Like many other concepts in the social sciences, numbers are strongly contested. In his insightful book, Numbers as Political Allies, Vikas Kumar examines the ways in which Census statistics in conflict areas such as Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) might be used for political ends. Kumar contends that Census is not a context-insensitive process. His work traverses the political, economic, administrative, and legal landscapes that influence the Census process, especially in areas of conflict.
The dynamics of violence in the J&K region are acknowledged to be significantly influenced by demographic concerns; yet the details of data collection and its significance to the overall conflict are still not well understood. In order to close this gap, Kumar’s book shows how conflict both shapes and is shaped by data. In J&K, each community seeks to inflate their numbers in order to obtain political leverage.