Sabahat Kumari
Women have always played an important role in carrying forward the cradle of civilization towards the positive and right direction. She has been the torchbearer for centuries. She is responsible for the miracle of birth. A woman plays the most sacred role as a mother. Mothers have always played a sacred role in human development. Motherhood requires incredible demands of patience, selflessness, unparalleled kindness and walking the way of the tremendous hardships. Those actions are accomplished only through the supplying of the mercy of God as He strengthens the hands of mothers to the task. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson an American statesman and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. Although Jarvis was successful in founding Mother’s Day.
Today on the eve of world motherhood day the mothers of Kashmir look most pain hit since they are at receiving end of violence. In Kashmir, the holy institution of motherhood has been brutalized on account of prevailing violence for over past three decades.
This year we saw a number of mothers appealing to their militant son’s to shun the path of violence and come back home. From North to South to Central Kashmir the cries and desperate appeals of Kashmiri mothers have been heard everywhere. In the usually quiet village of Malangpora located in Awantipora Tehsil of South Kashmir
District of Pulwama is in news as a young boy from village Adil Bilal has joined militant ranks a few months back. Haseena Akthar, mother of Adil Bilal with heartrending sobs and tears narrated her woeful tale – ”I cannot live without my son he has always been a heartthrob and I never thought one day he will leave like this. I am sick facing number of serious ailments and in his absence, my condition is worsening. I appeal to militant leadership to return my son back as he is the vision of my eyes .”
Adil Bilal’s mother says she has not dared to visit the room of Adil Bilal located in upper story since he left home as according to her without seeing him in his room will kill her.
”I have not slept even for a single night since Adil left home to join militants and I and my husband every night remember him with tears.I am fearful his father will lose vision as he weeps whole night remembering Adil Bilal,” states Haseena Akthar.
In the story of Haseena lies the real pain faced by mothers in Kashmir on account of lingering Kashmir conflict.
We also witnessed sometime back in another appeal made by distraught parents to son to shun militancy and a day after his picture with an AK-47 rifle surfaced on the social media, the mother of 18-year-old Downtown Srinagar boy Fahad Mushtaq made a fervent appeal for his son: “Our home was saved in 2014 deluge, but this deluge will sweep my whole household. My son! Come back.”
Mymoona, a distraught mother, told journalists at Press Enclave in Srinagar that “this is the first time ever his son lied to her. I never expected that he would take this step”
As per Mymoona, Fahad, who has reportedly joined Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit, told her that he is going with Tableegi Jamaat.
In North Kashmir, Scholar Mannan Wani too has made desperate appeals to him to return back and shun gun. He was pursuing his Ph.D. in Geology at Aligarh Milam University. Since last five years he was in AMU where from he completed his Mphill. Mannan announced his joining Hizbul Mujahideen outfit by uploading on social media pictures in which he poses with an AK rifle.
His mother said urged Mannan to come back. “I would not let him to study more. I don’t want his degree or employment. We will live in penury. Kindly get him back,” she said as broke down. My Manan… your mother is crying, please come back. Come and see the condition of your sister. Come back for the sake of your sister Asifa. You always stood by her,” wept Manan Wani’s mother Shameema.
Last year we witnessed appeal of mother has magic when a resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir, Majid Khan who is a bright student and a popular football goalkeeper before left the ranks of militant outfit LeT after fervent appeals of a mother.
One hopes the appeal of mother would work and on this global mother’s day, one hopes no mother in Kashmir bears brunt of violence and love of motherhood dominates love for violently resolving conflicts that are making mothers in Kashmir pay a huge price.
In nutshell, mothers of Kashmir are urging their sons to follow in letter and spirit the message of Islam of peace and coexistence.
Their urge to their sons is shun violent path and gun as only peace, compassion are the way ahead to save motherhood and humanity in Kashmir from havoc.
The elders need to play an important role in communicating to youth on hazards of violence, guiding the youth to peacefully negotiate the problems. Gun culture is not way ahead but a society of knowledge.
