ISLAMABAD: In a small village in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, Aaliya begins her day before sunrise.
She collects water from a spring, cooks for her children, and works in the fields. Her life looks ordinary from the outside, but behind it lies a story of loss that thousands of Kashmiri women share.
Six years ago, Indian soldiers took her husband away during a night raid. They told her he would return. He never did. No one has seen him since. Like many others, she does not know if her husband is alive or dead. Women like her are called “half-widows” in Kashmir.
Who are half-widows?
“Half-widows” in Indian occupied Kashmir are women whose husbands have disappeared by the Indian security forces but have not been officially declared dead. Their lives are marked by uncertainty—caught between hope and grief. This ambiguous status means they cannot remarry, access property, or claim widow’s benefits, as they have no death certificate.
Human rights groups say thousands of women in Indian occupied Kashmir live in this limbo. Their situation is unique: neither wives nor widows, they face economic hardship, social stigma, legal vulnerability, and deep psychological trauma.
The challenges they face
For women like Aaliya, the loss of a husband is more than an emotional tragedy. It means losing the household’s breadwinner. Without official proof of death, she cannot claim his land or financial resources. Raising children alone, she survives by farming small plots and trading what little she can.
The stigma of being a half-widow also weighs heavily. Neighbours often see them with suspicion. Their unresolved status creates barriers to social acceptance and remarriage. “It feels like you belong nowhere,” Aaliya says.
The psychological burden is immense. Half-widows live between two extremes—hope that their husbands will one day return, and despair at the possibility they never will. This unresolved grief shapes every aspect of their lives.
Efforts for recognition
There have been some attempts to address their plight. In 2017, Islamic scholars in Indian-Occupied Kashmir agreed on a four-year waiting period after which half-widows could remarry—a ruling seen as a breakthrough. Local organisations, such as Ehsaas, have worked to raise awareness and push for half-widows’ rights to property, inheritance, and legal protection. Draft proposals have also been presented to government bodies, though legal reforms remain slow and limited.
Life without answers
Because her husband’s death has never been confirmed, Aaliya is trapped. She cannot remarry. She cannot claim any widow’s benefits. Every official document demands proof she does not have. Her children still ask when their father will come home. She has no answer.
Human rights groups say there are more than 10,000 half-widows in Kashmir. Many have lived for decades without clarity. Alongside them are thousands of mothers who lost sons—killed in clashes or disappeared after being taken into custody.
Struggling to survive
For Aaliya, survival is a daily battle. She grows food on a small piece of land and sometimes trades whatever she can—vegetables, eggs, or hand-woven cloth. Her body is weak from years of hardship, but her spirit refuses to give up.
Like many Kashmiri women, she also lives with fear. Reports of sexual violence by soldiers have haunted her community for years. When troops come to her village searching for fighters, children hide behind their mothers, and men risk being beaten or taken away.
A silenced struggle
Independent journalists and aid groups have limited access to Kashmir’s remote villages. This means the pain of women like Aaliya rarely reaches the world. Locals say the silence is part of the oppression—they are left alone to suffer, without witnesses.
After the Indian government revoked Articles 370 and 35A in 2019, Kashmiris felt their identity and limited autonomy were stripped away. For many, this was proof that their voices do not matter in India’s democracy. Instead of weakening the struggle, it has hardened the resolve of a new generation who see freedom as their only future.
Holding on to hope
Despite grief and poverty, Aaliya does not stop. She teaches her children to read and reminds them of their father’s courage. She meets other half-widows, and together they share stories, cry, and demand justice.
“We are not only victims,” she says quietly. “We are still standing.”
For Aaliya, and for thousands of Kashmiri women, life continues under occupation. Their loss has become their resistance. And in their silence, the world can hear the cry for justice—if it chooses to listen.
Yet for Aaliya, such decisions feel distant. She still wakes up each day with unanswered questions: Is my husband alive? Will I ever know the truth? Her children ask about their father, and she replies with silence she cannot escape.
She is not alone. Thousands of Kashmiri women carry the same burden. Their lives tell a story of resilience in the face of conflict, neglect, and uncertainty. And their voices, though often silenced, continue to demand recognition of their pain, their rights, and their struggle for dignity.
