Kashmiri young women face mental trauma: Psychologists

Srinagar, June 22: In Srinagar, psychologists fear that the Kashmiri girls may undergo psychological disorders and prefer to stay indoors after the rape and brutal murder of two young women by Indian troops in Shopian last Month on May 30.

Bodies of two women Asiya (17) and her sister-in-law Neelofar (22) were recovered from a shallow stream at Banagam, Shopian on May 30. The autopsy and FSL reports have revealed that the women were raped and killed.

Sociologist and a head of department of Sociology in KU, Prof Bashir Ahmad Dabla attributed the fear that has gripped the womenfolk to the heavy presence of military in the region. “A sudden look at a trooper sends shock wave among the woman. It is in Kashmir where a woman who is already caught in the domestic violence, becomes a psychiatric patient,” he said.

Citing few examples of a book published by London School of Economic about “Women in Conflict”, Dabla said the book points out that in the areas, which are heavily militarized, women are the worst sufferers. “It is the women who are being raped or molested. The level of patience in women is less than that of a man. This is the primary reason why women suffer shocks even if they hear a sound of an explosion,” Dabla said.  He said the rise in drug abuse among Kashmiris including girls is also directly related to the heavy presence of military in the region

Assistant Professor Government Psychiatric Hospital Srinagar, Dr Sadaqat Rehman while talking to media men in Srinagar said that the Shopian incident may have fallout on the psyche of the womenfolk. “Though Kashmir had witnessed many rapes and molestation incidents in past but the Shopian case may lead to psychological disorders among the teenaged girls”.

Rehman said immediately after the Shopian incident, a 15-year-old girl from Pulwama, Nighat underwent psychological disorders. “She had developed fear psychosis due to the Shopian incident and is the first case of its kind after the gruesome incident in South Kashmir,” said Rehman. Explaining Nighat’s behavioral changes, the psychiatrist said the girl stopped taking meals and told her parents that she doesn’t want to go to the school, as she was feeling unsafe. “Nighat told me too that she was feeling unsafe as she had to cross a bridge like the one at Rambiar stream in Shopian”.

He said after the Shopian incident Nighat did not venture out of her house for many days. “Feeling the change, her family members brought her here for treatment,” he said, adding that many teenage girls have sought counselling from the psychiatrists in the GPH after their parents detected changes in their behaviour.  “Shopian spillover can be dangerous. Like Nighat many girls would be suffering from sleep disorder and behavioural changes,” he said.

The psychiatrist said if remedial measures are not taken, the girls would prefer to stay indoors. Rehman said some of the girl patients intended to carry poison pills, knives and pesticides with them to defend themselves in case of attack on their honour and chastity. “Some girl patients and their parents sought suggestions from us how to defend themselves incase they get caught in Shopian like situation,” said Rehman.