Dipin Kaur publishes co-authored article in Civil Wars
Professor Dipin Kaur recently published a co-authored article (with Professor Rahul Verma, Shiv Nadar University) in the journal Civil Wars, titled "Explaining Variations in Attitudes Toward Insurgents and the State: Theory and Evidence from India's Naxalite Rebellion."
Ashoka Staff
9 June, 2026 | read
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Do individual perceptions of territorial control shape their attitudes towards insurgent groups and states in wartime? In this article, we leverage public opinion data collected during the peak of violence during India’s Naxalite insurgency. We find that individuals express pro-insurgent attitudes when they perceive insurgents as locally dominant and pro-state attitudes when they perceive the state as locally dominant in their area. These shifts are not explained by the levels of violence in the area or by actual political control. At the same time, support for insurgents is not mutually exclusive with support for the state’s authority and services. By highlighting this duality, the study points to the need for states to build a robust developmental agenda and strengthen democratic processes as part of a broader “hearts and minds” counterinsurgency strategy.
Article Link:
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/JEXU5SZNRJEWBMGRG53J/full?target=10.1080%2F13698249.2026.2638736
