What started as a monthly exercise to mark their protest against forced disappearances of their loved ones, has now become a stress buster for families of victims. Syed Asma attends one such protest to understand the bonding that has evolved among victims’ families by sharing their stories.
Shazia is the lone nine years old face seen among the protestors in the park. Her father, Syed Anwar Shah, a resident of Kupwara, is missing for a decade. Shazia along with her mother, Naseema, 33, is part of the monthly protest that the Association of Parents of Disappeared People (APDP) organizes at Lal Chowk. The duo is joined by other families whose loved ones are missing since decades.
Every month the families of disappeared people gather in the Pratap Park and people from across the Valley can be seen registering their protest. The park, located in the heart of the city centre, is decorated with fountains in the middle and few Chinar trees stand in the corner to provide shade during hot summer days.
In this hustle-bustle, in a corner under the shade of a huge Chinar tree, are sitting in a circle the families of disappeared people. They are holding photographs of their loved ones many of whom are missing since 1989. Posters reading ‘missing’, ‘lapatta’, ‘where are our loved ones?’ are placed in front of each one of them.
Even today the park is filled with people but none is paying any attention to this group in the park. It is only a few policemen who standing at a distance are keeping a vigil at them and a few journalist and photographers who are looking for their own stories.
After a while when families gather and the media starts covering the event, a few policemen walk towards the group and greet Parveena Ahanger, the founder and Chairman of APDP. Parveena in turn enquires if they [policemen] are interested to join the sit-in protest. The policemen laugh and ask, “You were not in the park last month. Was all good?”
“We have not missed a single protest from past 8 years. I suppose you were on leave last month. Get your facts right or you can ask your colleagues who were keeping an eye on us,” replies Parveena.
Not paying much attention to the policemen she proceeds. With a worried look on her face she starts asking about Naseema and Shazia.
Shazia, who is good in academics, is not attending her school regularly, her teachers complain, and this worries Parveena.
“Has Naseema come today? I had to talk to her,” asks Parveena. Finally catching hold of the duo, Parveena, interacts with them for a while and shouts, “Can someone make this woman understand the importance of going to school and getting educated.”
Naseema says she too wants Shazia to study but not at the cost of her health. Shazia is a sensitive and a physically weak girl. In the last month she fainted many times in her class, her teachers had told Naseema.
Naseema believes that the absence of a father and miserable behavior of her [Naseema’s] in-laws is affecting Shazia psychologically and is thus affecting her health and studies both.
Shazia is presently living at Fateh kadal, Srinagar with her mother, uncle and grandmother. Naseema, a helpless half widow, is living with her in-laws as she has nowhere else to go. A lone child of her parents, she was orphaned at a very young age. Besides, she is not financially independent so cannot take care of herself and her daughter. She has to be dependent on her brother-in-law, the bread-winner, who is working as a vendor.
“You should make her study more. Make her strong enough to attend her school at least!” suggests Shamima to Naseema. Shamima is another half-widow who is living with her two children, a son and a daughter, in a house in Bemina.
“You as a mother should try to convince her [Shazia] that her studies can help you both get independent which can help you to get rid of your unfair in-laws,” Shamima adds.
Interacting with Shamima and other women in the group Naseema finally agrees to re-register her daughter in the school.
