Kashmir Cries #MeToo

The #MeToo movement which became a rallying cry internationally against sexual harassment and sexual assault on women, eventually hits India when Tanushree Dutta accuses Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. Many accusations came to fore with high profile people being named in the movement. 

Celebrities, Ceo’s, journalist’s , politician’s, author’s etc made to the list with the likes of  MJ Akbar (accused by more than 10 women), Chetan Bhagat, Nana Patekar, Anu Malik, Rajat Kapoor, Kailesh Kher etc. The accusations aren’t unprecedented in a country like India because according to Thomson Reuters Survey, India is the world’s most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour. In 2016, India recorded 106 rapes a day and 4 out of 10 victims were minors. 

A shocking fact revealed by NCRB that in 94.6% cases the perpetrators were victim’s relatives including brothers, fathers, grandfathers, sons or acquaintances. Besides rape and sexual violence, female infanticide, voyeurism, domestic violence, pay disparity and poor representation of women in legislative bodies are other facets of women subordination in India.

In our society with a profound patriarchal mindset of the people, a child, whether boy or girl, is taught by his/her  parents and the society that a  woman is inferior and weak than a man, she can’t make her own decisions and is controlled by man, she is there for the gratification of a man, she is a liability to be married off and is worthless. Owing to patriarchal mindset we hold victims responsible for their sexual assault rather than punishing perpetrators. In our society rape victim is judged and blamed because of the way she dresses instead of judging the mentality of the culprit and his upbringing. A daughter in our society is considered honor for her family, therefore the so-called family keeps her under pressure to keep her under wraps while a son is free to do anything, whatever he wants to. 

Families should educate and focus more on their male children because they are the ones who become rapists. If the upbringing of a son goes well he will never indulge in such a heinous crime. The society’s indifference is coupled by dismal policing, inefficient judiciary and lack of bureaucratic will to uphold the rights of the women.

The status of women across India is abysmal but in strife torn Kashmir their status is even more bleak. The conflict has unleashed all kinds of travesty on them. There are well documented cases of rapes done by state forces in Valley. Who would forget the horrifying mass rape in Kunan Poshpora, where army raped about dozens of women aged from 8 to 80 in one night of horror.

A bride Mubeena was gang raped by BSF men when they stopped a wedding convoy. Noora a Chanpora Srinagar resident, was dragged out of her kitchen by more than 20 CRPF men and raped along with her sister in law. In Shopian, two young women Asiya and Nelofar were allegedly abducted, raped and murdered by state forces. A bench of Supreme Court comprising of Madan B Lokur and UU Lalit slammed the army while hearing a rape case of a Manipuri girl and said “Do you have alleged rapists in uniform”. The people on other side of the spectrum too have inflicted pain and suffering to women in Kashmir. 

There are cases were alleged militants raped Kashmiri Pandit women during the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and informers (whether Muslim or Hindu). Wife of BSF inspector was gang raped for days by militants.  A Kashmiri Pandit nurse was gang raped and then beaten to death whose responsibility for the crime was taken by JKLF. In 2005, a 14 year old Gujjar girl was abducted by militants and forced to marry one of them, she was later gang raped by her husband and his militant friends. Seema Kazi, a scholar, writes “separatist militants have also committed rape to some extent, although not comparable in scale with that by the Indian security forces. Unfortunately the victims still await justice, whether raped by Indian security forces or armed militants, courts have closed these cases. 

Women in Kashmir are the worst victims of  the conflict . There are half widows searching for their husbands, mothers looking for their sons coupled with concomitant search for dignity, rights and belongingness. Women in Kashmir have ingested their suffering and anger and they aren’t  shouting  #MeToo. But we need to heed Kashmir’s forgotten MeToo.

These heinous and horrifying incidents of women persecution must stop in Kashmir and in the rest of the world as well. Talking about Kashmir, AFSPA must be revoked and the state indifference must stop. The military courts should take action against accused, if guilty. The perpetrators should be punished according to law. Rights should be extended to women to serve justice. Political will is needed to reconcile the differences and uphold women rights

Besides that we need to speak unequivocally against victimization of women in Kashmir. It is time to let the world know about the dark truths of Kashmir. Let the world know how much barbarity and inhumanity Kashmiri women have undergone. Let’s unveil the Kashmir’s forgotten #MeToo.