Jamaat-e-Islami, JDF and beyond: Reimagining Islamist politics in changing times

The rupture within Jammu and Kashmir’s banned Jamaat-e-Islami marks a decisive struggle over its future: continued estrangement from the Indian state or full embrace of constitutional politics through the Justice and Development Front. The conflict over control of the Falah-e-Aam Trust and other assets masks a deeper contest for ideological direction, with reformists betting that mainstream electoral engagement can undercut Pakistan-backed militancy and offer India a strategic partner in stabilising Kashmir.