Widows and Half Widows : Saga of Extra-Judicial Arrests and Killings in Kashmir

Contents: Preface. 1. Historical background. 2. Why so many widows, half widows and orphans? 3. Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons. 4. Fake encounters and mass graves. 5. UN working group on enforced and involuntary disappearances takes note. 6. Apex court Judgements. 7. Who killed Khalida Akhtar? 8. The Search goes on. 9. Struggle by male relatives. 10. Grannies arrange marriage of granddaughters. 11. A Victim’s open letter to J & K chief minister. 12. Widows choose not to remarry. 13. Women and children: the worst sufferers. 14. Effects on women of missing men. 15. Women choose to fight. 16. The confused status of widows and half widows. 17. Mental trauma and school dropouts. 18. Identity crisis, remarriage of half widows. 19. No support from family, society or government. 20. Endless wait for the disappeared. 21. Return of the disappeared : hope turns into despair. 22. Some Case studies. 23. Opinions of Experts. 24. The way ahead. 25. Helpful suggestions. Bibliography.

This book is about women who even after years of the disappearance of their husbands, sons and fathers are still on a daily search for their loved ones while trying to discover their own identity are they widows or not widows.

Apart from economic hardships, they have been alienated by family, society and government.

Documenting their mental agony and trauma was never an easy task. This book compiles their tragedies in order to give a voice to the voiceless. Courts have failed them, successive governments have brushed aside their suffering, society has adopted an indifferent attitude and there are those who earn out of the indigence of these women.