Half Widow

Book Review

Reviewer: Amaan Rasheed
Book Name: Half Widow
Author: Shafi Ahmad
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: n/a
Pages: 231
Price: 320 INR

90’s kashmir

In this book, the author, Shafi Ahmad takes us to the Kashmir of late 80’s early 90’s. It was the Kashmir marked by the epochal event that dominates all the discourses on the theme, the Kashmir where torture, killings, rapes, abductions, forced disappearances was a norm. Battery of new terms was added to the local jargon to describe these events, and the people associated with them. Perhaps the most invidious of all of them was half-widow –women whose husbands were subjected to forced disappearance – the title of this novel.

Amid all the inhumane crimes, the book specifically details the crimes against women of Kashmir depicting how they were systematically used as weapons of war

A dangerous and yet alluring journey

In 90’s, everything was happing dramatically in this otherwise quiet-heaven on the earth. This was the time, when some kashmiries (breaking away from their past) had taken recourse to armed struggle, to get their independence. And hence through unfrequented tracks, started their romantic: dangerous and yet alluring journey. Soon, it looked like all roads in Kashmir were leading to “apoor” (an euphemistic term for Pakistan), enticing bus and lorry conductors to add a new station to their destination-menu.

Psyche of kashmiries

The novel shows how this early enthusiasm soon died down, and turned into the worst experience for the common kashmiries. While India, doing all that it could -- using all the Machiavellian tactics to suppress the fledging struggle, and unchecked militants misusing the new-found power. Amid all the inhumane crimes, the book specifically details the crimes against women of Kashmir depicting how they were systematically used as weapons of war, or victims of weapon. Suggesting how deeply such crimes are etched in the collective psyche of Kashmiries.

Salma – a half widow

Epitomizing all this is a woman, Salma – a half-widow--. On a fateful evening, her husband is taken away by some unknown gun-toddlers. Never to be seen again! The mother of three then starts an arduous search for her husband. She feared he existed no more, but her love mocks her at the mere thought. Salma continues to thread one mountain after the other. Caught between her children and a missing refuge, much like Hajirah (upon her be peace) caught in a desert where there were humans, but no humanity.

This is a story of how a household, craving family life, was sliced and scattered into pieces. With each part living and longing for the other, a family like many others doomed by the fate and damned by their society! While the mother, doing all the menial work(to survive herself for the day she could tell her children, there abu is back), her children fit only for the yateem khanas (orphanages), dotted throughout ‘their’ valley.

a gripping... Wonderful tour de force

I found the story very gripping. Though written in a fictional tone, this work takes inspiration from the true events. The narration style is very plain and linear. And the author simply narrates the events without getting too close to his characters. Though simple style, the author has nevertheless weaved a wonderful tour de force. The author represents one among the few Kashmiri authors who took the pains to view things from the common Kashmiri’s perspective, possibly describing why it didn’t get the much deserving publicity.

The book is a secret door to the Kashmir of 90’s, thus a must-read!

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