In a remote village of Baramulla, in north Kashmir, Fatima starts her day before sunrise, gathering firewood to prepare meals. With three children to feed and a household to manage, exhaustion has become her constant companion.
Fatima consoles herself by humming Habba Khatoon’s verses.
“Voyn dimai aara bala’N
yaara kunyi melakh naa
voyn dimai aaravala’N
dubara yaara melakh naa.”
(Translation:
I will seek you amidst brooks and mountains
My beloved will I see you anywhere.
I’ll look for you amidst vast lands.
My beloved will I see you again.)
The absence of her husband, who went missing eight years ago, has taken a toll on her health. She has been pushed to do a role she never imagined she would shoulder. She is the sole provider for the family now. This responsibility weighs heavily on her heart and physique, as each day has become a battle for her. She is required to manage the house, tend to her small plot, and survive within the pristine resources.
The small savings her husband had while he was working as a carpenter have long since finished.
The government’s social welfare schemes she once aimed at never materialized due to the ambiguity surrounding her marital status that leaves her hanging in a painful limbo; for she is neither considered a widow nor acknowledged as a wife.
When asked about the Assembly elections, that are taking place in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of ten years, Fatima, with a mix of frustration and hopelessness, says, “What difference will their promises make if they don’t materialize and reach those who need them. I have been left alone with my grief and sorrow. My pain is invisible to them, and their assurances are empty.”
Fatima’s days are filled with grief, but her evenings are the most intense as she continues to think about her missing spouse, whether he is alive or dead.
Fatima’s story here mirrors the struggles of countless women across rural Kashmir who share similar fates, whether they be widows, half-widows, or those separated from their husbands, due to the conflict. Thrust into the role of sole breadwinners, these women bear the weight of providing for their families while grappling with profound personal trauma.
These women are facing overwhelming financial difficulties, but the emotional burden of living in constant insecurity, without any safety net, is perhaps more devastating.
As the assembly election in over a decade, is underway, various political parties are making their usual grand promises of making local transport free for women, opening women’s gyms or providing ration benefits.
All such promises ring hollow for women like Fatima, whose requirements are complex, involving economic stability, healthcare, and security. Yet the political parties continue to ignore these in favour of surface-level solutions.
In recent weeks, it has been a common scene to witness women participating in political rallies, often dancing or raising pro-party slogans. While most of these women have come together to show their support, however, most of them remain unaware of the political demands being made in their name. Their participation in these rallies does not change their daily lives, leaving them disenfranchised and excluded from the decision-making process.
They are just being used by political parties to boost the image of their campaigns and pack rallies, but their real needs and concerns go unmet.
Thus, women are not being heard, only counted! They are being treated as insignificant numbers in the political process, which is reflected in the lack of effective, comprehensive policies for them.
This assembly election is different in many ways, as it is taking place after a gap of ten years, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir have not adopted the usual call for boycott but reaffirmed their faith in the various candidates and stepped out of their comfort zones to vote.
They have taken the decision to support change.
As such, women in Kashmir who have faced significant challenges require serious attention from the political parties that are contesting to form the government.
To truly serve women in Kashmir, they must shift their focus from short-term perspectives to long-term solutions like establishing skill development programs for female entrepreneurs, particularly in rural areas.
In addition, the incoming government must make it a priority to enhance healthcare infrastructure and provide access to trauma counselling for women who have been directly affected by the conflict.
Furthermore, women like Fatima, whose status places them in a vulnerable position leaving them in legal and financial limbo, need schemes specifically tailored and designed for them, to ensure they receive financial support without any bureaucratic hurdles.
The incoming government must implement concrete measures to safeguard women’s safety through enhanced law enforcement, establishment of women’s protection units, and legal reforms to combat gender-based violence.
As the third and final phase of assembly elections comes to an end, Fatima expresses her feelings through the poignant lines of Ghulam Ahmad Mehjoor, a prominent Kashmiri poet.
Me Kar Cheyi Rozan Hund Byaali,
Me Kar Zanaan Hund Rooth Gayii
(Translation:
Have you not seen the tears of the daybreak?
Have you not seen the hearts of women broken?)
This question echoes the lives of many women in Kashmir, highlighting the stark realities they endure, contrasting with the empty promises often made by politicians.
As I ponder over the lines shared by her, I am reminded of the words of the Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali, “The world is full of poetry, but I live in the world of politics.”
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