KASHMIR: Women Speak in Kashmir, Call for End to Violence

Perhaps for the first time since inception of armed militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiri women broke silence over the continued violence in the state of which the women folk has been the prime victim.

Seemingly disturbed rather anguished over the recent attacks on women by the unidentified gunmen at many places in the Valley including the one in which two sisters were killed at Muslim Peer Sopore in North Kashmir and also clueless about the prospects of the next summer, Women for Peace- an initiative of a group of prominent women of Kashmir Wednesday said the peace should be given a chance as issues can only be resolved in an atmosphere of peace.

The group, in a statement issued here today, demanded an inquiry in killings during last year's summer uprising in Kashmir.

“There should no mo more blood of young spilled on the streets of the valley. Let us give peace a chance as issues can only be resolved in an atmosphere of peace” the statement said.

“We can't remain silent as we are facing humiliations of many types and have seen the disruption of social fabric,” the statement signed by Prof. Nusarat Andrabi, Prof. Neerja Mattoo, Nighat Shafi Pandit, Naseem Shifie, Dr. Yasmeen Ashai, Fehmida Shah, Isazabir Ali, Ruksana Shams, Dr. Tehemina Bukhari, Ayesha Salim, Dilafroze Qazi and Dr. Shamshad Bashir, said.

While condemning the killing of two sisters at Muslim Peer Sopore, the group said that there was no place for such dastard incidents in a civilized world.

Demanding an inquiry into the deaths of summer 2010, they said, “No minor should be arrested and lodged in jail, first time offenders should be released and rehabilitated, the government should release the list of all minors in prison, all forces dealing with the public be sensitized and given reorientation training in peace time policing.”