Nadiya

Kashmir, CAHR, Summer 2023

I was born and raised in Indian-Adminstered Kashmir when it saw its worst armed conflicts. While growing up amid the intense violent phase of the 1990s, I have seen and experienced violence regularly, crackdowns and curfews were a common thing. With the Indian state responding to an armed rebellion with its military might and legal impunity to its forces, the past three decades have devastated every household in Kashmir. With thousands of civilians dead, thousands disappeared, and countless tortured, Kashmir had been turned into an open-air prison, while it continues to remain the most militarized region in the world as of now.  

Following the completion of my Master's degree in social work from Kashmir University, I pursued a specialization in Peace and Conflict at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies in Cambodia. Since then, I have been actively engaged as a multifaceted advocate, working tirelessly as a Human Rights and Women's Rights activist, a dedicated Video activist, and a committed peacebuilder. I have actively collaborated with national social organizations, focusing primarily on Women's Rights and advocating for the protection of rights during periods of conflict particularly in Kashmir. In order to give voice to the voiceless people and document the cases of daily abuse, I chose to dedicate myself to defending human rights. 

I became associated with Video Volunteers (VV), a community media organization that launched the Kashmir Unheard project in September 2014. In 2016, I took on the role of coordinating VV's notable project, 'Dismantle Patriarchy'. As a video activist and assistant coordinator, I have produced over three hundred video reports, shedding light on underreported themes such as human rights, women's issues, state repression, health concerns, and social justice. Additionally, I have provided training to community correspondents and prepared monthly newsletters.

In 2013, I took up courageous work that involved extensively documenting the plight of Kashmiri "half-widows", as well as capturing the events of the Kashmir Unrest. I delved into the lives of these women, who have lost their husbands during the conflict but are denied the rights afforded to widows. It is important to note that this type of reporting carries risks, as I faced pressure from state police and the military. Consequently, I had to relocate to Delhi for a period of eighteen months.

During the summer of 2016, when Kashmir witnessed one of the most severe unrests in a decade, I returned to Srinagar and ventured into conflict zones to document the unfolding events. Notably, I was one of the few women undertaking this task. One of the most poignant videos I captured during this period was filmed in a hospital, featuring a doctor speaking out against the army's use of pellet bullets shortly after performing surgery on a patient's injured eyes. I also documented cases of state impunity towards young boys and girls, providing a platform for voices from both sides of the conflict - the stone pelters and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

In addition to my fieldwork, I have spearheaded virtual awareness campaigns on social issues such as suicide prevention, promoting the use of masks, and a video series titled 'Aurat Ki Kahani Aurat Ki Zabaani' (The recitation of a woman's story). My contributions have garnered recognition from esteemed national and international platforms. I was awarded on international women’s day by the Sanctorium Public School and Baramulla district Administration 2018, Certificate of honor by Shamma (NGO) in 2018, FAEEZAH award for contribution for being a positive agent of change 2018, Most Inspiring Community Correspondent Award in 2017 (Video Volunteers), and Martha Farrell award in the Most promising individual 2018 and BitChitra grant - Indian Women in Documentary in 2021.

While Kashmir continues to remain under a strict lockdown where freedom of the press, and work of human rights organizations is shut down, I wish to continue doing my work now as a researcher to look at the impact of violence on the mental health of female Journalists and Activists in Kashmir.