The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Kashmir insurgency, is a longstanding separatist conflict against the Indian administration in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. This area has been a focal point of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. The insurgency, which began in earnest in 1989, has both internal and external dimensions.

Internally, the insurgency's roots lie in a combination of political and democratic governance failures in Jammu and Kashmir. Limited democratic development until the late 1970s and the reversal of democratic reforms by the late 1980s led to increasing local disaffection. The situation was exacerbated by a controversial and disputed election in 1987, which is widely regarded as a catalyst for the insurgency. This election saw allegations of rigging and unfair practices, leading to the formation of armed insurgent groups by some of the state's legislative assembly members.

Externally, Pakistan has played a significant role in the insurgency. While Pakistan claims to offer only moral and diplomatic support to the separatist movement, it has been accused by India and the international community of providing arms, training, and support to militants in the region. Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf admitted in 2015 that the Pakistani state had supported and trained insurgent groups in Kashmir during the 1990s. This external involvement has also shifted the insurgency's focus from separatism to Islamic fundamentalism, partly due to the influx of jihadist militants after the Soviet-Afghan War.

The conflict has resulted in a high number of casualties, including civilians, security personnel, and militants. According to government data, approximately 41,000 people have died because of the insurgency as of March 2017, with the majority of deaths occurring in the 1990s and early 2000s.^[56] Non-governmental organizations have suggested higher death tolls. The insurgency has also triggered the large-scale migration of Kashmiri Hindus out of the Kashmir Valley, fundamentally altering the region's demographic and cultural landscape.

Since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019, the Indian military has ramped up its counter-insurgency operations in the region. This complex conflict, with its roots in political, historical, and regional dynamics, continues to be one of the most challenging security and human rights issues in India.