300 women raped in Valley in 2012
SRINAGAR; 15, May 2013: Incidents of rape are on rise in the Valley, as nearly 300 cases occurred in last year alone, an official study has revealed.
“In 2010, the number of rapes in the Kashmir Valley was recorded at 243, which jumped to 273 in 2011 and 299 in 2012,” Prof Parveen Pandith, Director Women Studies Centre (WSC) at Government College of Education said Wednesday quoting her study.
“Similarly, the number of molestations was recorded 1035 in 2010 which jumped to 1194 in 2011. The number, however, came down to 1059 in 2012,” she said.
“The number of kidnappings was recorded at 350 in 2010, which jumped to a whopping 1041 in 2011 and 1059 in 2012,” she said. “Only in Srinagar alone, 1089 incidents of crimes against women were committed in 2012.”
Prof Parveen said that other crimes against women like gender discrimination, female foeticide, eve-teasing, etc have also significantly spiked in the recent years “mainly due to the apathy of the government and society to address the menaces.”
She said that majority of women do not come forward due to social stigma attached to these crimes, “otherwise actual figures would be much higher.”
“It’s absolutely rubbish that it is the provocative clothing by women that are responsible for the crimes against them. On the contrary, it is because women are being presented as commodity, and society as well as government has failed to change this mindset,” Prof Parveen said while speaking at a seminar here on ‘Crimes against women’ organized by an apolitical NGO Shama Foundation.
In his address, Justice (retd) Bashir Ahmed Kirmani spoke extensively on the causes and effects of the crimes against women in Kashmir. He said that the root cause of the problem is that the contemporary woman “has a tremendous urge for gaining prominence. If women are being presented as commodity that is because they are allowing that to happen in the first place.”
Justice Kirmani said that the close-knit communities in the Valley have undergone tremendous changes over the last five decades, and more prominently in the past twenty years.
“In our times we had joint families, and the upbringing would be diverse and enriching, but today families are disintegrating. They are moving to the city outskirts and these areas are absolutely detached from the kinship that is prevalent in both city and rural areas. And in my career, the maximum cases of crimes against women would come from the city outskirts,” Justice Kirmani said.
“In my 19 years experience as a trial judge, if women would have been given the absolute right to divorce, then almost 90% of Kashmiri women would have happily divorced their husbands,” Justice Kirmani said.
On rising sexual violence against the women, Justice Kirmani said that almost in 80% of sexual assault cases, the perpetrator turns out to be a relative. He said those perpetrators who commit sexual assaults against minors should be treated at par with rabid dogs. “Treating them as criminals would be a standing ovation for them,” he said.
Hitting out at the government for failing people, Justice Kirmani said the government and the “torchbearers of freedom” are only busy juggling figures as to how many people have died in the last twenty years.
“Government says 40,000 people have died, Hurriyat says 80,000 people have died. But let me tell you, as per my own assessment, not less than 150,000 people have died in the bloody conflict,” Justice Kirmani said.
“Of these, 70,000-80,000 people who died did not even receive proper shroud and burial, while as 10,000-15,000 have disappeared. And such a colossal tragedy has not even shaken the conscience of Kashmiris yet.”
This unfortunate generation, Justice Kirmani said, has not even seen the semblance of normalcy; they have never had any proper discipline, guidance and education during the bloody conflict. “This is an unfortunate generation and we cannot blame them, otherwise such things were never present in our times.”
“Such an atmosphere has been a breeding ground for number of evil activities. I can tell you that in the Srinagar district alone there are at least 50 prostitution rings,” Justice Kirmani said.
“Law has its limitation, and unless women get the respect which they deserve, crimes against them cannot be stopped. But educating yourself, your friends, family, colleagues and community about women rights and laws that protect them can play a vital role,” Justice Kirmani said.
He said that Islam gives women equal rights and there should be no discrimination on the basis of sex or religion. The state is responsible for protecting the mother and the child and ensure human rights, as violence and domestic violence against women are no longer private matters, he said.
“If government can launch door-to-door campaigns to eradicate polio, why not similar campaigns to address issues of crimes against women? But they apparently have set different goals for themselves,” Justice Kirmani said.
Patron of the Foundation, Ghulam Nabi Shaida, also blamed government for the rising crimes against women, saying that by allowing “atrocious businesses” of alcohol traders to flourish in the Valley, government has ensured that crimes against women continue.
“Their (government) ill logic is that granting licenses to liquor dealers will generate revenue; then by that logic they should also grant licences to brown sugar and opium dealers. This menace directly or indirectly is responsible for the growing crimes against the women,” Shaida said.
“Even in government gatherings and parties, booze is being consumed by babus brazenly,” Shaida said. “And if you continue to grant licenses’ to them, then crimes against women are unlikely to come down.”
Shaida also hit out at media for presenting women as a “commodity in the form of obscene advertisements.”
The seminar was held in collaboration with Shama Foundation. A 20-minute film highlighting the role of the NGO in helping the destitute women was also screened in the seminar.
“In 2010, the number of rapes in the Kashmir Valley was recorded at 243, which jumped to 273 in 2011 and 299 in 2012,” Prof Parveen Pandith, Director Women Studies Centre (WSC) at Government College of Education said Wednesday quoting her study.
“Similarly, the number of molestations was recorded 1035 in 2010 which jumped to 1194 in 2011. The number, however, came down to 1059 in 2012,” she said.
“The number of kidnappings was recorded at 350 in 2010, which jumped to a whopping 1041 in 2011 and 1059 in 2012,” she said. “Only in Srinagar alone, 1089 incidents of crimes against women were committed in 2012.”
Prof Parveen said that other crimes against women like gender discrimination, female foeticide, eve-teasing, etc have also significantly spiked in the recent years “mainly due to the apathy of the government and society to address the menaces.”
She said that majority of women do not come forward due to social stigma attached to these crimes, “otherwise actual figures would be much higher.”
“It’s absolutely rubbish that it is the provocative clothing by women that are responsible for the crimes against them. On the contrary, it is because women are being presented as commodity, and society as well as government has failed to change this mindset,” Prof Parveen said while speaking at a seminar here on ‘Crimes against women’ organized by an apolitical NGO Shama Foundation.
In his address, Justice (retd) Bashir Ahmed Kirmani spoke extensively on the causes and effects of the crimes against women in Kashmir. He said that the root cause of the problem is that the contemporary woman “has a tremendous urge for gaining prominence. If women are being presented as commodity that is because they are allowing that to happen in the first place.”
Justice Kirmani said that the close-knit communities in the Valley have undergone tremendous changes over the last five decades, and more prominently in the past twenty years.
“In our times we had joint families, and the upbringing would be diverse and enriching, but today families are disintegrating. They are moving to the city outskirts and these areas are absolutely detached from the kinship that is prevalent in both city and rural areas. And in my career, the maximum cases of crimes against women would come from the city outskirts,” Justice Kirmani said.
“In my 19 years experience as a trial judge, if women would have been given the absolute right to divorce, then almost 90% of Kashmiri women would have happily divorced their husbands,” Justice Kirmani said.
On rising sexual violence against the women, Justice Kirmani said that almost in 80% of sexual assault cases, the perpetrator turns out to be a relative. He said those perpetrators who commit sexual assaults against minors should be treated at par with rabid dogs. “Treating them as criminals would be a standing ovation for them,” he said.
Hitting out at the government for failing people, Justice Kirmani said the government and the “torchbearers of freedom” are only busy juggling figures as to how many people have died in the last twenty years.
“Government says 40,000 people have died, Hurriyat says 80,000 people have died. But let me tell you, as per my own assessment, not less than 150,000 people have died in the bloody conflict,” Justice Kirmani said.
“Of these, 70,000-80,000 people who died did not even receive proper shroud and burial, while as 10,000-15,000 have disappeared. And such a colossal tragedy has not even shaken the conscience of Kashmiris yet.”
This unfortunate generation, Justice Kirmani said, has not even seen the semblance of normalcy; they have never had any proper discipline, guidance and education during the bloody conflict. “This is an unfortunate generation and we cannot blame them, otherwise such things were never present in our times.”
“Such an atmosphere has been a breeding ground for number of evil activities. I can tell you that in the Srinagar district alone there are at least 50 prostitution rings,” Justice Kirmani said.
“Law has its limitation, and unless women get the respect which they deserve, crimes against them cannot be stopped. But educating yourself, your friends, family, colleagues and community about women rights and laws that protect them can play a vital role,” Justice Kirmani said.
He said that Islam gives women equal rights and there should be no discrimination on the basis of sex or religion. The state is responsible for protecting the mother and the child and ensure human rights, as violence and domestic violence against women are no longer private matters, he said.
“If government can launch door-to-door campaigns to eradicate polio, why not similar campaigns to address issues of crimes against women? But they apparently have set different goals for themselves,” Justice Kirmani said.
Patron of the Foundation, Ghulam Nabi Shaida, also blamed government for the rising crimes against women, saying that by allowing “atrocious businesses” of alcohol traders to flourish in the Valley, government has ensured that crimes against women continue.
“Their (government) ill logic is that granting licenses to liquor dealers will generate revenue; then by that logic they should also grant licences to brown sugar and opium dealers. This menace directly or indirectly is responsible for the growing crimes against the women,” Shaida said.
“Even in government gatherings and parties, booze is being consumed by babus brazenly,” Shaida said. “And if you continue to grant licenses’ to them, then crimes against women are unlikely to come down.”
Shaida also hit out at media for presenting women as a “commodity in the form of obscene advertisements.”
The seminar was held in collaboration with Shama Foundation. A 20-minute film highlighting the role of the NGO in helping the destitute women was also screened in the seminar.
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