'Tibetan Muslims of Kashmir: Identity, Belonging, and the Loss of Homeland'

The Global Studies Seminar presents “Tibetan Muslims of Kashmir: Identity, Belonging, and the Loss of Homeland” by Denison University’s Assistant Professor Rohit Singh.

This talk explores the lives of Tibetan Muslims in Kashmir, a small but historically significant community navigating the complex intersections of religious, national, and cultural identity. Descended from families that once lived in Lhasa before their migration to Kashmir, Tibetan Muslims now live at the margins of multiple communities and national imaginaries. Drawing on the author’s first-hand ethnographic research - including interviews, life histories, and participation in community rituals - this presentation delves into how individuals articulate their sense of self amid shifting political and cultural landscapes. 

The community’s experience is marked by both displacement and resilience. The trauma of leaving Tibet and the challenges of integration into Kashmiri society have created a layered sense of belonging—one that is at once Tibetan, Kashmiri, Muslim, and Indian. These overlapping identities raise broader questions: What does it mean to belong? Who gets to decide who we are? How are categories like “Muslim,” “Tibetan,” and “Indian” negotiated in daily life? 

By centering the voices of Tibetan Muslims themselves, this presentation invites reflection on the enduring human struggles of memory, loss, and the search for home. It also asks us to consider how minority communities construct meaning and solidarity in the face of erasure.  

Singh is an assistant professor of Religion. His research and teaching bridge the worlds of Tibetan Buddhism, Islam in South Asia, and the sociology and anthropology of religion. He is currently working on a book about Buddhism and Islam in the Himalayas, focusing on questions of identity, solidarity, and everyday life in a region shaped by both ritual and political change.