The following piece was contributed by an anonymous writer from Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The ongoing conflict in Kashmir has been the most formidable challenge for the Kashmiri mothers so far. The political situation has had a very critical effect on the mental health of the mothers and they are continuously struggling to find the meaning of their own motherhood. It is believed that you heal from life’s hurts, but it seems to be untrue for a Kashmiri mother as she has made supreme sacrifices during the violent periods in Kashmir. It is seen that most of the women lack the emotional intimacy of mothering following the death of their beloved. In the course of time, people cease remembering the funeral but a mother never forgets rather she gets stuck there. The mental war, the sufferer underwent doesn’t portray her as weak but a brave one. The burden they carry on their heads and the corpses they carry make them brave. An exemplary resilience and courage can be seen in the mothers of martyrs. They are brave because they have successfully overcome insurmountable challenges to keep their families morally righteous.
Courage and fear exist together but a Kashmiri mother is brave enough to exercise her control over fear. She doesn’t keep her child homebound rather nurture a brave heart, that is what makes her strong. Most of the mothers of martyrs are unlettered but they have the know-how on everything, which is taught to them by the separation of their children. While interacting with one of the mothers, she said the words that bring joy to her heart are-
“And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in faith, to them shall We join their offspring, and we shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything” [Al-Quran, At-Toor 52:21]
This faith makes the Kashmiri mother a brave one. If she is not brave, who is?
