The word Kashmir creates two contrasting images in our minds the snow-capped beauty and the valley scarred by bloodshed, barbed wires and grief. Global news often covers conflicts with added input of its own at times, time narrating things which are not often the same. Alas, no news channel or article covers the human conflict faced by the female population of the region, who are bearers of torture in silence. They are often Pawns and at times queens in conflicts. The exploitation, humiliation and their helplessness not only target the women but also spread their talons ready to pick up their kids in this mayhem.

Today the sponsors of terror have started using different strategies and ways to create disturbance in our country. The earlier era has shown the world the face of Kashmir as grieving mothers of disappeared sons whose eyes scan the crowd for their own. Their wails, their pains were amplified everywhere to show the world their torture. This was the strategy used to embarrass our government and give our country a bad name in the world. Today, these grieving faces of the past are used as logistical support, involving them as shields, informers and, at times, targeting people in the forces. They have understood the importance of women in their so-called Jihad narrative.
The influence of social media is used to spread false narratives, zeroing in on the targets they feel who can be their assets. Encrypted messages on social platform WhatsApp, religious groups name them, and you will find their person scanning potential women to be used for their work.
Women are often seen as soft personalities with maternal instincts, so forces do not have suspicion of them immediately. They can easily sneak out when there is lookout for men of suspicion. Women are used as couriers, for supplying weapons, providing shelter, being an informer and at times spreading propaganda for unrest in villages. They are often encouraged by people with a religious background to take part in Jihad, terming it as their religious and moral duty towards their people. This is one of the strategies that is being used to spread unrest.
The drug menace is increasing in the valley, endangering not only young minds but also being a part of funding terror. Women are most often not checked physically by our forces. Keeping sanctity and respect in mind, this was seen as an opportunity by the terror funders. In the absence of a female brigade, it was not possible to check them, and the women were used to supply drugs and weapons. Understanding this problem, a female brigade was introduced into the valley where this altered route could be tackled skilfully without creating any situation or unrest.
Children and young people are often silent victims, which is more tragic. Manipulating kids in the name of religion, offering them perks and glorifying the local terrorist often gets these kids entangled in their vicious webs. Habituation with drugs by first supplying them free and then using them for anti-social activity is the new trend for men across the border. The usage of drugs often clouds these young minds because they not only ruin their lives, their health but also destroy their families. These kids have seen violence, strikes, bloodshed, and mayhem in their growing up years. These mental scars often make them vulnerable to the recruiters exploiting cross-border networks across the border. For recruiters of terror, targeting these young minds and manipulating them becomes easier. Initially, they were used as messengers, lookouts for Army vehicles and movements stone pelters spreaders of anti-India messages.
Once these kids got entangled with them, they were groomed for further mayhem to go and train across the border and create mayhem in the Valley. Children often suffer from an early age, witnessing the pain of their mothers, unrest, conflicts, closure of schools and funerals, which were often glorified as a path to Jannat and seventy-two hoors. All these factors often push them towards the wrong path, guided by the terror recruiters and overground workers. The closure of schools, there is no avenue to get around freely, creates a vacuum in their lives which the extremist groups often fill with their presence.
When the death of a terrorist is glorified as martyrdom and the extremist feeds into every narrative, be it in religious spaces, social media, sermons, speeches or posters, these romanticize the fallen terrorist. The death of these militants is turned into an emotional gathering, thereby manipulating these young minds. For these kids, for them their life’s purpose is just being one among the militants. They are often fed with the false notion that militancy is not destruction but their destiny. It is the work of God, a pious one. The strategy and path towards the use of women and children is planned meticulously. Their pain, anger, frustration and anguish are used as a weapon to turn them into bombs. Uncertainty about the future, lack of opportunities and religious indoctrination is used to turn these local villagers into terror helpers and over ground workers. Misinformation spread with fake news, adding fuel to the fire.
Terror groups are now using new strategies targeting long-term effects and hurting the country by involving women and children. They are trying to disturb the social fabric of Kashmir by targeting the most vulnerable section. When the caregiver and the future generations are turned against the country, no nation can prosper and this is what our enemy is trying to achieve. When a home is stamped with the name of Terror and militancy, the stigma does not go away soon. The tarnished image does not mend soon. It takes decades to have a normal life again. The feeling of alienation, a tarnished name and stigma often lead to psychological trauma. Violence moves towards revenge and then again, more violence. The vicious cycle just keeps on moving.
The suffering of women differs from men in the family. The emotional weight of the killing of their spouse often leads to a lonely life. Loss of children to terrorism leaves them with a broken heart. This loss of loved ones bursting into diverse ways. Either they accept it as their fate and try to mend their life or they become an active participant in the terror game. The wounds run deep in the lives of women, which affects them psychologically. They are silent bearers of pain, which often leads them to be the giver of pain to others.
Women, too suffer uniquely. They bear the emotional weight of loss, raise children alone and struggle with the dual identity of being both victims and, at times, unwilling participants in violence. The war may be fought with guns, but its longest-lasting wounds are psychological, carried silently by women and children. The mental health of women and children is more prone to increasing problems like anxiety, depression and trauma. Limited resources for mental health infrastructure and a healing hand add to their problems. To put a break into this cycle it is not just required for Armed forces vigilance but also emotional and psychological healing. Education and new job opportunities need to be created. For eyes to smile and look beyond fear we all need to work hand in hand for peace to truly return to valley.
A new kind of threat is emerging where terror groups like Jaish-e- Mohammed are luring women to join the jihadis by training them to counter women forces of our country. Like men, they are brainwashed, terming killing of non-Muslims as their duty towards the supreme Almighty. Earlier, women were used as a protective shield and in non-combat roles. But, according to the latest reports, women will be used in combat roles on the lines of men's militants. The religious doctrine used to manipulate and attract young women recruits in their war against India. This is an emerging face and shift in strategy of the militant group.