Kashmir valley has witnessed numerous disasters, both natural and manmade leading to an environment of insecurity. This has changed the dynamics of social interaction creating a sense of urgency and uncertainty. Poor and downtrodden have been the worst victims of this conflict, though every section of the society has been affected in one way or another. The ongoing conflict has led to huge loss of life leaving behind orphan children and widows in dire poverty and state of helplessness. This is further complicated by the indifference of the State, with blatant refusal to take any responsibility for the care and upbringing of these poor children. In any civilised society, the State would have introduced systems and checks so that all these vulnerable people are supported and provided necessary access to basic amenities of life. It is no exaggeration that the State has failed in performing this crucial duty and has condemned this vulnerable group to infinite misery.
The society stepped in, to fulfil the role of a guardian and a provider for these poor children and widows, but was the response timely, adequate and dependable? Kashmiris became well known for their resilience and helpful attitude towards people in distress. The response seems, by and large, adequate during the crisis phase. But the question to think about is; are we able to maintain the momentum in the long run? Do we stop visiting the widow’s cottage after few days of mourning? Do we think who is feeding and protecting the vulnerable children? The initial response is usually driven by emotions which ultimately fades off and hence does not last long. As a society, after witnessing so much of death and destruction, probably our hearts have hardened - a common phenomenon in conflict zones. People become indifferent to the ongoing suffering, as a means of carrying on and coping otherwise, the mourning never ends. But can we afford to forget those who are worst hit by same violence? What about our duty and social responsibility? This may come across as a conflicting argument but on one hand we have countless NGOs and on the other there is not an adequate response from the society to look after those in need. Have people lost faith in all institutions including those who look after the weaker sections of the society? With more than 200 000 orphans and thousands of widows, have we done enough to help? Have we left children in these institutions and are happy with few donations around the Holy Month? Do we know how the widows struggle to raise vulnerable orphans in unfriendly times and circumstances?
Voluntary organisations commonly known as Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) started by like-minded people in various parts of the state became a norm and society at large has assumed these NGO’s to be solely responsible for ever increasing numbers of orphans and widows. With time, we have even lost track of the actual number of NGO’s operating in the state and their modus operandi. Was there any method in the response? It seems the response from society mirrored the chaos and conflict. There is no uniform plan, policy or guidelines under which most of these organisations operate. Should there not be a uniform code of practice and coordination among such various organisations? Having fewer organisations could deliver a more uniform level of care, better utilisation of resources and real accountability. Is there any monitoring process? Surprisingly, there is no such body or organisation in the State to make the NGOs accountable. Ideally, it is the responsibility of the state to have an independent organisation or commission which should have the power to take on any unscrupulous NGOs. This would also mean collaboration between various organisations and equitable distribution of resources depending on actual need and not merely chance. Unfortunately, we have got an excess of such organisations in some areas with no help available in other places. Would it be possible to create such a body in the voluntary sector which could formulate a uniform framework and various NGO’s could sign in to work and collaborate? Can the smaller organisations merge with few bigger ones and create a uniform platform? But that would demand serious understanding and humility to even ponder on the idea. As a society, we have to create the checks and balances and it becomes imperative that the civil society takes charge to create the accountability process.
That said voluntary sector has played the main role in the rehabilitation of orphans and widows. Some reports suggest there are more than 700 orphanages operating in the State. How are the orphanages doing? There is no standard against which the performance can be monitored. With more than 200 000 orphans and thousands of widows, surely these NGOs have done a commendable job in making vulnerable children safe, housing and feeding them and providing them with basic amenities. At least, they have provided a dignified alternative when the State has completely failed. There are also allegations that some are using orphanages to keep their own businesses going and some have more staff than children being looked after. Are we really happy to let these children grow up in orphanages? Can we think of fostering or adopting them?
One cannot claim that NGO’s are immune to whatever is happening in the society. As the number of such organisations has crossed all reasonable limits, many people have raised questions about their credibility and there are allegations that it has become merely business. This puts genuine and credible organisations in a difficult position and they have to keep defending themselves, wasting their time and valuable resources. There is no simple answer to this problem. Corruption is rampant in the society and it would be too ambitious to claim the NGO’s are somehow protected from this menace. Unless there is some accountability and people are held responsible for their actions, it is impossible to weed out the fraudulent. The civil society will have to rise above small differences and come up with a solution for this so that the genuine organisations are able to function and in the process the vulnerable are not neglected.
The response of the society does seem ambiguous and at times critical towards the people who engage in social work. Keeping in view the uncertain political situation in the state, most people have been struggling with the challenges of everyday life. This has meant that only a handful have been actually left to fend for these orphans and widows. At some level, we have unrealistic expectations from those who work in and run NGOs. We want them to work for nothing and rather be super-humans. But the reality is they have their own families to raise and look after. Some may have enough resources and time to work for free, but most cannot afford to do so. Then how do we make this sector attractive to credible and hardworking people? We need honest people with real qualifications and passion in social work to take charge. It is time to reason with compassion than just respond with emotions. We have to devise methods for improving the sector than mirror the chaos around.
Work needs to be done towards building trust in voluntary sector so that more people choose to join hands. There is a need for educating the masses about the magnitude of the problem and how their engagement can benefit the needy. It does not have to be only monetary help but time, resources, expertise and knowledge is as important. We have a network of Auqaf committees in every nook and corner of the State, which can be engaged to spread the message e.g. by organising workshops and debates at various places. This again requires some central organisation and network for coordination.
It is evident that overall we do not have much zeal for charity or social service attitude though we may like to think otherwise. NGO’s and orphanages are predominantly run by men when the vulnerable are mostly widows and orphan girls. Involvement of women in such activities would mean better outcome bringing in traits of compassion, dedication and empathy. Keeping in view our sociodemographic profile, men usually work and there are so many educated females with time on their hands who can take on the good cause. But who is going to make that happen, are we too patriarchal a society or it is a general lack of interest? We need to encourage the involvement of women in such activities and make it easy for them to do so. Involvement of women in voluntary sector would also help educate the children and youth to take on social work and create a more charitable society. It would also help the widows living in their homes who may otherwise feel vulnerable and find it hard to trust strangers, particularly men.
We are also not sure about the actual numbers of widows and orphans who are suffering in silence. Apart from few estimates by some international charities, there is no credible local register. Here again, the state has failed to do its duty. To formulate a proper long term plan, numbers are important, so are the estimates of current resources and people involved in such work. Organisations like J&K Yateem Foundation have tried to work beyond the concept of orphanages and expanded work in the community by helping widows, arranging marriages for poor girls, scholarships for poor children for education, to name a few. But a single charity or few charities cannot work everywhere and reach every destitute. It is the time that some order is restored in this sector and a mechanism devised so that NGO’s link and cooperate. Sharing ideas and resources can make a big difference in how the help reaches the needy and those who deserve it most. It would also increase the accountability and cut out those who are using voluntary sector for personal gains.
In the age of information technology and the internet, it is not difficult to have a database and link remote areas and organisations together. It would help to keep track on performance, easy auditing, monitor the movement of children through the system, and compare performance and share resources etcetera. The society has produced so many engineers and IT specialists who can bring in their experience and help to build the necessary infrastructure. I think it is time for such professionals to come forward to help their society especially those who are weaker and worst hit by the ongoing conflict. Every professional can bring in the expertise from respective fields to make this possible.
Finally, it is hard to argue that there is something like an ideal social response. We as a society are going through a difficult phase in our history and whether we have fared well in looking after our orphans and widows will always remain debatable. But certainly we can do better with same resources if we leave our differences aside and come together as a family. We all need to be social workers, advocates and offer whatever we are good at. We have to inculcate the culture of compassion, social work and helping others, in our youth and coming generations. It is time to reflect and act, as no action is too small, and after all, every little helps.
©EHSAAS, J&K Yateem Foundation
