Mothers on Air
Aug 22, 2017 · 12 min read

Voices of Mothers from Kashmir, India- 1

Introduction: Mothers on Air

Mothers On Air seeks to delegitimise extremist voices through stories of mothers and their experiences of violent extremism. It highlights the role of women as peacemakers and provides a platform for voices that have never been heard before. In this thirty-episode series we provide a platform for mothers to share their stories of resisting, countering, and fighting violence and hatred to build strong families and communities.

Transliteration is as follows:

Disclaimer: You are listening to the programme: Initiating Peace-Mothers’ Voices

SMART is not responsible for any difference of opinion and arguments arising out of the opinions, thoughts or ideas expressed in this programme. Some names have been changed to protect the identity of people.

This programme is a compilation of the personal experiences of mothers. This is an effort to strengthen their desire for peace. Mothers in conflict areas get the most affected, families are broken and dispersed and many homes becomes desolate. Even avenues to raise one’s voice are very limited. SMART has provided a platform for mothers’ voices to reach out, so that they can share their feeling of oppression.

Programme- Initiating Peace- Mothers’ voice’s is a humble effort. In this programme, stories of mothers in India and Pakistan have been included. Distinct from the politics of both countries, the programme is presented from the viewpoint of a mother. This is the 30 episode of the series.

Anchor: In August 1947 History witnessed a tragedy in the form of partition of India and Pakistan. Massive religious riots broke out after the division. Large populations of Hindus from Pakistan and Muslims from India had to flee their homes.

In the same year, the issue of Kashmir heated up between the two countries. Maharaja Hari Singh, ruler of Muslim majority Kashmir joined his kingdom with India. At the time, people’s leader in the valley, Sheik Abdullah was also in favour of this. However, a section of the people of Kashmir found this objectionable. Pakistan also opposed this explicitly. Both countries went to war on the Kashmir issue. But there was no final outcome of the war and both countries retained control of whatever areas came within their jurisdiction. The Constitution of India accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The matter was nearly resolved. Relations normalised between the two countries.

But the decade of 1970 saw huge controversies erupt between the two countries. The reason for this was the formation of a new country, Bangladesh. In 1971, the erstwhile East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan and declared independence. In the war, India’s support led to a strong defeat for its neighbouring country. Pakistan lost the war and Bangladesh was formed. This division of their country was a strong blow to the formation of Pakistan and its identity.

After this incident, a chasm developed in the relations between the two countries. At that time, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. In 1977, Army General Zia-ul-haq engineered an internal coup, wrested control of the government and imprisoned Bhutto. In April 1979, Bhutto was hanged to death.

General Zia retained control of the government for the next 11 years. Zia differed in his views from the secular Founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The General converted Pakistan into a traditional Islamic country. He was restless to avenge the 1971 defeat at the hands of India. India began to be projected as an adversary in school textbooks.

At this time, world politics was at an important juncture. The Soviet Union had occupied Afghanistan, a neighbouring country of Pakistan. The cold war was on between America and Soviet Union. America was trying to deal with the Soviet threat and General Zia-ul-Haq became their prime ally in this activity. With the General’s support America raised an army of Mujahidin and instigated guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan. The American President then, Ronald Regan gave Pakistan modern war equipment and millions of dollars in exchange for this support. General Zia died in a plane crash in 1988, but he revived the issue of Kashmir in a big way before he died.

The Soviet army was chased out of Afghanistan and the extremist Taliban gained control of the country. The attention of Mujahidin was diverted towards Kashmir valley and thus started the saga of separatism in the valley.

General Zia opened a whole lot of hard core Madrassas along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Non-believers of Islam (called infidels) were seen as enemies. Kashmiri youth was lured and brought to these schools to inc­­rease tensions in the valley. A few Pandits who had been there for generations were chased out after major ­­­riots and arson. India stationed massive security forces in Kashmir valley. The economy of Kashmir flourishing on tourism stopped and there was huge spend to sustain security forces.

History changed course again. The Al-Qaida supremo, Osama Bin Laden made Afghanistan his base. Under his leadership 9–11 strike happened on America. The world declared war on terrorism. Joining hands with America, the fascist leader of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf broke off ties with Taliban. The war mongers, now chased out of Afghanistan found refuge in Kashmir valley. There was an increase of Incidents of extremism. A section of the people was incited. The situation is like ambers buried in ash. The moment the ash is stoked, the situation flares up and burns down everything around it. For the last three years, war and peace has been more or less like a game of snakes and ladders.

In 1999 a bus service was started between Lahore and Delhi, which facilitated the meeting divided of families stuck in Kashmir on both sides of the line of control. In the year 2001, there was an attack on Indian Parliament that escalated tensions between the two countries.

In November 2003 there was cease fire between India and Pakistan. An environment of peace was established in Kashmir. In 2004, India held a dialogue with the extremist leaders in the valley. But this climate of peace did not last long. By 2008, unrest in the valley started again.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir pledged to give 99 acres of forest land to the temple of Amarnath. This decision was severely opposed in the valley. In Shopia, two women were allegedly raped and killed and the riots began again.

From June 2010, a long phase of protests and torture started. The extremists were demanding the withdrawal of security forces from the valley. In 2013, after Afzal Guru was sentenced to death, there were major disturbances in Kashmir.

Time flew and it was 2016 now. Before the onset of winter, the alleged commander of Hizbul Mujahidin, Burhan Wani died in a battle with security forces. The valley flared up again.

From 2010, the frequency of our visits to Kashmir valley increased considerably. We would go there every year and meet mothers and hold discussions on peace. In 2016, we went again to Kashmir with our team. For some team members, it was their first visit to Kashmir. They were really excited to see this ‘heaven on earth’.

We reached Srinagar in winter. The airport looked like a military camp. There were stationary vehicles on the streets, in which armed soldiers were stationed. There was silence all around.

When we had come here in 2014, the situation was different. Despite the tensions, we had fun in the shikaras on Dal Lake. We enjoyed staying in a house boat along with international tourists. The flaring red leaves of chinar tree enthralled my soul. Nishat Bagh had a unique beauty. The snow capped Himalayas beckoned me. And the best part was Kashmiri food. I can still recall the fantastic taste in my mouth.

But in the year 2016, things were different. Even today, women over 60 have not been able to forget the 90’s decade. Even now their hearts are heavy with the loss of loved ones. Women between the ages of 40 and 60 live with some unknown dread. Their young are jobless. They fear that joblessness will lead them astray. Women below the age of 40 deal with another kind of a problems. Schools are closed. Stones have been thrust into the hands of their teenage children in place of books.

We went with our researcher to Rubaiyya’s house, who introduced us. Rubaiyya was 55 years old and was hesitant to say anything. I said it’s important to have a dialogue and share one’s joys and sorrows. Any environment begins to change only with dialogue. Especially between us women, who do not carry hatred in their hearts. Our small dream is a peaceful household, where our family stays together in peace and harmony, to have warmth in our relationships and breathe free. Rubaiyya agreed with me.

We wanted to know about her household. She said that her husband was a cook in a houseboat on the Dal Lake. He did not earn much, but they were doing alright. Slowly there was a reduction in the number of tourists to the valley and he lost his job. Theirs was a small family, with four children. Their oldest son was studying in Class 12 at the time and somehow blamed the government for his father’s unemployment. In the troubled environment, his school was often closed. He would set out in the morning and spend the whole time on the streets. Slowly he started losing interest in studies. If I scolded him, he would lose his temper. He would ask me to mind my own business. I kept quiet and he became bolder.

Then he started changing and became quieter. One day he gave me an envelope which had a few rupees. I asked him where he got the money from and he replied that he had found some work. I was investigating further, but his father intervened and said that the boy is educated and he is earning something, you don’t overexert your imagination. I wish I hadn’t listened to him. Why does this happen to women all the time? Our men insult us in front of our children, advise us to limit ourselves to the kitchen and taunt us saying we wouldn’t understand matters of the outside (world), as if Allah has given all knowledge and wisdom to only men!! My husband would only discus household affairs with me. If I asked anything else, he would rebuke me. I would obey his orders and not argue. Perhaps this was due to my upbringing. I was timid. This has been going on for centuries. My mother would not speak up in front of my father, as my grandmother before by grandfather. So how would my son be different? He also began asserting his ‘maleness’. Like his father, he began to consider it his right to disregard me. He would not listen to me at all. People say that times are changing, but for us women it’s still a dark night. Like my grandmother, mother and I too have just been enslaved by men and serving them. Perhaps women’s lives are full of insults and are worthless.

After this, Rubaiyya’s voice drowned in tears. Her son joined an extremist organisation and after a few days he simply vanished. And never came back. Even today Rubaiyya waits for him. She does not know where he is. The neighbours say he is perhaps at the border.

After meeting Rubaiyya, I realised how strong women are. Even though troubled and sorrowful she has not given up hope. She believes that peace will be restored in the valley. Women will have to take a special initiative towards this. In the end, women and children bear the brunt of conflict. Homes they have carefully nurtured through the years turn into graveyards in no time. Their milk, which runs as blood in the men’s veins is flowed mercilessly.

Our researcher’s heavy voice broke my chain of thought. We invited a Kashmiri youth to ride with us in our car. Very politely he wished me “assalamalekum’. Hailing from the City of Nawabs (Lucknow), my Urdu is also good, so I replied “valekum assalam”. The researcher said that the youth, Saif’s house was on our way to the hotel. On the way, we had a long chat.

Saif had studied B.Tech from Punjab in Computer Science. He was returning from an interview at some hotel. What kind of work would an engineer do in a hoteI, was curious. I said, “there is an IT boom in India. Many cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune have many livelihood opportunities. You too should try your luck there. You should see the world. If your luck and hard work pays off, you can go to America. So many IT professionals go there every year “

Said explained that he was not in a position to leave his father and mother and go out, On further probing, he revealed that in a previous time, his father was a terrorist. His life was in danger. In such a situation, he cannot go out of his city. Many Kashmiri youth face these problems. In a moment of passion they pick up a stone or a rifle. When realisation dawns, they want to come back, take up a job, have a family, but by then perhaps it is too late. There is also lack of employment in the valley.

As per the latest census, in the Kashmir valley, nearly 70 percent of the men are below the age of 35. If they put their energies with enthusiasm in rebuilding the valley, Kashmir can yet again be counted as a heavenly place. If this dream is to be realised, such opportunities have to be created. There is 41 percent unemployment among the youth in the valley. This is nearly double the unemployment rate in India. Thousands of youth here have had no work for years. Most of the time, they are jobless. In such a situation, they slip and extremist organisations take them into their clutches.

However, quality education is a pre-condition to employment. Here youth aged 15–24 are not getting fewer degrees than the rest of India, but it is said that there is a difference between a qualification obtained here and one obtained in Delhi.

We thought of meeting a teacher. After some effort we were successful. Thirty year old Shabnam teaches English at school in Srinagar.

In addition to the separatists, she is also quite angry with the local residents. She expressed her anger to us thus:

Education is very important for a society. Only with education can one differentiate between the good and the bad. Politics has nothing to do with it. Obviously, those who burn schools are doing something reprehensible. People are also quiet. They should hunt down such people and punish them. This is a conspiracy to keep the society illiterate. She feels the people should try and protect their schools as education is the only way to get ahead in life.

Besides the curfew in Kashmir, the separatists are also appealing to the public to observe a Bandh. ( a shutdown protest).Schools are not exempt from these bandhs. This has a negative impact on the students’ learning. Because of all the bandhs in 2016, we were only able to cover half the syllabus for classes 10 and 12.

There are not enough job opportunities in Jammu to Kashmir to provide employment for all the deserving candidates. As per the fourth and the fifth census, between the years 2005 and 2013, every year nearly 54,000 got employment, although every year nearly 100,000 candidates qualified for employment.

Every scenario can be changed. If the valley is not producing enough jobs, then young Kashmiris must be motivated to go out. But the problem is not many people go to other states seeking employment. They are less inclined to go out. So people earn less in Jammu and Kashmir .

In the year 2010, the state government set up a corporation to assist those seeking employment outside the state. But last year, it was shut down as it was argued that the corporation was not able to do much . It’s a need of the times that the government must seriously work towards helping the potential human bombs out of the place.

There are several benefits to this. By going to other states, Kashmiri youth can have conversations with other people in the country. Dialogue plays an important role in establishing peace. As Kashmiri youth meet with people outside, walk with them, new parables of peace and progress could be written.

But women have to make special efforts to restore peace in the valley. Normally, women do not support war. Their hearts and minds favour love and peace. But in Kashmir valley they have to also open their mouths along with their hearts. They have to put forth their perspectives in front of both the separatists and the rulers. Just dreaming of peace within the four walls of their homes will not be enough. They have to speak up and assert that their very existence is on the line.

World over, women are subdued. Especially in conflict areas, they are in a bad shape. They suffer physical and emotional abuse. The deprived always understand the value of peace better than the oppressors. Women create children. As mothers, they nurture new life with their blood. The new life takes shape and form inside a woman. Nurturing in her womb for nine months, with her own life at stake, a woman gives birth to an innocent life. Who can understand the value of life, better than a mother?

There is a vast difference in the way men and women view life. Even ambitious women seeking power do not snuff of lives with cruelty. By nature they are kind hearted. They seek revenge only when pushed beyond limits of endurance. Women are also braver compared to men. They endure a lot of pain to become a mothers. They have to come forward to save this world. After a dark night comes dawn. Humanity badly needs the light of peace and mothers have an important role to play in this regard.

End VO

How did you like this programme. Please send us your thoughts and feedback via email. Our email id is mothersonair@gmail.com

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