Gender-based violence is prevalent all over the world. Indian Occupied Kashmir, a region which has remained disputed since 1947, is no exception. It is important for us all to learn more about the history of the dispute in the region, and also understand the various forms of oppression that people have been experiencing there.
For context, Indian-Occupied Kashmir is one of the most militarized zones in the world, and the Indian government controls both Kashmiri space and bodies to maintain their control over the region (Mathur 218). Gender-Based violence is just one of the tools that is used in Kashmir to maintain control, because it allows the regime to breakdown communities, disintegrate national freedom movements in the area, and advance masculinized nationalist agendas. Unfortunately, the use of gender based violence in these ways is not unique to Indian-Occupied Kashmir, and is regularly seen all over the world. While this article will focus on Indian-Occupied Kashmir, it is still important to highlight that there are many parallels between systems of oppression around the world, and the tools used by governments to crush dissent are similar globally. What is particularly concerning, is that the use of gender-based violence by states for their political, (and in the case of Kashmir, colonial) ambitions, makes victims not only have to face personal trauma, but also leaves them with little chances of holding their abusers accountable. We hope to delve into this issue in more detail and help raise awareness about how the Indian government is using gender based violence as a tool of oppression in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
As a brief historical background, Kashmir is a disputed region between India and Pakistan, which the two countries have been fighting over since they gained independence from British imperialism in 1947 (Hill and Motwani 126). Kashmir is recognized as a disputed territory by the United Nations, and a UN Security Council resolution from 1948 even established that a solution to the dispute lies in Kashmiris determining their future themselves through a free and fair plebiscite (Mathur 220). Decades later, India and Pakistan still have not been able to agree upon the terms of the plebiscite, so it has not been held. During this time, India has maintained that Kashmir is an integral part of its nation, and has used any means necessary, including military force, to uphold its control over the side it occupies (Mathur 220). Currently, there are over 700,000 troops stationed in Kashmir, who work in concert with the government forces in the region to control all aspects of civilian life (Mathur 218).
It is these same Indian military forces who also use gender-based violence in the region. Many local and international human rights organizations have found that Indian forces are the perpetrators of gender-based violence, and specifically sexual violence in Kashmir, and that they have impunity (Mathur 229). The soldiers who have raped Kashmiri women simply claim that they are following orders, while government officials cover up these crimes by accusing victims of fabricating stories (Mathur 229). Human Rights Watch actually created a report covering the use of sexual violence in the form of rape by Indian security forces in Kashmir. They found that Indian security forces use rape to target women during crackdowns and reprisal attacks on civilians (Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights 1). They also said that Indian authorities have shown that they tolerate rape, if not condone it, because of their repeated failure to prosecute and punish the perpetrators or take known actions against security forces who have been charged with rape (Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights 4).
(Photography source: Free Press Kashmir)
Sexual violence is a weapon used by the Indian military to advance their masculinist nationalist agendas, break down communities, and crush dissent. The masculinist nationalist agenda of the Indian government has caused officials to view the occupation of “feminized” lands like Kashmir as essential to the survival of their nation. An example of this is clearly seen in how Indian government officials have always exoticized Kashmir as a feminized land which is the “head” of the broader national vision of “Mother India” (Kaul India’s Obsession 120 133). This is exactly what has driven Indian nationalists to use any means necessary, including gender-based violence, to occupy Kashmir. Sexual violence ultimately allows Indian authorities to break down communities and crush dissent too, because of local interpretations of women’s honour in Kashmiri society.
Women’s honour is of concern to societies around the world, and Kashmir is no exception, as women bear the honour of their communities (Nagel 256). Colonizers or oppressive regimes, including the authorities in India, recognize how important women’s honour is to the communities and also the national freedom movements of the colonized too. Thus, by using sexual violence, they are impeding on women’s honour and also working to disintegrate these movements. Part of this process is the humiliation of the families of rape victims (Kaul Coloniality 119). Human Rights Watch has reported that “the central element of rape by security forces is power,” (Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights 5). Human Rights Watch has also said that rape is used as a weapon by soldiers and police forces to “punish, intimidate, coerce, humiliate and degrade,” (Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights 5). It is ultimately Kashmiri women, and their families and communities, who suffer the most when gender-based violence in the form of rape is used to further the oppressive, colonial agenda of the Indian occupying regime.
In conclusion, gender-based violence is one of the most horrifying tools of oppression that governments around the world have used to maintain their power. The lack of accountability and justice for the victims is also deeply concerning. While there is still a long way to go before the women of Kashmir and other parts of the world can truly get justice for all the oppression and suffering they have endured, it is in telling their stories and raising awareness about these issues that we can begin to pave a path forward.
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