Psychological Impacts of Conflict: Case Study of Kashmiri Women
Psychological Impacts of Conflict: Case Study of Kashmiri Women
By Laraib Malik
Abstract
The right of being treated equally, regardless of gender, caste, race, religion and ethnicity is the foremost element of human, which has been violated by Indian forces, for more than seven decades. Their right to life, liberty, opinion, peaceful assembly, thought, movement and religion has been demolished by the obnoxious attacks of pallet guns, shelling, torture and illegal detentions by Indian forces under the law of PSA and AFSPA, which have been declared as draconian laws, in the reports published by International Amnesty Organization. The women of Kashmir have been objectified and eroticized by the Indian military to demolish the honor and self-esteem of the people of Kashmir. The research has been carried out by using both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources comprise of personal interviews, data for stats of harassment, casualties, and rape cases and the secondary sources include case studies, research papers, articles, criticism, program evaluation and ethnographic studies.
Introduction
Indian occupied Kashmir is among the worst conflicted zones in the world. The barbarian Indian forces are brutally violating fundamental human rights of Kashmiris, which are recognized by the United Nations in the form of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). [1] The way women of Kashmir are eroticized and are objectified every day in Jammu and Kashmir, the manner in which their bodies are depicted as powerless and used to make dread and terrorizing, has elevated the feeling of being preyed upon. Systematic sexual maltreatment and different types of gendered based savagery are regularly conveyed as weapons in war. A portion of the ladies talked about their feelings of trepidation of being attacked during such assaults. Feeling of dread extends as Indian legislators stir sexism with discuss opportunity to wed white-Skinned Kashmiri ladies. The obnoxious practices of Indian Authorities in Indian Occupied Kashmir on innocent masses go unchecked and unaccountable. The existence of humanitarian laws seems to be vague and ambiguous in this world. The innocent Kashmiris are raising their voices for their freedom on every forum but the international community has failed to abjure Indian authorities for their deliberate unlawful use of power.[2] Since 1989, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have been slaughtered by Indian forces. As indicated by authentic figures, out of these, in excess of 7,130 individuals have been killed in Indian supervision, 109,380 structures have been crushed, 22,910 ladies have been widowed, 107,775 youngsters have been stranded and in excess of 11,125 ladies have been assaulted and gang raped by Indian occupation powers[3]. In excess of 7,000 anonymous mass graves have been found with a huge number of casualties of fake encounters[4]. Under the shelter of AFSPA, military forces have committed numerous crimes, especially with the women and they are not even convicted for their crimes. So the fundamental objective of this research paper is to analyze the suffering and traumas of Kashmiri women under a conflict zone.
[1] “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.
[2] “Human Rights Report June 2019.” KIIR. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.kiir.org.pk/reports/human-rights-report-june-2019.
[3] ibid
[4] ibid
Research Statement
Exploitation and victimization of women in conflict zone is regular phenomenon as also being manifested in Indian Occupied Kashmir causing severe psychological impacts on women of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Research Questions
- How sexual assault, violence, rapes and abuse, are used as a tool to destruct women’s life in Kashmir?
- What are the socio-cultural and economic factors that are leading women of Kashmir under suppression?
- What are the psychological impacts of sexual assault on Kashmiri women?
Methodology:
Both quantitative and qualitative descriptive method are used in this research paper. For the qualitative approach Journal articles, books, scholarly writings, articles, authentic websites and Newspaper were consulted and referred. In terms of Quantitative data interviews were conducted. The respondents were professional experts. For having better view of the subject interview from Mrs. Mushaal Hussain Khan (Women rights activist and wife of JKLF leader Yasin Malik), Mr. Rajja Sajjad Khan (PhD scholar and an expert in International Law), Ms. Ayesha Waheed Rizvi, (research analyst) and Mrs Sadaf Sehar (advocate high court) was conducted in September, Islamabad.
Discussion
Exploitation and victimization of Kashmiri women
A Legislative Assembly’s member of BJP, said: “Muslim party workers should rejoice in the new provisions. They can now marry the white-skinned women of Kashmir.” Objectification of Kashmiri women has become a normal thing for the Indian government and forces. They are the people with hollow souls, filthy minds, having enough capacity to burn down a person’s life, with illegitimate use of power, these devils cum Indian Occupational forces, deliberately tend to devastate life of innocent Kashmiri masses.[1] Women and children, youth and old ones, nobody in IOK is safe. They have been long chanting the slogans of “FREEDOM’ until they lie on the beds of death. To lose a closed one could never be easy for anyone. But to see the closed one weeping breathlessly and dying in hands, hoping for survival, leads towards a heart wrenching trauma for all. Each and every corner of the region is demanding justice. But from whom they should demand. The world is paying deaf ears to the voices of the innocent Kashmiris. The screams of their women go unheard. On one side the world is addressing the Sustainable development goals in the form of peace enchantment, freedom and equality and on the contrary, maintains their silence over the most hazardous conflicted area in the world i.e. Indian Occupied Kashmir.
[1] “First-Ever UN Human Rights Report on Kashmir Calls for an International Inquiry into Multiple Violations.” OHCHR. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23198.
Sexual Abuse-Women Under Indian Opression
The mistreatment has been showed in the accompanying kinds of human rights manhandles: "Forced disappearances", torment, assault, rapes, molestation, torture and attack of Muslim ladies in Indian Occupied Kashmir. In 2005, Médecins Sans Frontières, driven an examination in Kashmir which found that various people who had seen an ambush in Kashmir since 1989 was proportionately far higher than the amount of people who had seen an attack in other conflict zones, for instance, Chechnya and Sri Lanka. As showed by the Kashmiri-Canadian Council, 6,300 Kashmiri women have been sexually exploited. Sexual assault is a system used to lash Kashmiri women, who Indian security powers accused for relating to the aggressors. By attacking these women, the security powers are proposing to repel and humiliate the entire system."- Human Rights Watch.
Psychological Trauma in Women of IOK
Just in the middle of April 2018 and March 2019, 366,906 people got treatment in a psychiatric clinical center in the city of Srinagar alone, barely short of three percent of the entire masses of the state. With torture, rapes and molestation becoming the order of day in Kashmir, psychiatric disorders have seen a sharp increase among the population especially in women. Before the onset of militarization, certain disorders that were not known to Kashmiris have started showing a significant presence among the population. The psychological disease Pot Traumatic Stress Disorder that was completely unrecognized in the valley before the heavy militarization in the valley of Kashmir till 1990 has witnessed a sharp increase each passing year. Other mental illness like bipolar disorder, phobia, panic attacks, and general anxiety and sleep disorders have shown considerable increase.
To halt a women, whether physically or mentally, means to traumatize a whole society, generation and women all over the world, to be actual. Frailty; however, can never even be the characteristic of women, until and unless, the brutal animals in the society destruct the will, ambitions, desires, self-esteem, honor, present as well as their future, so they could never raise their voices against these beasts. As this is their foremost strategy to keep these women silent. Sexual assault, sexual violence, and abuse, are not just the harsh terms, but actions, which could deprive women and men, of every positive feeling and thought ever. These are the basic tools used by Indian troops to destroy the will of freedom of the women and men of Kashmir. The heart wrenching brutality of Indian troops against Kasmiri women are not even describable.
The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, of Srinagar, drove an assessment finding that of 112 young women who experienced polycystic ovarian turmoil a condition that can cause infertility alongside multiple other side effects around 65 to 70 percent of them encountered mental distress issues and sicknesses, for example, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression[1] .Wartime sexual violence is common strategy but the war in Kashmir seems to be a dark patch, which has no clearing. [2]
The women in Kashmir have been imperiled to torture, rape and gang-rape for the last seven decades in the occupied valley. They lost their children and fathers, while many of the women become widows or half widows, a large number of mothers are crying for their missing or dead sons. That is why these brutal and inhuman acts have life-long impacts on their lives. Unfortunately India has relied heavily on sexual violence as a weapon to ‘humiliate’ the entire community by attacking women. Therefore, they always hesitate to leave their homes even in urgency as the monsters clad in Indian army uniform are always ready to attack them.
[1] “Kashmiri Women's Suffering,” The Express Tribune, December 18, 2012, https://tribune.com.pk/story/481272/kashmiri-womens-suffering.
[2] Tribune News Service. “IMHANS - Balm on Kashmir's Bruised Psyche.” Tribuneindia News Service. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/imhans-balm-on-kashmir-s-bruised-psyche-699336.
The Title of Half Widow
"Half-widow", a term given to women whose husbands have completely disappeared and are still missing during the ongoing conflict in Kashmir. Countless women who have experienced the casualties of the Indian forces atrocities during the conflict on the border and violence inside Kashmir, with the "enforced disappearances" of husbands, fathers, brothers and children during years of ongoing conflict. During the years of conflict in Kashmir, it's not only the half-widows who have suffered. The half-orphans have also suffered heavily under the weight of lives with little opportunity. As a child's self-esteem is wrapped in the identity of a missing father, a generation of children are now living through the confusion of broken dreams. The women are in a deep slumber and not ready to accept the [half-widow'] misery. They are not being given the rights that they deserve. These women do not fall in any of the categories fixed by various NGOs, orphanages or widows' homes".
Jalla begum, middle, says that Indian powers conduct assault at our places each night. In addition, several young fellows watch Anchaar in the night to prevent troops from entering the region to evade captures. This region has developed as a hotbed of fights after lockdown in Kashmir. A young lady named Ulfat, who is as yet recovering from conceiving an offspring, said her spouse was captured at their home in the midnight. “Who will provide our family with food and medicine? Where should I go with my baby?” she stated, with her infant little girl in her arms. What might occur if, in the midst of obscurity, around the appearance of day break, the Indian Occupational powers, brutally striking the entryway of your home, bringing you to open the enterance or they'll crush it. While opening it, you finished it up by losing somebody from your family, bringing chaos and hysteria amongst oneself.[1] This is the story of every house in Indian Occupied Kashmir nowadays. A vulnerable mother is sobbing on her destiny of losing her young child, who wasn’t even allowed to wear his clothes or shoes, before he got detained by Indian occupational forces, who deliberately intervened their privacy at about half past three in the morning. Those fanatics had pointed their guns on her son and ordered her to put off the lights. Indeed, the Kashmiris were expecting such monstrous actions by Indian army, retrospectively the forces started to grab her son and started thrashing and dragging him in front of her eyes. They brutally took him with them. In despair, she was actually thinking about nothing but the question, what if she would not be able to see him again. They couldn’t do anything at that time but to wait, wait for the sun to rise in the yard of her house, as the occupational forces said while leaving that they will leave her son after sometime. But to whom she would trust, those who apparently are infamous for killing and disappearing sons of Kashmiri mothers. But hope is a thing that sustains her. She is still waiting and will wait for his son to come back for her, safely and secured. Thousands of mothers in Indian Occupied Kashmir are waiting for their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers who once taken but never returned. The half-widows, are living in desolate conditions and suffering psychological illnesses connected to war conflict, including an inclination towards suicide. Many have fallen prey to psychological problems including depression, phobia, emotional instability and post-traumatic stress disorder.
[1] “Human Rights Report June 2019.” KIIR. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.kiir.org.pk/reports/human-rights-report-june-2019.
Case studies
Jayaprakash Narayan, an Indian activist, theorist, socialist and political leader, had to say in 1966 about Kashmir[1]: Khaashiah Rehman, who is only sixteen years old is one of the fortunate ones. Each fortnight her family drives her 120km from their town in north Kashmir for her treatment in Srinagar. Three years back, after she started crumbling at school and her hair dropped out, Khaashiah was determined to have extreme nervousness and despondency, credited to the pressure of experiencing childhood in a combat area. Her indications balanced out after she started taking antidepressants however they restored for this present week. Her family is satisfied with the treatment their little girl gets however are unnerved their neighbors will discover - emotional well-being conveys a colossal shame here and is a significant explanation individuals don't look for assistance. “Our communities are very close and most people will not approach doctors because of the stigma of having a child with this condition," her dad stated, Akramullah Rehman, "It's difficult for young ladies – with regards to wedding on the off chance that she endures a condition, at that point it tends to be exceptionally terrible to discover a spouse. "They are viewed as 'frantic' and it is additionally observed to influence the kids they could have." Mental wellbeing conditions are extremely misconstrued in the state – it didn't have a mental medical clinic until 1989 – and numerous families prefer moving toward a faiith healer first instead of a psychologist.
Here’s the story of Fahmida Shogro, when she was at her home with her in laws and kids on August 9, 2019, when a flood of protests could be evident on the streets of Indian Occupied Kashmir. They were the people who deny to bow down before Indian forces, thus facing obnoxious punishments. It was this time, when Indian forces started firing pallets and tear gases in the streets to scatter the protestors on front but to kill them all, at the back, as this gas is a form of biological poisoning. Fahmida’s house’s window got thrashed suddenly. The tear gas came into the house. That’s when she cried, she started suffocating. Her husband, Rafiq helped her to immediately take her to the hospital, but the doctors could not rescue her. This incident hit the family very hard. They demand justice for an undeserved death and no one to hold responsible, appealed her husband. There are hundreds of Fehmidas in Kashmir, who death go unfigured and unaccountable.
On January 10, 2018, Asifa Bano, eight years old Muslim young girl from the Bakerwal group was kidnapped from Rasana town in Jammu and Kashmir. It was later discovered that she had been sedated, tormented, assaulted and raped for a whole week, while in captivity before being murdered, by several people in Kathua territory. As many as seven people had been arrested in this case including the alleged Sanji Ram, a previous income official, who is accepted to have built the entire wrongdoing, just as his child Vishal. A sub-overseer, head constable and two different cops had likewise been captured for annihilating at first sight proof during the underlying phases of examination. The essential expectation of blamed was to show dread among the Gujjar people group to which the youngster has a place with.
Another historical massive sexual violence occurred in 1991, as paramilitary powers gathered together and expelled men for cross examination from their homes in the town of Kunan, Poshpora in Dupwar region, 60 kms north of Kashmir, officers from the Fourth Rajputana Rifles division purportedly asked moms, spouses, aunties, girls and youngsters to remain in their homes. During the military activity, sexual savagery and assault against what residents asserted was 100 ladies, one as old as 80 years of age, were accounted for. Besides direct violence of sexual nature, Indian troops were also involved in crimes like sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors. [2]
This is a story of Tasleema Rouf, aged 35, a resident of Srinagar, who was a victim of braid chopping. It began when she saw a man's shadow, before she could respond, she says, she was assaulted. At the point when she attempted to shout for help, he attempted to choke her. She fell oblivious. That is the means by which her better half discovered her - lying on the floor, with a portion of her hair slashed off. At any rate 110 occurrences of hair slashing have been accounted for in the region of Jammu and Kashmir[3]. The circumstance is unstable to the fact that even schools and universities were closed quickly. Little is thought about who is behind the assaults. The vast majority of the ladies said they were thumped oblivious and woke up to find that their hair had been trimmed. None of the ladies saw the guilty parties. The purported twist hacking and cutting has set off frenzy in the state, starting a few fights. This is simply a mortification of Kashmiri ladies. The enduring is grievous. The respect of ladies of Kashmir is being broken by these people. This had been considered as a ploy of Indian authorities to malign the Kashmiri people and destroy the confidence and security of their women. Numerous local people reprimand the Indian offices for the braid-chopping assaults, considering it to be a piece of India's psychological activity against Kashmiris. These ghastly strategies are utilized to make dread psychosis among ladies and these things occurred here in the past when in "Activity Bhoot" the Indian powers used to hit ladies with sharp iron gloves and encouraged by vagabonds to fled this isn't a puzzle yet evident that a few organizations are behind these occurrences. This is a true event of despair, where a three year old minor, named Aiman Zahira, was brutally raped by a boy aged twenty, claimed to be a minor, on 8th May, 2019, in Malikpora, Trehgam area of Sumbal in North Kashmir, Bandipora District. This incident is an evidence of extreme insensitivity and immorality of these so-called human beings. People of Kashmir stood up and protested for the just trial of the arrested accused of rape. Their only demand is to hang the accused publically to prove it as an exemplary punishment on fast track basis. So people could develop their trust and faith in judiciary and police. Their lost faith in the system could be revived by the provision of justice to little Aiman. Scores of university students of Handwara, IUST Awantipora, in different areas of Kashmir, protested against the barbaric incident of mankind that took place in Bandipora. These protests against the gruesome rape incident hit the streets in Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramullah District, Moomin Abad Batmoloo, Kupwara, Pattan Chanabal, Mirgund, Utter Kreeri and Hygam. These protestors got involved in the clash with Indian troops, who in turn fired them with tear gas and ballets. Indian police fire smoke shells towards protestors at Mirgund Pattan on the outskirts of Indian administered Kashmir’s Srinagar as protestors called for justice in the case of the rape of a girl who was only three years old. [4]"In Singhpur town, AFSPA burst into the place of Abdul Ahad and persuasively took his spouse and little girl to a military camp where they were assaulted and gang raped''. On the eve of a festive, children in Kashmir were bleeding due to their unfortunate fate.
This is a story of six-year old Muniba Nazir, resident of Safakadal, who was shot in the eye after paramilitary powers focused on her with a slingshot on Eid day when she was out with her uncle. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital which denied to attend any of the patients due to lockdown orders. Soon her family members were able to take her to hospital in Sirinagar named Shri Maharaja on August 17, where she got treated but resultantly, it was of no use after this much delay, as she had already lost her right eye. At such a tender age, children in Indian Occupied Kashmir suffered from such incidents, which are evident to be life changing traumas for them.
Incidents like these urge us to think about what sort of world are we living in where a girl is neither safe inside the womb nor anywhere in the world. Existence of such beasts in our society will continue to haunt women of Kashmir at each and every step of their life, reminding them about events like these by intense societal rejections, humiliation, guilt, shame and trauma.
[1] Aditya Anand, Article 370 And The Current Situation: A Critical Analysis, https://www.lawctopus.com/article-370-and-the-current-situation-a-critical-analysis/
[2] “Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora?: The Story of a Mass Rape by Samreen Mushtaq.” Goodreads. Goodreads, July 15, 2016. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25246027-do-you-remember-kunan-poshpora.
[3] Khan, Raja Sajjad (Ph.D scholar and expert in International Human Rights Law), in discussion with author. July 2020
[4] “Sexual Violence- The Ultimate Source of Destruction in Kashmir.” KIIR. Accessed December 29, 2019. https://www.kiir.org.pk/blogs/sexual-violence-the-ultimate-source-of-destruction-in-kashmir.
Violation of the rights of women in Kashmir
As per Asia Watch and PHR distributed report on human rights in Kashmir, PHR and Asia Watch want to concentrate on the utilization of assault as a strategy of war in Kashmir and on government approaches which have driven the security powers to accept they can complete these violations without any potential repercussions. The cases remembered for this report are illustrative; there have been a bigger number of instances of assault than was conceivable to record here. In both conflict and non-difficulty conditions, the central part of assault by the security powers is power. Indian Soldiers and police use assault as a weapon: to snub, loom, threat, rebuff, mortify and corrupt. As per the OHCHR (United Nations Human Rights) report, incessant exemption for sexual brutality additionally stays a key worry in Kashmir. "Endeavors to look for equity have been denied and hindered throughout the years at various levels," the report says. Exemption for human rights infringement and absence of access to equity are key human rights difficulties in the province of Jammu and Kashmir," the report says, taking note of that the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act 1990 (AFSPA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA) have “created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardize the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations.” The expansion of the previously existing society of impuniity permitted by a law like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act makes J&K a place of refuge for culprits of foul play and injustice not so much as a solitary case has ever brought about criminal indictment and prosecution.
Rapes and other gender based violence are basically state sponsored, thus Indian troops get support by their government officials. The grievances of wide human rights abuses are often ignored and taken for granted. Due to these unjust and unattended judicial trials of Indian soldiers who are rape accused, locals also got motivation to commit these heinous crimes, as they are certain to not to be accountable at any place. The unjust judicial and police system encouraged these people to get lower down their extremes of morality. These events contributes to the misogynist attitudes and cultures across Kashmir. The AFSPA and PSA enriches the Indian military with unique powers and exemption, which drove them to abuse human rights in Kashmir at a more prominent degree.
International Community and Women of IOK
International community is turning blind eye towards violence against Kashmiri women although it is very sensitive when violence committed against women but they are behaving totally differently in case of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. There are a number of factors but the most important of them is that the victim women are Muslims. Unfortunately, the international community pays little attention to the sufferings of Muslims due to division within the Muslim world that makes their voice less effective worldwide. [1]
Another significant factor is that India is a huge trade market. So the world community and UN bodies could not take punitive actions against Indian forces for its continued violence against women and mere issuing condemnation statement on and off to throw dust in Kashmiris eyes. So is the reason, the international community often remained tightlipped and took no action against fascist Indian government otherwise the Kashmir dispute would have been resolved long ago and Kashmiri women would have not face the brutalities and violence anymore. The sexual violence against women in wars is the biggest crimes and the most rampant practice and dirty tactics being employed by enemy’s forces to materialize their nefarious designs.
Sexual violence either in, or as a result of, conflict is a war crime and can also be a crime against humanity. The recent efforts to priorities preventing sexual violence in conflict are necessary and important. Sexual savagery in strife is a human rights infringement and is in opposition to universal law. It endangers universal harmony and security, complements sexual orientation separation and forestalls post-struggle social orders accomplishing feasible harmony. The battle to kill sexual savagery in struggle similarly as with the recorded and current crusades to dispose of annihilation and torment requires continued political, lawful and cultural activity.[2]
Covid 19 and Women of IOK
In regard to the Covid 19 Pandemic there has been a sharp addition in the occurrences of pregnant women testing positive for the coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease, has left the healthh experts in Jammu and Kashmir amazed. There were 51 such conteminations given a record of June 8, 2020, while 70 pregnant women were represented to have gotten the infections in the underlying four days of this current month itself. Fears of individuals have raised likewise, as the total COVID-19 cases in the UT extended by 620 on June 8 taking the cases to 4083.
The absolute number of pregnant ladies with COVID-19 in the Union domain (UT) were 232. Of these, 79 pregnant ladies were from south Kashmir's Anantnag region. Kulgam is the second-most influenced area in the southern part of Kashmir, with almost 50 cases[3]
Facts and figures of Violations of Human Rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir
- Indian Government has a narrow definition of Armed Conflict. Therefore, there are hurdles to implement international obligations. CEDAW Committee 2007 raised serious concern related to the operations of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Indian Occupied Kashmir and asked GOI to inform them on how Security Council Resolution 1325 is being implemented and how gender perspectives are mainstreamed in military operations.
- As indicated by the ongoing National Family Health Survey, 61 % of at present married ladies in Kashmir report at least one conceptive, reproductive medical issues, which is the effect of living in a conflicted territory, contention and the lack of resilience and awareness of the health care system towards female' wellbeing are surely among the key elements.
Theoretical Framework
Hegemonic masculinity
It is a concept of Gender studies that was presented by R. W. Connell a renowned sociologist under her theory of gender order. It legitimizes men's position in the society and how can they do whatever they want and the subordinate class or the females of the society have to comply with their demands. It is culturally glorified and accepted by society for instance through social media. The theory revolves around the idea that the society is based on unequal gender relations and men in a conflict zone in order to portray their power use sexual assault and rape against the opposite gender to subordinate the most vulnerable gender of that group. The sole purpose of these acts is to dehumanize and subjugate the enemy.
In the book, “Against our will: Men, Women and Rape” by the writer and activist Susan Brownmiller, the writer contends that assault is a cognizant procedure of terrorizing by which the men in a conflict zone keep the women in a condition of dread and terror.
During a conflict or war, rape and sexual violence is much used as a methods for mental torture, threaten and to mortify the foe. Wartime sexual viciousness may happen in an assortment of circumstances, including organized sexual subjection, wartime sexual brutality related with explicit fights or killings, and individual or confined demonstrations of sexual assault. Assault can likewise be perceived as annihilation or ethnic purging when submitted with the purpose to obliterate, in entire or to a limited extent, a focused on a certain group. The book explains that sexual abuse and imbalance take various structures all through the world; and are particularly articulated where the enslavement of the women by men over the socioeconomic range is boundless.
he theory sheds light on a movement of practices that best in class the great social condition of men over women, oppressive masculinity began the presence of an overarching sort of masculinity. All men position themselves practically identical to it, and thusly mask singular implicit rules that add to its engendering. The strain to modify and relate to this ideal winning masculinity spreads this structure of sexual direction uneven levels of leadership in the general society. War assault has up to this point been a concealed component of war, which as per Human Rights Watch is connected to the to a great extent sexual orientation explicit character of war assault done by the Indian forces against the Kashmiri women. This sex explicit character has added to war assault being "barely depicted as sexual or individual in nature, a depiction that depoliticizes sexual maltreatment in strife and results in its being disregarded as an atrocity.
Protracted Social Conflict Theory
The theory helps to analyze the psychological impact of sexual violence on women in particular as this theory is conceptualized as a proceeding and continuing connections between mutual actors (in any event one of which being a non-state on-screen character) with some level of normality over broadened time frames in which the stakes under dispute are seen by all gatherings to be indistinguishably connected to essential needs where viciousness and brutality is an adequate policy instrument.
The paper has used the Edward E Azar’s theory of Protracted Social Conflict (PSC) to explain the phenomenon of extremism against the Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. According to Azar, Protracted Social Conflicts happen when certain groups are denied of fulfillment of their fundamental needs based on the identity. Be that as it may, the hardship and deprivation is the aftereffect of a complex causal chain including the role of state[4]. Hindu extremism is highly deep rooted against all the minorities especially the Muslims and talking particularly about the Muslims of Indian Occupied Kashmir who faced violence because of their marginalized position.
As regards human needs aspect, Edward Azar accepts that the most evident ontological need is individual and common physical endurance and prosperity. Individual or group survival is dependent upon the fulfillment of fundamental needs. Azar keeps on noticing that formative needs should not be thought of as the only essentially physical and neither do such neglected material needs lead straightforwardly to strife. What is vital, in any case, is how much minority groups can get to the market or political foundations or the acknowledgment of common presence. Collective acknowledgment of individual complaints (or contradictory objectives) normally prompts collective dissent. Collective dissent is generally met by some level of restraint or concealment. “Wartime rape is not about sex (it’s about power/violence)”. It contends that the specific earnestness that goes with this eradication mirrors the activities of natural differentiations among war and harmony, just as endeavors to obviously perceive violence and separate it from gender. According to this report, the innocent masses of Jammu & Kashmir are suffering through repeated torture and re-victimization[5]. Many of the incidents, go unreported due to the fear of state reprisals and social stigma, thus not wanted to engage in further issues, from which they have been escaped off.
Kashmir's women and children live in a condition of ceaseless resentment and dissatisfaction because of loss of home after the care taker of their home, a brother or father is detained or killed or he gets forcefully disappeared, loss of economic wellbeing and dehumanization (female vagrants are viewed as profoundly bothersome as marriage partner), mental issues that frequently bring about offender or brutal conduct, absence of medicinal services, 27dropercent rate of students have been dropped out from schools, 73 percent of the kids referred to destitution as the primary explanation behind this and working regularly in unsafe conditions to help their families. Women of Indian Occupied Kashmir ended up begging, doing menial work and unfortunately prostitution too.
Recommendations
- Based on 2005 Justice Jeeven Reddy report the provisions of AFSPA were recommended to be amended. In 2006 PM Manmohan Singh also desired to amend the Act.
- CEDAW needs State gatherings to build up legitimate assurance of the rights of women on an equivalent premise with men and to guarantee through courts and other open foundations the effective and powerful insurance of the women against any demonstration of any act of violence or assault against the women of Kashmir.
- The Indian government needs to incorporate the principles of CEDAW into AFSPA, not just to bring about better conditions for women, but also improve security in IOK.
- CEDAW committee recommends that, the security forces should be trained and they may use body cameras to ensure compliance of norms of conduct laid down with respect to women.
- International community should raise voice for the human rights of Kashmiris.
- Responsibility to protect R2P must be used against these barbarians by UNHRC.
- The human rights watch dog should abolish the concept of impunity, i.e. Public Safety Act and Armed Forces Special Power Act., used by Indian security forces against innocent masses of Kashmir.
- Reserving quotas for women – a particular percentage of directly elected seats to be reserved for women candidates so that their voices can be heard.
- Enhancing spaces for women within local party structures where women are not just confined to cosmetic presence but they have a say in party decisions.
- There should be interactive sessions among the Kashmiri women and counsellors to engage them in various peace building and collaborative exercises.
- Developing their own unique narrative targeting major changes in their lives & communities.
Conclusion
Pakistan is raising the Kashmir issue at all fora effectively; however much needed to be done to convince the world and UN bodies to force the Indian government to honor their commitment of resolving the Kashmir dispute as per the agreed formula. Pakistan should set up Kashmir chairs in all embassies across the globe so as to run campaign and highlight the brutalities of Indian forces and to expose the real face before the world. Moreover, seminars and conferences should be held at various World capitals so as to inform the world regarding the inhuman crimes committed by Indian forces in the occupied valley to build pressure to settle the decades-long dispute as per UN resolutions. There is also a need to engage the World leaders especially the five permanent members of the United Nation and they can play a role in resolving the issue of Kashmir.
Contentious situations consistently make dangers for the females of that region, especially with regards to sexual assault, objectification and abuse, where ladies are explicitly focused on, and in a roundabout way since strife prompts a breakdown in the structure of the family. In (IOK), ladies have been seriously influenced by the battle against Indian occupation, however they have stayed outside and have not been allowed to have dialogue and give voice to their grievances and so their particular issues and concerns are denied. Though Kashmiri ladies have become conscious focuses of the Indian security powers using rape and sexual assault as a weapon of war, they are yet to go to the front line as essential stakeholder in any International debate. There is no awareness among individuals on PTSD and other psychosocial issue, ever increasing rates and instances of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other issues related to psychiatry among the victims of the impacts of uprising and insurgencies especially are influencing females. There are Insufficient institutions to offer clinical or restorative help to the individuals experiencing PTSD or other psychosocial issue. Pakistan needs to take diplomatic measures to awaken the world conscience vis a vis atrocities in Kashmir in general and violence against women in particular The Government of Pakistan should utilize all the possible diplomatic channels to sensitize the world regarding the severe human rights violation in Kashmir in general and Violence against women in particular. To start with, the counsel generals around the globe should arrange briefings with the host state and inform and try gathering support for the vulnerable people of Kashmir. The foreign office should also brief the different diplomats in Pakistan on the gross and blatant human rights violations in Kashmir. The close and powerful allies of Pakistan can be involved to side with its position more stridently, to pressurize on India to refrain from committing atrocities in IOK. The representative of Pakistan in the International forums like UNHRC, UN General Assembly, OIC, SAARC and others may continuously gather support for Kashmiris at International forums. Pakistan can establish a political office for Indian Kashmiris in Pakistan. It can give a platform to Kashmiri political groups that would amplify the case. From a Human Rights point of view, these areas are negation to one side of life and right to opportunity of freedom. These laws are administered to suppress the voices of Kashmiris for raising their right of self-determination. It’s been forty two years, since the PSA and AFSPA is pursuing the role of a shield for Indian forces who continue to detain innocent masses of Kashmiris without any charges, which contribute to grave human rights abuses in the Indian occupied Kashmir. This law safeguards Indian forces from any legal jurisdictions and makes it easier for them to act without transparency or respect for fundamental rights. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as of late issued a report on the ongoing situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir, in which the UN has accounted these illicit subjective confinements under PSA and AFSPA. The United Nations Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures have approached India to revise the PSA to guarantee it follows its global human rights commitments. Tragically, insufficient consideration is centered on the gendered perspective of the viciousness by the Indian occupation powers in IOK. Issues of rape, sexual violence, forced prostitution, young girls conceived as a result of sexual brutality and enduring psychological trauma and vilification.
All these are the aftermath from the human rights abuses and infringement of worldwide helpful laws by the Indian state. Pakistan needs to bring these issues up at International forum managing in regard to females in struggle in a contentious region and should try to look for worldwide help for resolution of UNSC goals on Kashmir. The International organizations have been brutally quiet on Indian barbarities in IOK, particularly the utilization of assault and rape as a conscious weapon of war by Indian forces. It won’t be erroneous to say that the women of Kashmir remain the biggest victims of the unending inhumane siege by the oppressing and vicious Indian forces.
[1] Sehar, Sadaf. (Advocate High Court), in discussion with author. July 2020
[2] Malik, Mushaal Hussain. (Wife of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik and Women Rights Activist), in discussion with author. July 2020
[3] “COVID-19: Sharp Rise in Infection among Pregnant Women in Kashmir.” Down To Earth. Accessed June 30, 2020. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/covid-19-sharp-rise-in-infection-among-pregnant-women-in-kashmir-71612.
[4] Azar, E., The Management of Protracted Social Conflict: Theory & Cases, Aldershot, Dartmouth, 1990 p12
[5] “RAPE IN KASHMIR A Crime of War .” RAPE IN KASHMIR A Crime of War , n.d. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/INDIA935.PDF.
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