News Kashmir Magazine

News Kashmir Exclusive

 

Domestic violence (also domestic abuse, spousal abuse, intimate partner violence, battering or family violence) is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person in a domestic context against another, such as in marriage. Intimate partner violence is violence by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. Globally, a wife or female partner is more commonly the victim of acts of domestic violence

Domestic Violence against women has been continuously rising in Kashmir and raising its monstrous head again and again. As a matter of great misfortune, we are living in such a society today in Kashmir  where women are finding it extremely difficult  to oppose any act of violence, Subjugation and misbehavior with her. She might be educated or may be living in a village the state of affairs is the same.

The traditional patriarchal system puts women at the lowest ebb of the community, whatever be the ins and outs of the society thus acts like Domestic violence have continued unabated.

Tragic Stories Related to Domestic Violence

The facts and stories emanating about domestic violence in Kashmir are heart wrenching and startling . Just at the start of this month victim of domestic abuse Manzeela died at a local hospital. Manzeela was allegedly set ablaze by her husband who according to their neighbors would beat her ruthlessly. Another tragic story in recent days was Maroofa, who hailed from south Kashmir was admitted at a local hospital after she was allegedly set ablaze by her in laws. After battling for life for several days she died on May 15.

The ugly and gruesome incidents of domestic violence did not stop here only . A couple of weeks back one more woman from Shopian area in south Kashmir lost her life after she had set herself ablaze to escape the domestic violence at the hands of her husband.

What Does  activists think?

Nazima Parray, a writer and social activist states –“Every year J&K receives 1600 to 1700 cases related to domestic violence. While most of the cases remain unreported because of social stigma associated. 40% women are the victims of domestic violence in Kashmir.  To stop this menace society at large and every individual at small has to play a vital role. Religious knowledge should be taught at primary level to every individual especially to our males. They should know the teaching of our beloved Prophet (SAW) and moreover they should know the rights and values of women especially of their wives. In laws and other family members have to act wisely in order to solve the misunderstandings between the husband and wife.  Educational exposure is mandatory for both the families involved in this process. Moreover this relation is very sensitive and demands time, nourishment and respect to each other opinion.”

Politician Reaction

Not many politicians in our part of the world talk on domestic violence thus no headway is made on this burning issue and most of the time our politicians are not sensitive towards the serious issues like Domestic Violence. Although in a step in right direction recently ,Prominent Pro Freedom Leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had expressed serious concern over the  domestic violence incidents.“The recent cases where women were burnt alive and the death of a woman in domestic violence should be eye openers,” he had said.

Are we protesting ?

Not Enough protests and Sit ins have been witnessed with reference to burning issue of Domestic violence but the trend seems changing as few days back  in order to show concern and to protest the growing cases of domestic violence in the valley during past few weeks, a sit-in protest was held jointly by ‘Ehsaas’ and Rising Kashmir Foundation.
Pertinently, Civil society members, journalists and research scholars participated in the sit-in which was held at Pratap Park here. The members who participated include Dr Altaf Hussain, Nirja Matoo, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Shakeel Qalander, Ghazala Amin, Shazia Bakshi, Peerzada Ashiq, Inam-ul-Haq, Shameema Firdous and Muslem Jan.
The aim of sit-in was to sensitize the Society about the growing menace of domestic violence and to send a message to government also to act strictly against such acts.

Statistics

In past few months, even the Urban Police Stations have registered hundreds of cases of domestic violence showing the grim nature of the issue. Data compiled by the Jammu & Kashmir Police Crime Branch reveals that in the past two years, it has registered over 4,000 cases of crimes against women

 

 

Expert Opinion

Mushtaq Ul-Haq Ahmad Sikander, a Gender Justice Activist states – “The topic of Domestic violence is quiet dynamic in nature  .In earlier times in our part of the world and most of the other regions, men were the main earning members while women attended to household chores. This skewed economic relationship was responsible for men becoming head of the family. A wife would tolerate domestic violence and high handedness of her husband only because she would be become economically destitute or become a ‘burden’ on her parents, if she was divorced. Today, more women are educated and economically independent. They are expressing their own views and in certain cases opposing the decisions of the male head of the family. Women can no longer be driven like cattle; hence they are termed rebellious and responsible for breaking up the family. Women must sacrifice; kill their dignity and ego to save the family, as if men are not part of a family. For patriarchal Muslims women must undertake every obligation, duty and hardship but men should enjoy every right and authority.”

 

Mushtaq Adds- “On the otherhand, In our part of the world, The Dowry Deaths, Female Feticide, Domestic Violence, Rapes and Crimes against women are increasing with each passing day though we may never fail to boast that we have achieved cent percent literacy rate and more schools and colleges are being opened every day, plus the girls rolls is also increasing. So what are the reasons for this apathy? To understand the reasons a few concepts need to be delineated

The difference between education and literacy must be understood!!

The literacy that is imparted in our schools and colleges, is job oriented, where the destined goal is to secure a good job with immense perks and privileges. Hence the whole concentration of students is to secure more and more marks in a cut throat competition, and it is achieved by cramming and rote learning scores of books with a little understanding.

This superficial learning fails to transform the character of an individual; add to it the dearth of focus on moral ethics, pluralism, tolerance and lofty humane ideals; a student rarely gets transformed from a beast to a human leave aside an angel through education, which is its real aim. Hence education fails in its real purpose!!”

 

 

Way Ahead

As the number of silent sufferers of  Domestic violence goes up, it becomes increasingly difficult to track the problem. Strengthening  the Women Commission, increasing awareness in women to resist the menace of domestic violence are the some steps to be taken immediately to wipe out the menace of domestic violence.

The authorities need to act soon and book all the culprits responsible for the heinous crimes like Domestic violence.

News Kashmir Exclusive

The menace of VIP culture is a rampant phenomenon in our part of the world, it is a menacing  practice wherein some chosen few  people are given special treatment in any realm of life and others are mistreated at their cost.

As a matter of fact, the VIP culture reflects itself basically in two forms. It can be in the shape of the enjoyment of special perks and privileges by selected few . Every day we come across examples of the powerful and well-connected people in various sectors of life getting special privileges, which are denied to the common man.  Another and, perhaps, a more serious form of the VIP culture is the absence of the rule of law and as a result majority of masses suffer.  The VIP Culture also manifests itself in dangerous misuse of power by those at helm of affairs.

VIP Culture manifests its evil head eery now and then in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Somedays back, a  perfect misuse of this VIP Culture was seen when a prominent Journalist was thrashed allegedly by the guards of Senior Minister. The journalist, Javed Malik, who works for Greater Kashmir newspaper stated that he was thrashed after he objected to the guards passing lewd remarks on his wife. He accused Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura of signaling his guards to assault him.

 

 

Masses and sane voices are aghast over this demonic nature of VIP Culture.  Syed Tajamul Imran, a columnist states – “The recent episode of serious nature involving a Senior Journalist being thrashed by the  security Guards of the escort of senior State Minister is a matter of grave concern. It sums up that in VIP Rule of ours the genuine voice and rights of common citizens  would be muzzled by VIPS.  It is ironical that political parties and their leader talks incessantly of the menace of VIP culture especially at a time when they ask for votes and pledged to end it when they are out of power, but after coming into power they became very part of the same culture and impose it more harshly. VIP culture or VIP Raj is a cancer that makes the entire fabric of the society defunct and if we really envisage to see a prosperous future ahead the VIP Culture has to be ended.”

With the anger and resentment growing against profuse VIP Culture especially in the wake of this recent violence against Journalist , the media fraternity took to the streets against VIP Culture menace. Journalists working for various media houses held protest near the Press Enclave here after Javaid Malik, who works with Greater Kashmir daily, was beaten by some guards of the Agriculture Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone.

Media persons who were part of protests were holding placards that read “Solidarity with Javaid Malik”, “End VIP culture” “Suspend cops involved in assault”.

Pertinently,  Journalists were supported by independent MLA from Langate, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, members of a trade organization Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Municipal Contractors Union, J&K Contractors Central Coordination Committee, Doctors Association Kashmir led by Dr GM Mir and some separatist groups.

 

On the otherside the cavalcade following ministers, bureaucrats and other higher officials often creates chaos and commotion on our roads as they prioritize it they have to get through by hook or crook and give damn to the prescribed rules and regulations. Experts and sane voices have from time to time rightly observed that luxurious life style of ministers,  bureaucrats  and legislators has emptied treasuries in economically poor Jammu and Kashmir State  due to which a common man in JK is facing the brunt at present and this VIP Culture has worsened the Financial Crunch in our state.

While in other parts,  there are lot of movements by public going on the need to arrest the ‘laal batti’ [red beacon] culture in public governance unfortunately in the Valley of Kashmir in the name of security VIP Culture has been promoted lavishly. Another worrying facet of VIP Culture in Kashmir is that not keeping time seems to be part of our VIP culture. The more important a VIP the more late he arrives for the occasion.

VIP Culture end is deemed by majority the first major step towards ensuring an impartial and efficient system in Jammu & Kashmir state.

 

Rameez Makhdoomi

 

School as institution of Knowledge is considered an extremely important facet of any society for a huge number of positive reasons. . As almost every person has been to school up until at least a certain point of his or her life. School as a transmitter of education, wisdom and knowledge is a soul of every educated and civillised nation.

But here in Kashmir we seem to be not worried about the status of our decades old schools and let them die without any attention or care.

DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar , Kashmir bears proof to this reality as it has recently been totally made non-functional with recently last remaining some seven students given Discharge certificates and the remaining 12 to 13  teachers have even not  been paid their meager salaries since past 34 months.
Pertinently, DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Kashmir has enjoyed a rich legacy which was once one of the major and top rated educational institutes in Kashmir and was run on the name of Swami Deanna Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj – a great social reformer and visionary who revolutionized the Hindu Samaj and launched a successful campaign  against the social evils prevalent in the society including Sati and fought for remarriage of widows.
It is worth mentioning here that the first of its such  School was founded by Arya Samaj in Kashmir in 1936.The foundation of new School at Jawahar Nagar was laid by ex Principal Pt Radha Krishan Ganjoo and other leading educationists of that time in 1971. These schools were once the leading educational institutions of Kashmir in terms of academic excellence and merits.
According to school authorities, the first seeds of chaos and confusion in the functioning of the DA School , Jawahar Nagar were sown in 1984 when  Punjabi and Kashmiri Pundits trustees managing the schools developed rift and the battle was taken over to courts and it gave rise to unending legal battles between two parties and thus functioning of the school began to take a adverse  hit.

Turmoil of 1990s took its own heavy toll on the functioning of this school as the Pandit exodus had also its own  negative consequences  on the functioning  of DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar. Despite all odds  the local kashmiri teachers out of their exemplary work and dedication kept the school abuzz and in functioning  .Amidst all this the trustees continued their legal battle and at one stage teachers were not paid for years together their salaries as a result according to teachers of school once via court direction a fixed deposit of school earnings was broken to pay teachers their salaries.
Importantly, according to teachers of DAV School Jawahar Nagar out of the three schools of the DAV Chain   one was sold to a corporate house at price of crores and teachers were kept unaware about sale at that time as the trustees joined hands for money. While the other school is also nonfunctional.

Recently, few months back  the historical  DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar was also closed  by Ganjoo family trust managing the school citing financial problems and lack of government support.
According to teachers of  the now defunct school greed, selfish nature of Ganjoo Family Trust, Mutual rivalries between trustees coupled with government carelessness and indifference have lead to death of historical DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar.

Teaches who have given decades of services to this once renowned school are feeling disheartened.  Teachers like Masooda and Shahida who have served in school for over 30 years, for them  the nonpayment of salaries since 34 months and virtual death of DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar implies both financial and emotional trauma.
According to school teachers and other authorities of school, despite DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar  once being the prominent school of Kashmir and also known for many decades in promoting academic excellence and producing noted personalities like Doctor Sameer Kaul, Ali Mohmmmad Sagar and scores of officers has been left to die without any attention.
Shagfuta Haqani, Principal DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar speaking to News Kashmir states – “ It pains me and all concerned voices to see DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, a prominent learning center dying on account of  the selfish nature of trust managing DAV School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar and no thoughtful attitude shown by the governments from time to time . We on war foot basis demand from policymakers and authorities  and above all the government of time to save this great school from being sold to corporate houses. We have not been paid salaries since 34 months adding to our miseries . We should not let this great institution die like this .We have lot of hopes atleast from the New Government to take much needed steps to save the DAV School from destruction.”

Death of DAV School, Jawahar Nagar Srinagar , Kashmir is a matter of grave concern for all to ponder in a serious way.