The widows of Dardpora are a grim reminder of the brutal violence that has characterised the Kashmir conflict. Located 120 kilometres from Srinagar in Kupwara District, life in this village lives up to its name, for dard means pain, and pora, a hamlet. Out of 1000 households in Dardpora, as many as 300 families have lost their bread-earners in the ongoing turmoil. While the majority of them were militants killed in encounters with the Indian Army, the remaining were killed by militants, either in inter-group clashes or after being branded as informants for the Indian Army.
The 8 October Kashmir Earthquake ruined much of what death had left untouched. "After Uri and Tangdhar on this side of Kashmir, Dardpora is worst affected," says Ghulam Nabi Mir, the village sarpanch. "120 houses have been completely destroyed and the remaining 800 are partially damaged. It is risky to go inside a cracked house." While some people have erected makeshift hutments in the premises of their houses, those who cannot afford to do so share space with other neighbourhood families. But it is the women of the village, particularly the widows, who have had to bear the brunt of this twin tragedy.
State's gun
37-year-old Haseena has been a widow for the last 13 years, since her husband, a militant with the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with the Indian Army. With three sons and one daughter, Haseena struggles to make ends meet. "To feed my family, I first took a loan for buying a cow; then I borrowed money to educate my children; and finally a loan for agricultural purposes," she sighs. "Being a defaulter, bank officials do come to my house, but where will I bring the money to repay their loan?"
Unfortunately, the tragedies have continues to pile up. Two of her children suffer from chronic illness – 14-year-old Zahid suffers from epilepsy and 17-year-old Saima is a cancer patient. Last year, Haseena sold her family's land in order to treat them. The earthquake devastated them further – the family's house was rendered uninhabitable, and she and her children now sleep at the house of Begum Jan, another widow.