Master of Arts (M.A.), Aligarh Muslim University


Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), University of Kashmir

Prof. Najam Us Saqib

Assistant Lecturer and Assistant Director

Email najam.saqib@jgu.edu.in
Connect with me
ORCID ID 0000-0002-7867-2558
Key Expertise Caste & Marginalisation, Urban Governance, Visual Ethnography, Cultural Politics.

Master of Arts (M.A.), Aligarh Muslim University


Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), University of Kashmir


Biography

Najam Us Saqib teaches in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies (IDEAS), O.P. Jindal Global University, India. His research works across political sociology, development studies, and cultural politics in South Asia, with particular interests in marginality, language, literary publics, informal labour, urban governance, caste, and political ecology. His work examines the everyday experiences of marginalised communities, particularly questions of livelihood, exclusion, displacement, citizenship, and the changing relationship between communities and the state. He is the co-author of Identity, Dispossession and Resilience of the Subaltern: A Study of Marginalised Communities in Kashmir and co-editor of The Practice of Visual Ethnography. His research has appeared in academic and policy-oriented outlets including Economic & Political Weekly, alongside publications with Routledge and Springer Nature. His current work engages with informal economies, urban transformation, ecological vulnerability, youth aspirations, and the politics of language and cultural representation. More broadly, his work is concerned with how social and political inequalities are produced, negotiated, and represented across institutions, communities, and cultural forms in the Global South.

Fieldwork and Immersive Learning

“Cultural Embeddedness and Economic Vulnerabilities: Informal Labor in India and Cambodia”, JGU Internal Grants, 2025

Member, Development Studies Association, UK

Centre For New Economics Studies (CNES)

2025   “Reframing Marginalisation: Visual Ethnography as Participatory Tool in Kashmir.” Paper presented at the Development Studies Association Conference, University of Bath, UK, 25–27 June 2025.

2025   “Gendered Realities of Marginalized Communities: Study of Hanji and Watal Women in Kashmir.” Paper presented at the 8th Annual South Asia Conference, DCU Ireland India Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland, 15–17 April 2025.

2024   “Contours of Compassion: Examining India’s Humanitarian Legacy in Refugee Affairs.” Paper presented at the International Conference on Contemporary Trends in Social Sciences and Management, NIT Srinagar, 13–14 November 2024.

2024   “Navigating Disruption: An Ethnographic Exploration of Endangered Livelihood and Cultural Identity of Hanji Community in Kashmir.” Paper presented at the Development Studies Association Conference, SOAS, University of London, 26–28 June 2024.

2023   “India’s Indo-Pacific Policy: An Analysis.” Paper presented at a Two-Day International Conference organised by the Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University, 27–28 February 2023.

2018   “Visualising the War and Conflict: A Study of Photographs and Political Cartoons on West Asia.” Paper presented at the Three-Day International Seminar organised by the Department of West Asian and North African Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, 5–7 February 2018.

2025 “India’s Opposition in Disarray after BJP’s Delhi Victory.” East Asia Forum.

“The Drowning Jewel: Tapestry of Dal Lake’s Decline and Fishing Community’s Struggle in Kashmir.” The Wire

“Kashmir: The Plight of the Hanji Community of Srinagar’s Dal Lake Area.” The Quint

“The Dal is Our Life: In Srinagar, a Fishing Community’s Struggle for Survival.” The Quint

“The EVM Debate: India’s EVMs Have a Trust Problem.” 360info. DOI: 10.54377/2097-76c9

“The Watals of Srinagar: Identity and Resilience in a Marginalised Urban Context.” The Quint

“Urban Marginalisation in Kashmir: The Vulnerabilities of Watals in Sheikh Colonies of Srinagar.” The Wire

“Urban Marginalisation in Kashmir: The Everyday Struggles of Srinagar’s Sheikh Community.” The Wire

“Urban Marginalisation in Kashmir and Sheikh Community’s Resolute Fight Against Historical Prejudice.” The Wire

“For Srinagar’s Voters, Yearning for Stability Trumps Most Other Election Concerns.” The Wire

“The Pathan’s Last Stand: The Decline of a Language and Culture in Kashmir.” The Wire

“Endangered Heritage: The Pathans’ Battle with Cultural Erosion in Kashmir.” The Quint

“An Identity in Flux? The Case of Tibetan Muslims Residing in Kashmir.” The Wire
 

The Practice of Visual Ethnography: Examining Identity and Lived Experiences of Marginalised Communities. Springer Nature. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-4648-0; ISBN: 978-981-95-4648-0. [Co-edited Book]

“Navigating Modernity: Urban Governance, Traditional Livelihoods, and the Hanji Community in Srinagar’s Smart City Initiative.” Economic & Political Weekly, Vol. 60, Issue No. 8, 22 February 2025.

Identity, Dispossession and Resilience of the Subaltern: A Study of Marginalized Communities in Kashmir. Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series. DOI: 10.4324/9781003620754; ISBN: 9781003620754. [Book/Monograph]

“Fish on the Footpath: The Neglected Ga’ad Haenz of Kashmir.” In Vulnerable Communities in Neoliberal India: Perspectives from a Feminist Ethnographic Approach, edited by Deepanshu Mohan, Sakshi Chindaliya and Ashika Thomas. Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series. ISBN: 9781032798233. [Book Chapter]

“Experiences of Caste Discrimination Among Muslims: Marginalization of Ga’ad Ha’enz Community in Kashmir.” Contemporary Voice of Dalit, SAGE Journals. DOI: 10.1177/2455328X24128759. (Online-first/DOI year.)

“Gram Panchayat System in Kashmir – Challenges and Issues.” Education and Society, Vol. 46, Issue 1, No. 12, October–December 2022.
Email najam.saqib@jgu.edu.in
ORCID ID 0000-0002-7867-2558
Key Expertise Caste & Marginalisation, Urban Governance, Visual Ethnography, Cultural Politics.
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