Valley: Women protesters lead from the front

In the past one week, women in the summer capital Srinagar’s old city have held multiple protests against the smart meter installations by the government

There has been an increase in protests over civic issues and basic amenities in Kashmir valley this year and women are taking an increasing part in the demonstrations.

Last month, massive protests were held in parts of Srinagar city including in city outskirts and old city against installation of smart meters and power outages. (File photo)

In the past one week, women in the summer capital Srinagar’s old city have held multiple protests against the smart meter installations by the government. Last month, massive protests were held in parts of Srinagar city including in city outskirts and old city against installation of smart meters and power outages. Majority of the protesters were women who were angry against the government’s resolve to go ahead with the installation despite opposition from people. Women blocked highways in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in the third week of June last month against the shortage of drinking water while people, mostly women, protested continuously for a week last month in north Kashmir’s Sopore demanding adequate water supply.

As the year started, women have regularly hit streets in Kashmir against power outages, water scarcity, ration curtailment by the government at the ration depots and against government decision of imposing property tax in the valley. Not a couple of weeks or a month pass by when people, mostly women, don’t hit streets in any part of the valley over these civic challenges.

Sociologists see this trend of Kashmir women to assert their voices in public space particularly when it directly affects their households. They say it has been happening in Kashmir earlier as well but now the intensity of women protests have increased.

“In contemporary societies women are finding greater access to public spaces and as a result of this they feel more liberated and empowered to raise their voice on issues which concern them,” said Farah Qayoom, assistant professor at sociology department of Kashmir University

“Moreover, most of the housework is undertaken by women in Kashmiri households, power cuts and water shortages directly impact their everyday life and that is why they come out on roads to protest,” she said.

Amid lack of an elected government for the past five years, the people have been expressing resentment against a multitude of day to day governance issues. Protests have been held multiple times against 50 percent curtailment in ration at the ration depots and there have been demonstrations time and again in the last one year against installation of smart electricity meters particularly after an increase of 8 to 22 percent in tariffs and regular power curtailments in winter as well as summers. Most of the anger has been expressed by women directed at power and consumer affairs departments.

Syeda Nousheen Fatima, who is a PhD in sociology and researched on reproductive health of women, said that much of the protests over civic issues have to do with the economy of the household which directly affects women if there is inflation and spike in energy bills or shortage of basic necessities. She said that the participation of women in protests over civic issues has been happening in the past as well with an increase in intensity now. “The burden of the household chores in the home lies on women. In modern communities, appliances have eased the burden of women and a spike in electricity bill affects the women of the household directly in low income families. Similarly, men would want women to compensate by decreasing energy consumption and increasing physical burden of women,” she said. And there are people who believe that post August 2019 changes in Kashmir, women can protest more easily than men as the latter are “more vulnerable to face the backlash” if they protest even over civic issues.

Sarah Hayat, spokesperson of National Conference, said that in the absence of a popular representative government post 2019, people are forced to protest over genuine issues like electricity, water and ration. “Post 2019, it has been common in J&K that you are slapped with different charges if you speak against the government. Women know that their men are vulnerable if they ask questions. It is psychological for women to ensure that their husbands are not protesting but they themselves raise a voice,” she said. She said that the protests are happening as the economic status of J&K post 2019 was bad owing to the lockdown after the abrogation of special status and then Covid. “So we faced an economic crunch and people are talking about affordability. It is difficult for people to pay the bills when they can’t make money. How much employment has the government generated? We have seen how recruitment examinations have been cancelled,” she said. Divisional commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri and deputy commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad didn’t respond to calls from HT for the government’s reaction.