The Ties That Bind

Rajeshwari, 30, has been known as Tabish since 2006 when she married Bilal Ahmad, a Kashmiri Muslim. Tabish has an MBA from London’s top school—but today she is a homemaker, trying hard to adjust to Kashmiri culture.

Tabish is originally from Kolkata. She and Bilal were pursuing their Bachelors’ degree in a Bangalore college when they met for the first time. Tabish was studying Journalism and Bilal, Business Administration.They were conscious of their religious restrictions, and so decided to separate for the sake of their families. Tabish says, “After completing my graduation, I went for further studies to London, so that I could come out of my past. But destiny had something else stored for me. Bilal started contacting me again and so our relationship started again.”

After coming back from London, Tabish decided to go against her family’s wishes, and marry Bilal. She came to Kashmir with the hope that her family would forgive her once she is married, as she is her parent’s only daughter. Tabish converted to Islam and married Bilal according to Islamic Sharia on the same day of her conversion. She is now a mother of two, a girl and a baby boy.

Now a practicing Muslim, Tabish says she has become so immersed in Kashmiri culture, that she sometimes forgets she was an outsider. But there are times when she feels her life could have been better, had she settled somewhere in India. She says, “I never imagined my destiny would lead me to such a naturally beautiful place that is unfortunately in so many disputes. Youngsters don’t have any opportunity to prove themselves, and neither do I. I have my Masters’ degree from London, but I am still sitting at home, since there are no good opportunities here, and my husband doesn’t want me to work for just 5000 or 8000 bucks.” more

Shrouded in Silence

Shameema (name changed), 47,a home maker, living in a single story house with her two daughters (22, 19) and a son (18), prefers to remain indoors.The house in Bag-e-Mehtab was gifted to Shameema by her mother. Her husband, Mushtaq Ahmad Shahis a driver. He rarely comes to stay with his family, and when he does, he beats his wife during the late night hours, either for the high expenses, or most of the time, for no particular reason at all.

After hearing their battered mother’s cries, the three children come to save their scared mother.Every day they step out of their house, they feel awkward, fearing that the neighbors have heard their mother’s cries at night. When their father is away, they try to live a relaxed and peaceful life, but when he is home—they are constantly awake, so they can be awake at night for helping their mother in case their father hits her again.

Just a few months ago, Mushtaq got into an argument with his supervising officer, and in return, he was fired from his job. When he was still employed, he would avoid coming home for six months—saying he had night duty. And for the six other months, he would be in Jammu with the Durbar move. But now,he is home and beats his wife all thetime. “He says these children are not his children. He beats me because I pray regularly and visit Shrines.He feels I go to peers and fakirs to harm him,” says Shameema woefully while showing the marks her husband left on her body a day before after trying to strangle her. more

Learning To Relax

Sitting on a sea of blue and green exercise mats, a row of young and middle-aged women listen intently to their instructor, chant the name of God, and carefully release their breath.

“Allllaaaaaaaaah, breathe out and open your eyes,” Sumaira, a yoga instructor, utters calmly at the end of a meditation session.Sumaira’s yoga and meditation exercises are one amongst an increasing number of such classes that are being taught in Kashmir, and those who practice these say they have been helped significantly.

Anjum, 35, mother of two, would go to a gym regularly, as suggested by her doctor. She was a bit overweight before she started her gym routine, and after hours of workouts for the past year, she lost 4 kgs. However, she would come back home feeling drained. She now attends yoga classes in Kashmir, and feels more relaxed and rejuvenated. When she comes home, she says she is able to resume her usual routine. “That’s something which wasn’t possible after my exhausting sessions at the gym,” she says.

Anjum was distressed about her back pain, leg pain, irregular monthly cycles and hypertension. She happened to chance upon information regarding yoga classes in Barbarsha hand joined in the first week of September. She has been going regularly since. “I can’t tell you how relaxed I feel,” says Anjum. “I feel like all my problems have disappeared. My blood pressure is under control, and I don’t even take any medication now,” she says blissfully. more

Ladishah, Ladishah

Ladishah, the art of embedded satire in songs pleasing the kashmiri ear since eighteenth century now faces extinction. The peculiar rhythm coupled with situational sarcastic lyrics can still be remembered by many.

Dressed in a pheran, white trousers and a white turban, Ladishah would arrive with his musical instrument and play the melodious musical notes and sing satire. Ladishah, the author himself communicates a particular message about the cultural, social and political vandalism. There are no metaphors in Ladishah, it is in the simple local language.

Ladishah is a type of folk literary genre. It is by a particular author and the same author narrates it. Other folk genres are collective work of various people. He would sing against the atrocities of the rulers to show his resentment. Ladishah was the classical character of Kashmiri literature and a believer of constructive criticism.

Some historians believe Ladishah is not an independent genre but Dr Farooq Fayaz, an associate professor in History department, University of Kashmir and the author of a book ‘Kashmir Folklore’, treats it is an independent genre and says that the name Ladishah is given after its creator who was from a village Lari of district Pulwama, South Kashmir. The creator was from this village and from shah dynasty so he was recognized as shah of Lari village so finally this genre got the name of Ladishah. more

Breaking Stereotypes

The first match was against a team from Delhi, and all odds were stacked against the team from Kashmir. “Girls from Kashmir were not even supposed to be playing the game,” says Soliha Yousuf, the captain of the girl’s rugby team from Kashmir.

That they had reached Pune to play in the ‘All India Senior Girls Tournament’ held in August, was a big achievement for them. Most of the players in the team aged between 14-16 years of age had started out playing rugby just to “chill out”, but soon fell in love with the game.

At home, the team did not even have a permanent rugby playground to practice on, but they made sure that whenever they got free time, they put it into the game.

“Sportsperson’s life is practice but here in Kashmir, our rugby team has only Sunday’s for practice and for that day also we first have to seek permission. We have to play in field meant for other sports, since we have no other choice.” says Dhuha Qazi, a player.

But all this was not visible in the game against Delhi Lions-a Delhi based team, who were taken by surprise completely. “When we play, we play for pride, and give it our best try. When we went into the game against Delhi, we forgot everything else and gave it our best try,” says Soliha.

The team won against the much fancied team from Delhi, and went on to win two more games, against “much trained” opposition. “The win against Delhi boosted our confidence, and we did not look back,” adds Soliha.

The team qualified for the finals against Bangalore. The match was progressing well and both the teams were equally poised. But as ill luck would have it, two players from the Kashmir team got injured and Bangalore had a narrow win. “I think we would have won, if there would have been no injuries,” says Bisma, a player. “But even reaching up to the final was a big achievement for us,” she adds. more

'Framed' by Paying Guest

WasimAkram Malik, a medical student believed to be the ‘mastermind’ behind the Delhi court blast on September 7 was actually handed over to NIA (National Investigation Agency) by his parents.The NIA had sent a letter to Wasim’s family on October 2, stating that the investigation agency wanted to question the boy.

Wasim, a resident of the Kishtiwar, was called by his father to reach New Delhi as soon as possible. He is pursuing his final year of MBBS from JalalabadRagibRabeya Medical College and Hospital at Sylhet near Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Wasim had reportedly called the NIA officials himself and provided them with his flight itinerary information. On October 4th, he reached the Delhi airport, where NIA officials and his parents were already present.

“NIA officials told me they will take Wasim for some time, as they have to question him about the Delhi blast. I didn’t have any objection as I was aware my son is innocent and they will release him after questioning,” says his father, ReyazUl Hassan, an employee of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC). “Theyhave made my son a scapegoat. If he had actually been involved, then he would have never come back for answering their questions.”

Wasim’s family says they were shocked to hear claims telecast on TV channels that Wasim was arrested from the Indo- Bangla border. Wasim’s parents deny all allegation against their son and say, “We have bank records (ATM) which prove he has made transactionsfor shopping on September 7thfrom Jammu. He was charge sheeted by the Jammu Traffic Police for driving without helmet on September 8th. Moreover, there are CCTVs in all those malls from where he did his shopping. Why don’t these investigative agencies check that CCTV footage that can prove his presence in Jammu?”

Wasim was reported to police byAzhar Ali, who is presently lodged in Kotbalwal Jail in Jammu. Ali, a resident ofPaadar, Kishtiwar is allegedly the ‘underground worker ofHizbulMujahideen’ and has been in jail since 2009. But family members say Ali was their paying guest for 5 or 6 months in 2010. AzharbefriendedJunaidAkram, Wasim’s younger brother who was studying in 10th at the time.

But on November 8, 2010, Ali kidnapped Junaidfor ransom. The family members themselves got the call details of Junaid, traced Ali and lodged an FIR (no. 242/2010) in the concerned Police station of Kishtiwar. The family believes Ali had falsely dragged Waseem’s name in the Delhi blast case to settle personal scores.

Wasim has also been questioned about Junaid Malik, his younger brother, who is alleged to be ‘a HizbulMujahideen commander’ and is believed to be one of the key conspirators in the Delhi blast. But their mother Shameemasays, “Junaidwas born in 1995. When he was kidnapped, he had just finished his class 10th examination and had gone to attend a relative’s wedding. I have a copy of the FIR from when my son Junaid was kidnapped.more

The Young and The Restless

Muzaffar Ahmad Mir, 18, has been bedridden for the past year. The most he can do by himself is blink—to make any other physical motion is just too difficult. He is one among the 4000 youth who were injured during last summer’s unrest. A bullet pierced through his chest, damaged his spinal cord and leaft him paralyzed.

Muzaffar cannot move his legs nor can he stand on his own. He needs four people to change his position in bed. He’s just a teenager, but even his simple desire to go out in an open space on his own is a luxury now. “When he wants to go out in the garden, it takes ten people to fulfill his desire because we have to lift him along with the mattress he is on,” says his mother Sara.

After undergoig an operation on his damaged spinal cord, Muzaffar had to spend six months in the hospital. Most of the body parts of this young man are wrapped in bandages because he of the severe bed sores he developed over the course of this year.

“His wounds are so bad right now that there is constantly a transparent liquid that oozes out from them,” says Sara. “He has lost his appetite. It has been one and a half months since he had any solid food.”

According to doctors, a bed sore or an ulcer is the degeneration of parts of body tissues developing in a patient due to a prolonged bedridden state. more