Main Article Content
Abstract
Jammu & Kashmir has been a land of turmoil for quite some time now. People irrespective of religion, colour, sex or region have suffered irreparable losses of life, property and honour. However the vulnerable sections of society have had a profound and intense hit. Women, having been the marginalised group, have found themselves at the receiving end in all the dimensions of conflict whether armed or unarmed. Among the several categories of women hit by violence, the internally displaced women constitute a sizeable portion. More so after the eruption of armed militancy in 1989, many Kashmiri pandits including some Kashmiri Muslim and Sikh families were forced to flee the valley of Kashmir and take refuge in the outskirts of Jammu. By far the Kashmiri pandit women constitute the largest group of internally displaced women in Jammu and Kashmir. Having to live in the shanty locations in jagti without adequate facilities of healthcare, education or even the bare minimum needs of life, life has been the experience of hell for them. Another major section is the population living in the border areas with Pakistan. Recurrent and impromptu firing of light arms and mortar shells has also forced many families including women to leave their ancestral places and live like refugees in their own land. Moreover the constant threat of war with Pakistan and china leaves the people living in border areas in a state of constant unbelongingness to their places.