Women bear the brunt of violence in Valley

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 19

At least three women have been killed and over a dozen lie wounded in various hospitals due to the ongoing unrest in the Valley. While protests and clashes in Kashmir are majorly a male affair, women too have been victims this time.

Yasmeena Wani, 20, an undergraduate student was shot in her head by security forces on July 9, when she was dragging away her protesting brother from the hands of policemen at DH Pora in Kulgam. Yasmeena died on the spot.

She belonged to a poor family and was managing the household affairs and her education by doing Tilla (goldthread work) on clothes.

Like Yasmeena, two other women, Saida (50) and Neelofar (28), fell to the bullets of the Army on Monday at Churat village of south Kashmir’s Qazigund town. The Army has ordered an inquiry into the Qazigund killings. However, the police said the Army fired in self-defence after several warnings, in an effort to move out from the spot when they came under heavy stone pelting from the protesters.Three persons including two women died and three others were wounded in the firing, a police spokesperson said.

Apart from these women, over a dozen young girls injured by pellets and bullets are admitted in various hospitals of Kashmir.

Dr Nazir Chaudhary, medical superintendent, Sri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, said atleast six female patients were admitted to the hospital. A 14-year old Sheema (name changed) of Anantnag district is admitted in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of the SMHS hospital. She has received a bullet in her abdomen after protests erupted in her neighborhood. After a tough fight with grievous wounds, Sheema has been removed from the ventilator and shifted to a general ward for recovery.

Adjacent to her bed in the SICU is a 14-year-old school girl, Insha Mushtaq Lone of south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Insha has lost her eyes when security forces lobbed a pellet cartridge inside her house during protests outside on road. This ninth class student is battling for life after some pellets went deep into her brain.