Srinagar, March 12 (KMS: The condition of most widows and orphans in occupied Kashmir is miserable as they face multi-dimensional problems, reveals a research study. A Sociological Study of Widows and Orphans, conducted by noted Sociologist, Prof Bashir Ahmad Dabla said that accommodation, educational loss, psychological depression, social disorganisation, insecurity, health deterioration, dependence on others, deviance and delinquency are some of the major issues widows and orphans of the occupied territory face.
On accommodation issues, the study said that the most important problem for widows and orphans is shelter. The study pointed out that economically widows and orphans became debased especially in the younger cases. “The only fields of work available for them were handicrafts, child labour and domestic work where they were highly exploited and harassed. They weren’t even paid equal wages,” it added.
The study said, the most significant loss to orphans has been in education. “The death of father means stoppage of regular income to the family and they couldn’t pay even the meagre amount of school fees. This results in dropouts up to 40 percent and the number of girls is more than boys in the dropout cases,” it said. The study stated that Indian police and Para-military forces harass the orphan girls.
Regarding their health condition, the study said that one of the dangerous problems faced by widows and orphans at present was their health. “Like other vulnerable sections of society, they have developed abnormal health scenario in which they could not get minimum health needs fulfilled,” it said, adding that most of them were not in a position to get proper treatment and the authorities had failed to provide proper and sufficient medical facilities to them.
The study warned that future of these people would be bleak. “Widows and orphans face the acute feeling that their future will not be bright. They seem more concerned about their career, occupations, business and employment which doesn’t look encouraging in the present circumstances,” it added.
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