Abdul Latif Sheikh , missing TeacherTheir husbands have simply disappeared. But with no proof that the men are dead, the government says it can’t do much. Eff Ahmed writes about another case in the twilight zone of Jammu and Kashmir’s half-widows.
Her son want to become a doctor and one of the two daughters want to join the field of education, as that of her deceased father. But tired and frail Shada Begum, in her mid fourtees, is not sure if she can fulfill the dream of her children.
Shada is a strange case. She is married, but without a husband. Neither divorced, nor a widow, she is one of many ‘half-widows’ – women whose husbands have gone missing, and no one knows where they are. In essence, the married Shada has become a single parent – and there is little she can do to change her fortune. She is the only support for her children and a son like figure for her aged father-in-law.
Shada can neither re-marry nor claim any compensation, for no one is sure if her husband is dead. She is living in a twilight zone, waiting for the moment her husband, Abdul Latif son of Raja-ulah sheikh of Cherhar, Kishtwar, a government teacher, comes walking back in through the door. Yet with every passing day, her hope of seeing Mehraj fades a little more. In the surreal world that exists in the Jammu and Kashmir, she lives on without looking back. For here she is one of many.
A resident of Cherahar, just few kilometers away from Kishtwar, Latief was picked up by the army from his house about eight years back and he never returned back. This followed several commissions and enquiries and some of them even recommended compensation to the victim family. However, like many other cases government is unmoved forcing the family to run from pillar to post to get the pensionery benefits of the deceased.
Recalling the fateful evening January 7, 1999, Shada says, “At about 11:30 PM a group of men in uniform entered our house and forcibly lifted my husband on the assurances that he would be sent back in the morning”.
“However, the next day army categorically refused to have lifted my husband to my utter surprise”, she said adding, “This followed protest demonstrations forcing the authorities to hold and enquiry”.
District magistrate Doda authorized Shalinder Kumar, the then SDM Bhaderwah vide order no. 1272-73/DM/Doda/99 to hold enquiry into the causes and circumstances, which led to the disappearance of Abdul Latif
After examining about seventeen witnesses, the enquiry commission concluded that the Latief was “lifted by some security men in a security vehicle on the fateful day located in this district/area and none else”
Based on the enquiry report the wife of the disappeared government teacher approached Jammu and Kashmir Human Right Commission and filed a complaint on 13-06-2003.
The commission observed, I have considered the compliant and the report of the concerned authorities and come to the conclusion that the missing person (teacher) was neither himself a militant nor had any link with any militant outfit”.
“Whereabouts of the missing person are not known for the last 5 yeatrs and the police has also closed the investigation of the case as untraced in view of these circumstances it is presumed that the missing person is no more existing and in provision of govt. order no 723 of GR (GAD) of 1990 dt 10-7-1990 read with govt order no. 1073-GR of 1990 missing person are entitled to get ex gratia relief as well as benefit under the provisions of SRO 43. I disposed of this case with the recommendations that two lacs instead of one lac may be sanctioned besides eligible member of family may be given employment in govt services under SRO 43”. Despite finding and recommendations, this half widow of Kishtwar is still awaiting justice at the hand of the government authorities. “I do not known when they (authorities) will wake up from their deep slumber and mitigate our sufferings”, Shada says, with hope clearly visible in her eyes.
Her son want to become a doctor and one of the two daughters want to join the field of education, as that of her deceased father. But tired and frail Shada Begum, in her mid fourtees, is not sure if she can fulfill the dream of her children.
Shada is a strange case. She is married, but without a husband. Neither divorced, nor a widow, she is one of many ‘half-widows’ – women whose husbands have gone missing, and no one knows where they are. In essence, the married Shada has become a single parent – and there is little she can do to change her fortune. She is the only support for her children and a son like figure for her aged father-in-law.
Shada can neither re-marry nor claim any compensation, for no one is sure if her husband is dead. She is living in a twilight zone, waiting for the moment her husband, Abdul Latif son of Raja-ulah sheikh of Cherhar, Kishtwar, a government teacher, comes walking back in through the door. Yet with every passing day, her hope of seeing Mehraj fades a little more. In the surreal world that exists in the Jammu and Kashmir, she lives on without looking back. For here she is one of many.
A resident of Cherahar, just few kilometers away from Kishtwar, Latief was picked up by the army from his house about eight years back and he never returned back. This followed several commissions and enquiries and some of them even recommended compensation to the victim family. However, like many other cases government is unmoved forcing the family to run from pillar to post to get the pensionery benefits of the deceased.
Recalling the fateful evening January 7, 1999, Shada says, “At about 11:30 PM a group of men in uniform entered our house and forcibly lifted my husband on the assurances that he would be sent back in the morning”.
“However, the next day army categorically refused to have lifted my husband to my utter surprise”, she said adding, “This followed protest demonstrations forcing the authorities to hold and enquiry”.
District magistrate Doda authorized Shalinder Kumar, the then SDM Bhaderwah vide order no. 1272-73/DM/Doda/99 to hold enquiry into the causes and circumstances, which led to the disappearance of Abdul Latif
After examining about seventeen witnesses, the enquiry commission concluded that the Latief was “lifted by some security men in a security vehicle on the fateful day located in this district/area and none else”
Based on the enquiry report the wife of the disappeared government teacher approached Jammu and Kashmir Human Right Commission and filed a complaint on 13-06-2003.
The commission observed, I have considered the compliant and the report of the concerned authorities and come to the conclusion that the missing person (teacher) was neither himself a militant nor had any link with any militant outfit”.
“Whereabouts of the missing person are not known for the last 5 yeatrs and the police has also closed the investigation of the case as untraced in view of these circumstances it is presumed that the missing person is no more existing and in provision of govt. order no 723 of GR (GAD) of 1990 dt 10-7-1990 read with govt order no. 1073-GR of 1990 missing person are entitled to get ex gratia relief as well as benefit under the provisions of SRO 43. I disposed of this case with the recommendations that two lacs instead of one lac may be sanctioned besides eligible member of family may be given employment in govt services under SRO 43”. Despite finding and recommendations, this half widow of Kishtwar is still awaiting justice at the hand of the government authorities. “I do not known when they (authorities) will wake up from their deep slumber and mitigate our sufferings”, Shada says, with hope clearly visible in her eyes.
