8th of March has been globally recognized as “International Women’s Day”. The day to celebrate the elegance, success and empowerment of women regardless of country, community, culture or society. It also marks a day to support and provide justice to the women who are playing a significant role in their society whether their country or region are in state of war. But, they stood up for their rights, against injustice and atrocities which they have been facing for decades. Here, I’m going to raise my voice in favour of the women of my country’s disputed region; Kashmir.
Kashmir’s aesthetic views have always been regarded as the piece of heaven on earth but it’s a bitter truth that despite of having a beautiful piece of land the natives of Kashmir had never seen serenity on their land because of interference of India. Unfortunately, this part of heaven is now a worst place than hell especially then Indian held Kashmir. Kashmir issue has always been an avoided issue, and witnessing injustice with his inhabitants for decades. It is one of those war-torn zones which have faced the worst human rights violations and crimes against humanity. The people of Kashmir have suffered from extreme inhumane behavior for the last many decades like torture, extrajudicial killings, mass murders, harassments, rape, torture, and abuse, detentions and enforced disappearance. And, they are facing these conundrums because of our neighboring country, India. They regard themselves as a largest democratic state.
In Kashmir, India has committed both; crime against peace and crime against human at an extremely violent level. The story of brutality has never been highlighted by International media and the Indian media as well. Nevertheless, UN has miserably failed in resolving this disputed issue and has not raised their voice on the atrocities in Kashmir by India. It is an irony indeed that the world’s largest democracy is administering the world’s largest military occupation in Kashmir and made it the world’s most Military captured region.
HEALTH ISSUES:
For the last 26 years Kashmir has been embroiled in a fulminating manifestation of a turmoil that has simmered since 1947. The issue is protracted and violent, which has taken a massive toll on human lives. Women have been equal recipients in the suffering. Kashmiri women have been a silent victim in region since the war has been initiated. The ones who are confronting the problems like no one in Kashmir. She suffers as a daughter, mother, wife and sister, because most of the times she has to survive alone, and fight alone for her protection and rights with the loss of any support from her male counterpart. She have to suffer with daily chaos in education, jobs as well as war in their region apart from this Kashmiri women are suffering from Depression, mental torture, infertility and rape and harassment victims which is slowly crushing the self-esteem and confidence in women of Kashmir. Moreover, the suicide rate in Kashmiri women has also been increasing day by day.
According to The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, based in Srinagar, they conducted a study finding that of 112 young and adolescent women who suffered from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome — a condition that can cause infertility along with a host of other reproductive symptoms, apart from this, a roughly estimated that about 65 to 70 percent of them suffered from Psychiatric illnesses such as Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The increasing health disorder in women of Kashmir is an alarming situation which should be taken seriously.
Apart from war, these women are now experiencing extra hardships due to the stress and after-effects of war and infertility as well as stress due to cultural pressure from their family, husband and in-laws due to childlessness.
When these women who were once forced to face war should not be neglected and it’s a request to the State of Jammu and Kashmir to give them the necessary psychological and medical support, such as Counseling and Fertility treatments.
RAPE AND MOLESTATION:
Rape has also been an underrated crime in Kashmir. There are countless tales of rapes in Indian held Kashmir. Indian Army has used this crime as a weapon to humiliate and degrade their families and entire community as well.
Dozens of rape cases were reported never end in criminal prosecutions of the security forces involved. None of the criminal has been punished or hanged on his crime. Although strong evidences were available that army and paramilitary forces were engaging in widespread rape, but hardly ever a case was investigated by the authorities. This all shows that Indian government has badly failed to ensure human rights in Kashmir and to hold accountable the members of security forces for their crimes. Many human rights groups have reported the use of rape by Indian forces in Kashmir, it’s a matter of fact that international condemnation never came on this tragic issue.
According to Dr. Maiti a Professor of Political Science at Rurdwan University, West Bengal in India, “Rape continues to be a major instrument of Indian repression against the Kashmiri people while the majority of casualties in Kashmir are civilians.”
Gulshan Akhtar, head of Srinagar’s only women’s police station:
“We receive 1,000 to 1,500 complaints of domestic violence annually in the northwestern part of the Indian administered state of Kashmir”.
However, these are yet a diminutive amount of complaints. A lot of women don’t have much courage to register a case or report on this crime.
According to a report published by Asia Watch & Physicians for Human Rights,
Total Killing
Custodial Killings
Civilians Arrested
Structures Arson/Destroyed 105,977
Women Widowed
Children Orphaned
Women gang-raped / Molested 10,048
While defeating the freedom movement and creating the Ritz by Indian Army and Paramilitary. However, these figures are increasing day by day.
MISSING AND IMPRISONED MEN:
The stories of agony on Kashmiri women doesn’t end here. Of the disappeared people, APDP and other humanitarian organizations claim that approximately 2500 people were mostly married men. This phenomenon has given rise to a new social group, called “half-widows”, who have no proof of the missing and have to wait for seven years before remarrying. A research was carried out in 2002 which revealed that around 90% of the estimated 10,000 Kashmiri war widows didn’t remarry despite provision of remarriage in Islam.
However, there is a plight of women in Kashmir whose husband, brothers; fathers are in the list of Missing or Imprisoned persons. These women are on Allah’s mercy they don’t even have any guardian or any male counterpart who can protect or earn bread for them.
The Indian army themselves have admitted that they used their extraordinary powers to shoot have led to “Mistakes”, so these so-called ‘mistakes’ which kill innocent civilians create a rage among the public in Jammu and Kashmir. There were over 30,000 widows in Kashmir and nearly 35,000 habeas corpus petitions pending in court in 2001, which could not be taken up because of the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. There is no doubt that this act has been a lot misused by the Indian security forces in Kashmir and still doing it with no regrets.
Their spectrum of responsibilities has stretched from nurturing their families, becoming shields for their men, who inevitably are the direct targets in the combat with Indian military to the traumatic and sudden assumption of responsibilities when a male member is either killed, imprisoned or missing. Moreover, it’s a matter of mundane that they are pushed into taking over from the men during “crackdowns”, “cordon and search operations”, “area sanitation,” etc., where they become responsible for getting their houses searched, talking to belligerent armed forces, politicians, policemen and rounding of courts on hearing of their cases, while their men are either in custody or have been killed.
RISING UP FROM ATROCITIES:
While facing these atrocities, tyranny for decades the women of Kashmir took a step forward from the darkness and oppression, they are struggling to highlight themselves in the eyes of world. Kashmiri women have always been an active part of the society. By their social, educational and professional growth has seen a steady increase over the years. Most of the women across the valley have always been engaged with the historic cottage industry of spinning (Pashmina and other famous yarns). This vocation was pursued within the confines of their homes, and it’s been a reason to earn bread and butter for their family. However, the women of Kashmir are also taking part in Freedom movement, jobs and in educational institutions.
While fisherwomen took care of selling the catch after men procured it; as the male bakers did the real baking, women were responsible for selling. It is not unusual to the unique contributions of the tradeswomen; tributes to their beauty, industriousness, and wit in Kashmiri literature. In rural areas, women have always been counted as sturdy worker, tending farms, cultivating rice, and raising and grazing cattle. Other professions that women have been historically involved in are embroidering, carpet weaving, and vegetable vending besides being the traditional birth attendants as well.
If Kashmir’s resistance to occupation does not bear the fruit, the tortuous roads they travel will continue to grow longer and dark. Until or unless the women in Kashmir continue to combat and overcome challenges prevalent in their homeland and soon they will conquer their homeland and will kick out the oppressors. In last sixty years, thousands of Kashmiri women have suffered with the hands of cruel Indian forces both physically and mentally. This is the peak time that international community, United Nations and especially women rights organizations should come forward and rescue the constantly suffering women in Kashmir and hold accountable, Moreover, the U.N is also requested to take care of not only the women of Indian held Kashmir, but also men and children who suffer from the psychological effects of warfare and other traumatic events in the region. Perhaps what is needed is a broader dialogue on mental health as Kashmiri men, women and children continue to face daily trauma in the face of several hundred thousand Indian soldiers deployed in the Valley.
However, the role of women in this region cannot be forgotten or removed from history. They are strong and facing their problems with courage and proclaiming a message of bravery.
Madam Have you visited Kashmir Kashmiri in india part are better than Pakistani Part , because i am kashmiri why doing this false propaganda