“And when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful.”
― Ruskin Bond, Scenes from a Writer’s Life
What’s more beautiful than the innocence of childhood? Laced with dreams of wonderland and stories of utopian fantasy, it is a time in life laden with perfection and prettiness of the creative little minds. Everything seems beautiful in the haven of childhood innocence– far away from the brutal realities of life. But this innocence of the children of Kashmir is being snatched at a tender age by the tyrant atrocious cycle of violence whipping the Kashmiris in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, for the last seven decades.
Children who grow in active conflict zone like Indian-Occupied Kashmir are deprived of a normal childhood as they are shoved into the harsh realities of life too soon. As they open their eyes, they are exposed to violence and become aware of the struggle of the Kashmiris for their freedom. There are countless tales of the sufferings of these children. It’s unfathomable to fully comprehend the horror these children experience every day. Every trip to the market comes with uncertainty whether all family members will be back safe and sound. Their homes are barged into by the occupation forces and they witness their elders, fathers and brothers being dragged, beaten, arrested and women of the house disrespected. Going out on the streets, they are unsure of what quandaries await them. Young boys can be questioned and beaten for no reason at all. Young girls can be harassed and be subjected to inappropriate behaviour.
Last year, a viral photo of a toddler posed on the slain body of his grandfather shocked the world. Shooting an elderly man in front of a three-year-old wasn’t enough; adding insult to the injury, he was made to sit on dead body of his grandfather as the photos were taken and shared. The photo was received with anger and disgust around the world. That child will grow up but would be traumatized for the rest of his life and that viral photo on the internet will haunt him incessantly.
The human rights violations by the Indian forces include use of pellet guns. Thousands have been critically injured and dozens killed by this noxious weapon. Hundreds, including children, are blinded. Some even got injured at home by stray pellets. Dozens losing their lives and hundreds losing their sight, Amnesty International compiled a 109-page book displaying the ill-fated victims of pellet guns to draw the attention of the international community. Asrar Ahmed, an avid student and zealous cricketer, was returning home from playing cricket when he was hit as the ISF opened fire at a crowd. Hiba Jan, only 18 months old,was playing at home when hit by a pellet damaging her eye. This happens every day and children become victim of violence.
Violence is not new for Kashmiris. Striving hard, enduring brutalities, they have lost thousands of precious lives. The number of children enduring physical injuries and traumas are in the thousands. In August 2019 New Delhi revoked the special status of Indian-Occupied Kashmr, ripping off whatever little autonomous identity Kashmiris had. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s oppressive action instigated a strong reaction. As a result, the Valley was caged in a lockdown and curfew was imposed converting Indian-Occupied Kashmr into a prison. To contain the repercussion, the road connectivity was broken, the Internet jammed and all media and news agencies barred from the Valley. During the lockdown, a fact-finding commission stated, around 13,000 boys were picked up from their homes. Girls and women were reported sexually molested during these raids.
They do not enjoy kindergarten or learn happy nursery rhymes while playing with toys. They are not nurtured under the adoring warm care of their parents in a setting where they sense freedom and safety. Relatively their memories of childhood are filled with horrors inconceivable entailing an environment fraught with fear, endless gory violence, insecurity and chaos
Amid the lockdown, covid-19 hit badly. The lockdown of one and half years, where the Kashmiris suffered isolation and disconnection, has affected the economy, society and mental health. The shortage of basic necessities and means to buy bread ominously condensed. Schools are closed since the onslaught of curfew. Partially curfew has been lifted in certain areas, but parents are reluctant to send their kids to school in the time of uncertainty as violent street clashes are frequent.
During the pandemic, the world adapted to the new normal and schools all around the world switched to online studies and virtual school. Continuing education amid the pandemic was essential not only to retain children’s engagement with their curriculum but also to keep kids occupied in depressive environment taking care of their mental health as online studies warranted them to develop routine and exert capabilities in constructive and learning activities.
When the pandemic hit, it was already six months in lockdown. The UN declared access to the Internet a basic human right. Blocking the Internet to suppress the freedom of speech is a declaration of human rights violation by the Indian government.
The right of education is also denied to the children living in Indian-Occupied Kashmr as the Internet hasn’t yet been restored. In a few places, broadband services have opened but the speed is kept so sluggish that the student can neither engage in online classes, nor can access any study materials online. J&K region has more than 2.5 million students and around 10,000 schools.
Recently, a report compiled by a Delhi-based group of human rights activists and psychiatrists published in November 2020 cites that the commotion which began in the August lockdowns had an intense effect on children’s lives and their mental health. Quoting health professionals’ assessments that anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal tendencies, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress were growing among children: “There is no school, no routine or structure, no healthy recreation, and no sense of safety or predictability, which are essential for normal growth and emotional development.” A research conducted in 2006 found high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of 100 children ranging between the ages of 3 and 16. A 2016 study by the Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience and ActionAid projected that more than one in 10 people, including adults, had a mental disorder, ranging from anxiety or depression to PTSD.
Many children suffer anxiety and panic. They cannot go out to playgrounds anymore as it is perilous. They do not have friends any longer as they do not go to school or mingle freely with other children in the neighbourhood. They are having their childhood snatched. Even if the educators or schools attempt to produce online content, it is impossible to access online. As the world moves forward stepping into pioneering interactive virtual platforms, Kashmiri children are left behind.
The entire conception of childhood has suffered a methodical transfiguration in the lives of children in Indian-Occupied Kashmr. From these children the right for a normal happy childhood has been cruelly taken away.
They do not enjoy kindergarten or learn happy nursery rhymes while playing with toys. They are not nurtured under the adoring warm care of their parents in a setting where they sense freedom and safety. Relatively their memories of childhood are filled with horrors inconceivable entailing an environment fraught with fear, endless gory violence, insecurity and chaos.
They no longer have fantasy-filled imaginings of butterflies and pirates or big dreams for a buoyant tomorrow; they just dream of freedom, safety and the security of their loved ones by their side. The chalice of innocence of the children in Indian-Occupied Kashmr is contaminated with the poison of blood, violence, death and pain.
