The Half Widow  (English, Paperback, Shafi Ahmad)

In late eighties situation in Kashmir takes a violent turn. The situation has been brewing up for some time with disgruntled youth showing anger towards the local government on one side and the union government on other side. In early nineties the violence erupts at a larger scale and youth are lured to the arms training across the line of control between India and Pakistan. First ex filtration takes place and after some time infiltration from across is followed with large scale ammunition being brought into the state particularly the valley. What follows is the armed conflict between youth and the armed forces.

The common Kashmir's are caught between the cross fire. The brunt is taken by the local population who reside in the atmosphere of fear. A free for all starts which results in large scale violence, killings, abductions and all that. Many arrested or abducted are subjected to enforced disappearance. Unofficial estimates put the number at eight thousand. There are many whose sons, brothers, husbands and dear ones do not return . The women whose husbands are subjected to enforced disappearance are not able to cope up with the new development as they can't comprehend whether their loved ones are dead or alive. A new word is coined for such ladies whose husbands do not return, neither any information about their death or life is passed on. Such women are known as Half widows a .The struggle for whereabouts of these missing persons continues. The wait does not end!