Villages in Kulgam protest attacks against women on Tuesday. (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi)
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In the villages of Kulgam, it is the return of ‘ghosts’ of 1990 – the mysterious figure that everyone talked about but nobody saw. Unlike the 90’s, when ‘ghosts’ barged into houses “to kill people”, today’s ‘ghosts’ enter to chop the braids of women. But like the 90’s, people believe that it is security agencies out to spread fear.
On Tuesday, Kulgam shut down to protest braid chopping incidents. Hundreds of men and women took to the streets in several villages of the district. While the district has reported over a dozen braid chopping incidents in the past two weeks, the flashpoint was Monday’s incident at Malwan village of the district. Villagers claim they chased and caught hold of two braid choppers, but the army suddenly arrived and helped them escape. They provided proof in the form of helmets, the “braid choppers left behind”.
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“This is not for the first time that army came for their help,” said a villager of Malwan. “In last few days, wherever people tried to chase them (braid choppers), the army arrived. It can’t be a coincidence every time”.
The villagers of Malwan say that on Monday when they were chasing the braid choppers, the army stopped them, opened fire and helped them escape. Immediately after the incident, villagers took to the streets and were joined by people in Kulgam town.
Hundreds of men and women took to the streets in several villages of Kulgam district on Tuesday. (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi)
The villagers showed the helmets to Deputy Commissioner Kulgam Talat Parvez when he visited the village of Tuesday morning. “In Malwan, the villagers were patrolling the area when they had suspicion over some people. They chased them and saw a (army) patrolling party. They confronted them. They thought the (security) agencies were behind this (braid chopping). This has created anger,” DC Parvez said. “When I visited the village in the morning, they showed me helmets which could have been of the (army) patrolling party. When I contacted the Commanding Officer, he told me that it was routine patrolling party and they are fully behind the district administration in this regard”.
DC Parvez said that the district has witnessed around 16 cases of braid chopping. “Initially, some cases were reported. We thought there are one or two cases,” he said. “But in last three four days, 15-16 cases have been reported. There are some women who have gone into depression after these attacks. In one case, a girl jumped from first floor when he saw somebody there. She has broken her knees”.
In a remote village of Kulgam, a group of women and children were basking outside a roadside house. In a flash, they all jumped inside the house when they saw a stranger, holding a camera, pass by. For next several minutes, they peeped through the window and finally came out again. “We thought braid choppers have come that is why we went inside,” said a woman.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
