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In the devastated terrains of Kashmir, women have remained the chief sufferers and victims. Two decades of conflict in the Valley has brought to focus the distressful account of crimes against Kashmiri women, who have been victims of violence and rape. Bilal A. Jan has made Ocean of Tears, a documentary film that portrays the oppression, humiliation and torture of Kashmiri women because of militancy in the state. The film has been produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, Delhi. Nusrat Andrabi, social worker and civil rights activist, says that no action has been taken on 2,500 rape cases by the security forces, which is the highest in the country. Within 27 minutes, Ocean of Tears scans incidents of concrete rapes, beatings and murder of women across time. This is the very first documentary that focuses on the physical, social, psychological and emotional violence inflicted on girls and women in the Valley. Violence has been inflicted both by the security forces as well as the militants. It covers rape, beatings, murder and victimisation of women whose husbands have gone missing. Ocean of Tears narrates the untold stories of victims who endured social, economic, physical, mental and emotional abuse and reveals their struggle for justice. The film was selected for screening at the 3rd Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival in February this year. Bilaal and his crew came across high percentage of violence against women due to militancy in the state for the past 23 years, in terms of sexual violence — rape, abduction, eve-teasing of women and girls. Insecurity is the biggest issue in Kashmir, particularly in rural areas, where military bunkers or police and the CRPF checking spots are a common sight. The film goes back to the Kunan Poshpora mass rape incident in 1991 in the frontier district of Kupwara, the most high-profile gangrape during two decades of conflict. On the night of February 23 and 24, 1991, according to statement of villagers and newspaper reports, more than 32 women and children were gangraped in Kunaan Poshpora. Men were allegedly dragged out of their homes and forced to remain on the snow-covered paths outside. Youngsters were tortured. Women and girls were raped and beaten so much that most of the men could hardly recognise their own wives the next morning. The rapists, soldiers all, were allegedly from Panzgham camp. The camera captures a group of angry husbands 20 years later narrating their tales of despair and anger. Four of the victims died because of excessive bleeding. Some of them are still getting treatment. Zareefa died of excessive bleeding leaving behind six unmarried daughters. Zoona, Rafiqa and Sara had to get their uterus removed. Their scars are raw and they continue to endure the brunt of the incident even after two decades. Neelofar, 24, and Asia, 18, of Shopia were molested, raped and killed and their bodies dumped in a stream nearby by two members of the Rashtriya Rifles. There were three investigations into these deaths — the Jan Commissions’ investigation, the SIT’s investigation and the CBI that was brought in before the SIT could even submit its report. But the CBI allegedly distorted the report and tweaked the medical reports so that the culprits could be protected and go unpunished. The cold-blooded killing of two sisters, Akhtara and Asifa, by militant gunmen is another case. One of the attackers, Wasam Ganai, was killed in an encounter while Muzaffar Naik has not yet been captured. Ashmal, a young woman was raped when she had gone to collect grass by some men of the Rashtriya Rifles on April 20, 2002. Her 13-year-old daughter Kulsum saw this from behind a tree. Ashmal died of cardiac arrest on way to the hospital and her daughter’s eye-witness account did not stand in court because she was a child at the time. The Association of Disappeared Persons (APDP) was formed in 1994 by families of victims of enforced and involuntary disappearances of family members. The association records that nearly 8,000-10,000 people have been missing during different regimes since 1989 and it is carrying an on-going campaign against their disappearing family members. Mymoona Banu’s husband Akhtar Hussan has been missing for 14 years and she is left alone to take care of the family. He disappeared after he left to attend a friend’s funeral. She is a microcosm of all the half-widows who are members of APDP. Ocean of Tears is a shocking film. It is also a learning experience and a political statement that protests against government inaction.
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