The challenges and our mission in Kashmir | November 03, 2006
Upon first reading, one might not find explicitly interreligious elements in this report on aid for widows in the Kashmir valley. The Guild of Service is a saintly organization that has long done deeply effective work if compassion in India. Important aspects of the conflict in Kashmir are religious and interreligious in nature. Through studying this and other efforts to support those who suffer from conflict, we can learn more deeply about the harmful results of religious conflict. - Frank Kaufmann
By Dr.V. Mohini Giri
The Kashmir Valley has been simmering with armed conflict for more than a decade now and has claimed thousands of lives and has created a huge number of populations of widows. Some of the widows were recently heard by a special jury. The roots of the conflict go way back to 1947 when India gained freedom. In Kashmir, the Maharaja Hari Singh Bahadur refused to accede to India or Pakistan. Soon after the British granted independence to British India on August 14, 1947, there were revolts in Gilit and parts of Ladakh against Bahadur, and since then separatist groups have spearheaded a movement of autonomy and tension in the region is high. Armed guards patrol the valley all the time but beyond the checkpoints there is peace and serenity all over.
Six years ago Rahat Ghar was set up by the Guild of Service to serve as a refuge for these conflict affected widows and orphaned children to house, cloth, provide them with basic facilities, education and also offer vocational training to the widows who had lost their sources of livelihoods.
Recently the Guild of Service held a dialogue and deposition in the Kashmir Valley. Our aim was to mitigate the sufferings of those who are widowed due to insurgency. There were approximately 45 widows who deposed on the first day in front of the jury, which consisted of Dr.Syeda Hameed, Member Planning Commission, Dr. Girija Dhar, Chair Advisory Committee, Rahat Ghar, and Ms.Jyotsana Chatterjee, social activist, Dr.Mohini Giri, Social Activist and Chairperson Guild of Service, Rahat Ghar, Ms. Usha Rai, Journalist, who heard out the testimonials. Some of those who deposed wanted a safe secure place where the far-flung relatives would not give them back to the terrorists.
Raja Begum, 45 who came all the way from Tarappura, Hardon, and perhaps spoke on the mike for the first time about her husband who died six years ago. Women came out with stories of no food, no shelter and no support, wanting ration cards, opening bank accounts and pensions. Again and again we were told that this was the first time that they were even being heard. Each one gained courage from each other and their deposition became more articulate as time went by.
Little Zahida recounted her fear of water as she along with her friends had recently escaped from drowning and death at Kupwara. Idris recounted how he was playing in the jungles and an attack by the terrorists left him helpless and hopeless all of a sudden. Another widow said “ Even though I am illiterate, I have greatly benefited from Rahat Ghar. I participate in interactions, find pleasure in books and music and the thing I cherish the most is the environment that it provides”
In a state, which has seen wars, earthquakes and different kinds of torture, these passionate, articulate voices, were significant. In the deposition that we heard throughout the day some of the significant issues and concerns were highlighted.
1. A high rate of child mortality and malnutrition
2. No sources of livelihood.
3. Difficulty in getting admissions to schools for their children.
4. Not having awareness of the prevalent schemes, which could benefit them.
5. No effective mechanism where they could go for redressal of grievance.
6. Lack of social justice to the marginalized.
The insurgencies, the counter insurgencies affecting the valley continue to undermine the fabric of Kashmir. During this period of turmoil, thousands have been killed, innumerable displaced and traumatized. This conflict has made the society vulnerable from all sides. All this has resulted in the curtailment of implementation of critical programmes, access to health facilities are limited and a large number of the children are affected. Infant mortality rates and underweight children are a result of this insurgency.
As always many of the women who deposed are disadvantaged as well. Like the rest of India there is a powerful patriarchal tradition and gender disparity from early childhood. The women who deposed were of all ages who told us stories of their oppression and deprivation, which included education, employment and health. Male life expectancy was higher than that of females and there was a higher maternal mortality rate.
Our aim was to provide access to basic service and introducing opportunities for greater gender equality. Our visit and dialogue has positively brought about a change to the challenges they face. We have been able to work in that area because our women have understood our commitment for advancement of women and children.
These past few years have been a challenge to us to work in challenging terrain, with restricted transport and infrastructure and limited technology capabilities and of course in a sense of a community beyond ones own. However, our efforts have borne fruit and broken many physical barriers.
To help the communities we have marched ahead to foster social development.
Our mission is to bring about dynamic change in the lives of militancy affected widows and we will shortly aim at a study to get documented facts on the number, status, conditions and requirements of the widows in Kashmir. This will be a base document to help the State Government in creating special projects and employment opportunities for the widows.
In order to especially access the situation we need to do a total survey of the situation of conflict widows. The approximate figure of widows is about 25,000. In Dardpura there are approximately 6,000 widows. It would be most appropriate if we could collect information on these conflict widows in this area. At least 50 villages covering all the districts of the state would be surveyed. In addition, samples will have to be taken from the urban area of Srinagar, Sopore etc will have to be included. Otherwise the survey may say too little even though the effort involved is tremendous. Care must be made to include villages of places like Guarez etc, even if they are slightly inaccessible.
The insights from this field research based, first hand investigations should help the Guild of Service in its long-term endeavor to raise the status of widows first in India and then world-wide. In India, the Guild is working with women who have lost their husbands to a) terrorism in Kashmir; riots in Gujarat; farmers widows in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and of course the widows of Vrindavan. It has also done a comparative study of widows in Varanasi and Vrindavan.
We hope that with an understanding in commitment to improve the status of women, we will have inputs from all those who reads this article.
Posted by admin at November 3, 2006 04:21 PM
