Srinagar: International Forum for Justice Human Rights JK on Tuesday paid Glowing tributes to the life and work of Aasia Jeelani who was a foot soldier of human rights in conflict-ridden Kashmir.
In a statement, chairman of IFJHRJK, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo said that Aasia laid down her life in the pursuit of truth and justice for the people of Kashmir. She was martyred on the April 20, 2004 while on assignment in the remote district of Kupwara, when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated that blew the car carrying her and her colleagues and killed her.
Untoo said that Aasiya was the first woman human rights defender from Kashmir who died in action while unraveling the truth behind subjugation of Kashmir’s.
“Today on her 17th martyrdom anniversary we should make a resolve to continue with the good work that she would do when she was alive. It is obligatory on us as Kashmir’s.”
Untoo said that she continues to inspire Kashmir’s, who remember her as a courageous woman with fearless determination and unbending resolve to alleviate her people. She worked to ensure that human rights were guaranteed to the people of Kashmir and were allowed to live a life of dignity.
Untoo said Aasia worked at that time when very few women chose to get confrontational with the highly repressive state. She supported the cause of all most 1600 half widows in Kashmir and helped them in fighting the legal, economic and social as well as psychological battles.
Untoo said one of her biggest contributions was to create a space for women to talk about the on-going conflict. She founded the Kashmiri Women’s Initiative for Peace and Disarmament (KWIPD), an organisation that endeavored to make known the plight of women in Kashmir and garner global support to ensure human rights for them.
Her work inspired young women to claim a space in the movement of Jammu & Kashmir and work in the perilous field of human rights. Many young women in Kashmir are following the path and space created for them by Aasia.
