reasons behind such overwhelming support were obvious. “We are relegated
to household drudgery, toiling all the time like donkeys, which continues even
during pregnancy” says Nargis, a supporter from Baru. In addition, during
the week of child delivery, in hospital, women are fed on just cha and taki (tea
and bread) and are not given any special attention like the women in Leh are
given.
Even worse, there are cases of multiple marriages and many women are
abandoned by their husbands and are left alone to take care of their young
children. It has become almost fashionable for men to keep two to three wives,
often leaving one woman for another with absolutely no support, whether or
not there are children to take care of. A woman from Hardass village came
crying to me seeking support so that she could feed her children. Her husband
had left her and had married another woman. There are many such cases and
almost 30 percent of women in Kargil go through such untold suffering.
I organised skill-based trainings for women with the support of an organisation
called ‘Women Multipurpose Society and Women Welfare Committee’, Kargil.
I saw this as an opportunity to empower women. As a result, many women like
Nargis today are able to earn and have gained economic independence. She
does kashidakari (embroidery) and manages to earn about 3000 rupees, money
with which she can buy things like books and pencils for her children.
In the past, I had joined the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) - a new
religious organisation that came into being in 1989. I worked as a volunteer
during religious processions. However, I felt the need to do more and went on
to work more forcefully as a member of ‘Women Multipurpose Society’. I was
not fully satisfied there either, so I decided to join politics. I was aware of the
fact that for a woman, joining politics needs a lot of courage. My decision to
contest the Council elections was a first step in this direction and fortunately
my husband stood with me through this.
My husband believes that I will bring about some change but he also has his
own reasons for supporting this struggle. My husband and I are from the same