After being ignored for over 3 decades, Kashmiri women are speaking out about the sexual abuse they have experienced at the hands of Kashmiri militants.
A report published by The Diplomat details the harrowing tale of these victims, who were sexually abused by the Islamic terrorists in the valley. “Even as the world takes cognizance of rapes and abuse by Islamic State militants, little has been spoken about similar crimes committed by jihadists in Kashmir in the name of holy war,” mentioned the report.
According to The Diplomat, data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau shows that the number of cases of violence against women in Jammu and Kashmir increased by 11 percent in 2020, from 3,069 in 2019 to 3,414 the next year – even while the national rate fell by 8.3 percent during the same period.
In 2020, 1,744 cases of “assault on women with the intent to violate her modesty,” as well as 243 cases of rape, were reported.
“Given the low reporting rate and the shroud of violent shame and social boycott that accompanies rape – especially in a society as conservative and patriarchal as Kashmir – the real numbers are likely to be significantly higher,” wrote The Diplomat.
Beyond the numbers, the striking similarity of the militants’ modus operandi stood out in the narratives.
Like all guerrillas worldwide, Kashmiri militants sought shelter and food from locals. But soon after, their demands flowed to the satiation of other carnal needs.
Here are the accounts of a few women who describe how they were subjected to prolonged harassment by Islamist terrorists. (To keep their identities hidden, their names have been changed.)
Afroza from Baramulla
Afroza stated that like the militants anywhere else, they also sought food from the locals. “First they came asking for food and shelter, then they demanded this and that,” said Afroza. “We gave them the best we could arrange but over time, they started to come frequently,” she added.
She said that when they started offering them food, they made it a habit to come and ask for everything. Later on, they came and occupied one of the rooms in their house. “In our tiny home, we only had two rooms, and they took over one of them. We ladies were confined to the kitchen for the whole day,” she said.
Bismah from Kupwara
Bismah recalled the night when her husband, a driver, was assassinated on suspicion of being an informant. “They took me forcibly just after he was killed. I was abused in every manner conceivable…Torture and humiliation on an unimaginable scale,” she said.
“The murder of my husband wasn’t enough revenge,” she remarked. ” Neither was the first gang rape. “My torment went on for years after that. The nightmare that began when I was 18 lasted until I was 27,” she added. “Injustice… Plain Injustice… Only Allah knows how much I have suffered… Suffered in every way possible,” she remarked, her eyes welling up with tears.
The Diplomat wrote, given the polarized debate around Kashmir, acknowledging the crimes of one side can very easily be misconstrued as batting for the other side. This sentiment is evident from the positions taken and abdicated by academics and activists alike.
For example, take a 2006 Human Rights Watch report on rape in Kashmir, shared by the organization’s South Asia director, Meenakshi Ganguly. The report acknowledges that abuses have been committed by state forces and militants alike, but there is no data on the latter.
“While in areas of armed conflict, sexual violence can often occur, survivors can choose not to report such crimes,” Ganguly added further. “A key need in Kashmir is to create a strong health infrastructure including psychosocial support so that people can receive the help that they need in spaces they can trust.”
On being asked specifically about this bias in the data, she said, “When we were conducting the research for this report, we did not receive complaints of rape by militants.”
“Who would I report to?” Chasfeeda from Uri said.
A group of militants that often visited their village sent her husband away under the ruse of some work that needed to be done.
“They parked themselves in our house and refused to leave. Feed us, they said, and ate every morsel of what I had at home. But even after eating, they refused to leave. Then they forced themselves on me and raped me.”
“I don’t know which group they belonged to or what their politics was. But whatever morality and piety they preach is bogus. Just to mislead people. Only Allah knows what evil truly lies in their hearts.”
“So many of them raped me so many times… I’ve lost count. In the darkness, I couldn’t even tell whether it was four or eight people at a time. They ate away at me until all my flesh was picked off clean, and I was left bone dry as I am now.”
To read the full article go to: https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/rape-and-silence-in-kashmirs-jihad/
