Women in Conflict Resolution: The Road Ahead in Kashmir

31 Dec, 2001    ·   671

Sumona Das Gupta and Ashima Kaul Bhatia say it is time to identify the space for women in the reconstruction of civil society
Since the outbreak of violent conflict in Kashmir , the women’s movement has undergone many twists and turns. Adapting to its changing character, the women of Kashmir have carved out their own place and have in many cases risen above the victimhood discourse, seeking their own ways of negotiating and coming to terms with the violence that has scarred their lives for more than a decade. 

 

 

In the ultimate analysis the women of Kashmir have had to bear the end of the violence that has wracked the valley. It is they who as widows, half widows, rape victims, victims of religious dictates, and victims of displacement have to ensure that the pattern of life continues as normally as possible even when the times are abnormal. It is they who had to come to terms with violence from the guns of the militants or the security forces. It is the women who have had to provide solace to the household following the loss of a son, husband or brother in the crossfire apart from shouldering the additional responsibilities placed on them consequent to the loss. Shouldering these additional responsibilities has empowered them by compelling them to come out of the traditional confines of their perceived place in a male dominated society – but the price for this empowerment, is heavy and laden with tragedy. 

 

 

There has been an ominous silence when it comes to articulation of women’s concerns in the midst of this exploding violence. Two reasons can be discerned for this. One, positing a question related to conflict resolution in terms of gender often helps to cut through political differences. Two, women’s experiences of operating under multiple pressures and moving in and out of their multiple identities – as daughters, wives, mothers, peacemakers, and in many cases bread winners, probably places them at an advantage when it comes to conflict resolution and peace-building - a fact acknowledged in brainstorming sessions with a core group of Kashmiri women.

 

 

In the light of this scenario how can we chart the road ahead to sustainable peace? First by sensitizing those affected and those concerned about the Kashmir situation to the trauma, indignity and pain of the people of Kashmir in the last 11-12 years of violence that cuts across communal lines and has left its imprint on the psyche of the majority and the minority community, in different ways. Harrowing first hand testimonies of human rights abuses by the security forces are fused with equally horrifying accounts of militant abuses. Narratives of the agonies and indignities suffered by the Kashmiri Muslim population are interspersed with narratives of a traumatized community of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. These realities do not negate each other. They coexist. The road to conflict resolution requires that no one narrative is privileged over the other due to a vested political interest. A holistic, non sectarian approach must be adopted. 

 

 

Second, we need to acknowledge that by definition, sustainable peace cannot be gender blind.  There is no indication that there would be any attempt to include women’s voices in the peace process although it is clear that women’s different experiences can lead to an alternative formulation of peace. This is a lacuna that must be addressed. There is an urgent need to listen to the voices of women of Kashmir directly but ensure that there is a non sectarian inclusive representation of women who can cut across the political, religious and regional divide in the peace process. 

 

 

A two pronged strategy is necessary. Economic reconstruction and rebuilding which would entail not just pumping in money but, ensuring that it reaches the people for whom it was meant.  Due to their control over resources the government of India and the state government would have to take primary responsibility for this though civil society would have a role to play. The other dimension would be reconciliation and dialogue- both between the different communities within Kashmir and Kashmir with the rest of India . The Indian government can help rebuild this trust only if it allows a transparent democratic process to operate in the state. Civil society both within Kashmir and the rest of India specially women’s groups also have a vital role to play in this process of economic and social peacebuilding. It is the appropriate time now to reflect upon and identify the space for women in the reconstruction of civil society, establish the constituencies for peace in the valley and reinforce them where they exist. 

 

 

 

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