In an open letter (to the then) Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Asima Mohiudin, a resident of Fatehgarh Baramulla, pens down the bundle of tregedies that sum the and her sisters have encountered so far.
Starting her letter with a quote, she writes; “Kehtay hai jis ghum ka elaaj nahe hota ussay sehna he padhta hai” (The sorrow that cannot be cured has to be endured) “ Ye dard bahri kahaane aik khushaal ghar ke hai jo pehlay buhat acha aur khush tha, aura bb jaisay issay kisi ke nanzar lag gaye ho” ( This is the story of a family that used to be happy, later evil spirit struck it) Asima Outlined her tale of woes in the letter, a copy of which was handed over to the author, while narrating her woes and trauma.
At the top off letter she mentions ”A TRUE STORY” On “22 JUNE 1993” At “11:30 PM” at night everyone was sleeping and there was complete darkness due to load shedding. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, a sense of fear prevailed. Somehow our grandmother with a torch in her hand stood up, went downstairs to open the gate. As she was moving towards the gate the frequency of knocks increased and as she was about to open the door broken open with some persons barging in.
Immediately her grandmother lit the torch and asked “who they were”. One of them in turn broke her torch with gun he was carrying. Then they went upstairs and broke all the window panes.
Asima’s Uncle Abdul Rasheed was married just six months back. First, he was taken into custody, then one of them fired upon her grandmother. The bullet pierced her body and hit the wall. She began profusely bleeding and fell unconscious.
After sometime they caught hold of Asima’s father Ghulam Mohiuddin and took him along. Asima’s mother tried to console her daughters as they were too young. “Though I was very young, but I exactly remember that day which changed our lives forever,” Points Asima.
Since that day her father and uncle are missing and nothing is known about them. “However, hope is there,” she says adding “we hope that both father and uncle will return someday as their daughters are waiting for them and they have to return”
Her mother, Haleema Begum tried hard to trace the whereabouts of her husband and brother-In-law from whatever corner she got the clue. Dejected with the situation she was in, and getting tossed from pillar to post, Haleema developed heart ailment.
“I remember whenever she left in the morning she used to say that she might get some information, but in the evening sadness was visible on her face reflecting the situation which she was facing,” writes Asima in her letter.
It was during this time that her other uncle was killed. “Think of the mother who lost her three sons this way. Consider about that mother who had to look after her four daughters and had to trace the whereabouts of her husband and brother in-law,” Says Asima
After sometime, Asima grandfather Wali Muhammad Lone Expired. He was waiting for news of his son’s return, but fate had something tragic in store for him and death laid its icy hands on him, Writes Asima.
Asima has three more sisters. “To Whom shall I narrate my woes and how many times shall I repeat the same tragedy? Enough is enough now. Many times I think that I should take the poison as I cannot tolerate anymore now,” she says.
Asima’s mother died on July 10, 2006. “She was our lone support but that too was taken away by the Almighty. Had She for some years things would have been different for us,” she said, “our father had left us to the support of our mother but he never knew that she would leave us halfway, stranded.”
She would have survived had we been able to provide her timely medical treatment, Asima Said. She expressed regret that she could not provide proper treatment to her mother due to economic compulsions at home.
The sisters lost their parents. They yearn to have a brother as they live in rural setup where conservative norms prevail. According to Asima, girls working out in their area are not treated with repect.
Her Sisters Rukaya, Fatima and Tahira were forced to discontinue their studies due to financial difficulties. “ We know it is extremely important to receive education the present circumstances. But wherever we went for admission they first asked if we could afford tuition fee. After that we dropped the idea,” she said.
Asima and her sisters want justice to be done to them. “no one knows the way we sisters live,” she said. Expressing her pains she said, “ zaane soie jaey yath jaeye naar lagge” (only the sufferer knows how painful it is…
