Survivance in Our Moon has Blood Clots................................................................................................................. 71 4.5 Kashmiri Rhetoric of Survivance in Our Moon has Blood Clots ................... 74 4.6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 78 CHAPTER-5 KASHMIRI RHETORICS OF SURVIVANCE: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST BETWEEN AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OR BASHARAT PEER AND RAHUL PANDITA .......................................................................................................... 80 5. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 80 5.2 Comparison of Kashmiri Rhetorics of Cultural and Politico-Legal urvivance between Peer and Pandita ................................................................................ 80 5.3 Contrast of Kashmiri Rhetorics of Cultural and Politico-Legal Survivance between Peer and Pandita ................................................................................84 5.4 Kashmiri Rhetorics of Peer and Pandita with Reference to Kashmiriyat ....... 88 5.5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................