Frontier Resilience: A Qualitative Study of Civil-Military Synergy in the Rajouri District of Jammu & Kashmir

Abstract

In Rajouri District, Jammu and Kashmir, volatility along the Line of Control (LoC) creates a governance gap in the northern peripheral border regions, as traditional civil administrative structures have struggled to provide social services consistently. This study examines how the socio-military synergy operates in these areas to foster social empowerment and community stability through civil-military cooperation. The interpretivist approach allows for sociological analysis of cooperation between the civil and military communities within the context of the governance gap. A phenomenological approach, employing qualitative methodology through in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=48) and non-participant observation, was employed with Pahari and Gujjar-Bakarwal families living in the Doongi Block. The results suggest that the Indian Army functions as a surrogate state institution, filling key gaps in education and healthcare for families living in this area. The transition of residents into the Village Defense Community (VDC) model has enabled a shift from passive vulnerability to tactical agency, empowering residents of the frontier as active participants in regional safety. The effective working relationship between the resident and the VDC creates a psychosocial buffer that allows everyday sociality to continue despite the LoC's proximity. The findings of this study suggest that frontier resilience is a form of co-created social capital and that continued empowerment in marginalized areas is best achieved through full integration into institutions rather than solely through kinetic means. This provides a new model of global policy for borderlands.