"Sher-e-Kashmir ka kya irshad, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh itihad,"
Jaya's voice chimed in with others in the oft-repeated mantra during her Thursday training session. The 19-year-old then moved to fire her rifle, missing the target by just a few inches. She watched Lata, her college mate, smoothen her Dupatta and hoist her rifle to shoot straight into the target. She flashed Jaya a wry smile before continuing her training. Jaya rested the rifle and sat down on the steps covered by fallen Chinar leaves for a while. Her mind was in a state of utter chaos, feeling impotent. Even holding the rifle didn't cheer her up as much as it usually did. She'd spent her day yesterday at the hospital, counselling and conversing with a young Sardarni from Baramulla. She could still envision Keerat's panicked voice and her eerily glassy eyes boring into hers. She felt her veins glaciate as she remembered Keerat painstakingly recounting her narrow escape from the clutches of a group of invaders who had beaten and raped her. Jaya drew in an unsteady breath and aimed her rifle to shoot at the target.
Such was an average day in the lives of the participants of Kashmir's Women's Self Defence Corps (WSDC) - an all-female militia aimed at practical and political empowerment of women during the imminent threat of invasion Kashmir by Pakistan's tribal population. The WSDC was formed in the chaotic upheaval caused by Maharaja Hari Singh's initial refusal to join either India or Pakistan. The brutal pillaging of the state's outlying areas created a sense of urgency that compelled the Maharaja to sign the "Instrument of Accession" on 27th October 1947, with the government of India, thus making Kashmir an unequivocal part of India.
Sheikh Abdullah, the Lion of Kashmir, a progressive Kashmiri Muslim nationalist and the political antithesis to the Maharaja, endorsed the accession. The WSDC was the women's section of Sheikh Abdullah's spontaneously formed popular militia, whose political mainstay were the leftwing groups in the area. The horrifying tales of the tribal groups raping and abducting women, particularly non-Muslims, fueled the smouldering fire.
The Sheikh Abdullah led communist groups would train the women of Srinagar to defend themselves in the unfortunate event of the city falling to foreign powers. Thus, the unique circumstances in Kashmir allowed the creation of India's first armed and trained women's force.
The militia grew in numbers as women from colleges and communities alike were encouraged to shoot pistols, rifles, Sten guns and even operate grenades. Several firing competitions were held to motivate the women of Srinagar further to participate. Three packets of salt incentivized them - a rare commodity then in Srinagar.
The women were taught first aid and counselling victims. The latter seemed to be the most demanding of the lot as the voluntary counselling of the female victims in the hospitals would include conversations about trauma, grief, accounts of gruesome violence, separation, and rehabilitation. The young women of Srinagar were competently doubling up as psychiatrists and a civilian armed forces within a brief span of being trained.
Most women now recount the time they spent with the WSDC as a liberating and empowering experience that allowed them to pursue careers as educators and principals in schools and colleges later in life. The bonds of camaraderie and sisterhood forged during the tumultuous time are perhaps more relevant and valuable in today's context than ever before. As the valley's 75th year as a part of India is commemorated, it experiences a surge in targeted carnage. Women can perhaps now rekindle affinities and long-forgotten friendships. As drivers of change in every walk of life, they can lead with a more inclusive vision that secures safety and comfort for all, not just the privileged few. As for us, we must encourage and provide spaces for these unsung sheroes to take centre stage. They can help fan a much-needed breeze of calm strength, comfort and tranquility. One that extinguishes the blaze eating away at the secular foundations on which the heavenly valley has rested for centuries.
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