Kavita Suri is a journalist having 10 years' professional experience in journalism (both print and electronic). Presently working for The Statesman, one of the oldest English dailies of India as its Senior Staff Correspondent based in Jammu and Kashmir, she has worked with various newspapers starting from The Kashmir Times, The Tribune etc. She covers entire state, travels to the Line of Control, International Border and other conflict areas in all the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of the troubled State. Kavita was also recently invited to United States for three weeks by the US state department on "US International Visitors Exchange Program". She has made many documentaries and films for Doordarshan's satellite Kashmir Channel and Jammu and Srinagar DDKs. As women have suffered badly in the strife-torn state due to ongoing conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, gender issues are very close to her heart. Her 'Echoes from the Mountains' would keep our readers updated about all these issues of the mountainous state and its surrounding areas.

Kashmiri Women

Faced with militancy for over more than one and a half decade now, the women of Jammu and Kashmir state have been the worst victim of turmoil in the past 15 years. But unfortunately, this border state has hardly any vocal voice which could highlight their pain and agony in the violence-hit state. Even the respective state governments which have neglected the women of the state since long, haven't done anything to better their position.

Not only the Jammu and Kashmir government but the only political party in the troubled state which is being led by a firebrand female leader Mehbooba Mufti, has failed to come to the rescue of the Kashmiri women and has done nothing to protect women's rights. Instead, crocodile tears are being shed on the woes of women in the state where terrorism has cast an evil shadow on the lives of Kashmiri women.

Professor Rita Jitendra , a member of Jammu and Kashmir State Women Commission (SWC), is herself quite critical of the fact that the violence against the women is on increase in the state and political parties and people also are not serious about their plight. What really pains her is the fact that even none of the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have tried to do something for the upliftment of women.

The apathetic attitude of the present government towards women's issues in troubled valley is quite evident from the fact that the Jammu and Kashmir State Women Commission is headless for almost two years now. No steps have been taken to give some teeth to the body which could protect the rights of the Kashmiri women. The woes of Kashmiri women have multiplied in the absence of a strong Women's Commission.

As the Jammu and Kashmir State Women's Commission (the only representative body of the women in the state which was constituted to safeguard the rights provided to the neglected lot under the constitution of India) continues to remain headless, there is hardly anybody to listen to the suppressed women's voices from Jammu and Kashmir. No significant steps have been taken to better the condition of women, not to talk about having a chairperson for the Women's Commission since the government took over.

While the National Commission for Women (NCW) has no jurisdiction over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, there is a dire need of a strong SWC in the troubled state.

Set up in March 2000 during Farooq Abdullah's rule, the main objective of Jammu and Kashmir State Commission for Women was to investigate and examine all matters relating to women, review constitutional laws affecting the fairer sex, get them amended if necessary, generate awareness about the Commission among the women, form the network of NGOs and the media for the purpose.

Signaled as the first step towards the empowerment of Kashmiri women, the Commission was given a chairperson, one additional secretary and two part time members. Dr Girija Dhar, renowned doctor-surgeon was taken in as the chairperson. But when the new Mufti Sayeed-led coalition government took over, Dr Dhar resigned in February 2003. No efforts were made to find some deserving successor to Dr Dhar to head the Commission which simply reflects its pathetic attitude not just towards the premier women body but to the women who are already facing a tough time due to turmoil in the past 15 years.

Interestingly, Mrs. Shamima Dev, wife of Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was appointed as the chairperson of the SWC on October 2003 irrespective of the fact that she hardly had any credentials to chair such an important body. After keeping the SWC in dilemma over all these months over her joining, Mrs. Azad ultimately refused to join after few months.

"I know how women suffered because of terrorism during all these years of turmoil and they needed some platform where their voices could be heard. So I got this State Women Commission set up despite opposition from my bureaucrats. But see, what has become of it," rues Dr Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister. His son and National Conference president Mr Omar Abdullah also believes that women issues are not on the priority of the new government which is faced with the problems of running a coalition.

Women were already suffering much in a state like Jammu and Kashmir where opportunities are very less but then terrorism has added more to it resulting which there is so much of depression and other mental ailments among women but no cure at all. But come 8th March, and every leader in Jammu and Kashmir would make tall promises for the welfare of women.

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