POONCH: On her campaign trail in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti made a brief stop at a tea stall in Kali Dhar in Rajouri, and invoked her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayehttps://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/1784099059864883625ed’s connection to the place. As one of the main contenders in this race in these border districts, now been added to Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, Mehbooba is striking a chord with a Pir Panjal that breaks away from the past. Her presence is enthusing women at the grassroots in these districts.
Representation of women in politics in Jammu and Kashmir has been meager in the past. It has been abysmally non-existent in the Pir Panjal where the women have been further pushed into the shadows by a conflict and deeply patriarchal society. So, when a woman of her stature visits the area, holds rallies, connects and interacts with people, she is also redefining the role of women in the region’s political landscape.
One of the key aspects of Mehbooba Mufti’s campaign has been her focus on uniting women across the Pir Panjal. Her rallies and interactions with women have struck a chord, as she speaks about their issues and aspirations. This has galvanized women to come forward and actively participate in the political process – which is a novelty.
In the recent campaign in Dhaara, many women enthusiastically joined Mehbooba Mufti’s rallies, expressing their support through traditional Pahari songs. In a region where women often struggle to find representation in the public sphere, they view her as a beacon of hope for realising their aspirations. As Mehbooba talks to them about skill development centres for women, sanitation facilities and creating public parks to encourage social interactions for women beyond the confines of their homes, she strikes a chord with the women struggling to find their agency.
Prem Lata Soodan, a homemaker from Poonch, highlights the historical lack of strong female representation in the region. “Mehbooba Mufti brings hope for women. Previously, MPs from the Jammu-Poonch constituency seldom addressed the concerns of Pahari women, resulting in unresolved issues like widows’ pensions. Female parliamentarians would be more responsive to the needs of Pirpanjal women. Additionally, the social backwardness in these areas has historically limited women’s participation in public discourse,” she says with hopes that the Pahari women would be able to assert their voices.
Young women educators in the region perceive women’s engagement in politics as a way to bridge societal gaps. Amarpreet Kaur, a distinguished academic with dual degrees in MEd and MA in Political Science, who plays a multifaceted role as an educator and entrepreneur, overseeing the successful operations of the St. Joseph Convent School, strongly advocates for female representation in politics, particularly in areas where educational and social awareness are lacking. She recognises that electing a woman representative could significantly improve accessibility and address the prevalent hesitation among Pahari women to assert themselves.
She highlights the stark absence of women’s participation even in social welfare activities, evident from the lack of NGOs dedicated to women’s welfare in Poonch. Operating a school in such challenging circumstances exposes Kaur to the harsh realities of women’s education, with rural areas exhibiting alarmingly high illiteracy rates among girls. She laments that many girls in her school are married off by their parents after completing the 10th grade, illustrating the persistent reluctance to educate girls, thereby perpetuating women’s dependency in these regions.
Kaur perceives Mehbooba Mufti’s candidacy as a transformative opportunity for Pir Panjal women to stride towards self-reliance. She believes that increased female representation can empower Pahari women and amplify their voices in the political arena.
The visible presence of women in her campaigns signals a marked shift in the region where women have been pushed to the margins amidst a complex and violent conflict and whose stories of resilience remain untold. Some of them are finding a new comradeship with Mehbooba, joined in some of her campaigns by her daughter and PDP media advisor, Iltija Mufti.
For women who have lived in the shadows for too long, there is a new hope.
*Kanwal Singh, is a Columnist and Political Analyst from J&K.
—–
Have you liked the news article?