By Tabish Khan
Srinagar: According police report, more than 264 cases of braid chopping have happened in Jammu province while more than 150 in Kashmir in the last three months.
Braid-chopping incidents were first reported in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts in mid-September and have since spread to others districts of the region.
Almost every day, a braid-chopping incident or a failed attempt was being reported from some part of the Valley and protests were being held.
Eleven-year-old Maria Fayaz was in state of shock. Every time a stranger knocks at main gate of her two-storie-house, located in Noorbagh area of Srinagar district, her face turns pale, legs shiver and words fumble.
The sixth standard girl was responding strangely since last two months after her hair-locks were chopped under mysterious circumstances ‘by two unknown men dressed in black and had put on a mask’. Maira was found in an unconscious state by her mother, Haleema, when she came inside after finishing the work of their kitchen-garden.
“She was lying unconscious on the floor with her hair cut. We immediately took her to SHMS (Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science) hospital for treatment,” said Haleema accompanied by a few family members inside a drawing-room of her house.
Mahira told INS that two men who chopped her hair used needles to make her unconscious unlike others who say they were put to sleep by some kind of spray. “They pricked needles continuously on my right hand until I collapsed. They also shut my mouth with their hands so that I can’t raise alarm,” Mahira added.
Asmat Khan (28), another victim of mysterious braid chopping almost has a same kind of story to share with. On October 10 early morning, two men donning black clothes and jack boots chopped her hair when she was inside a kitchen preparing bread her family. “I heard footsteps approaching towards me from the corridor. I felt it was my father-in-law and I called him by his name, but seconds later someone replied in Kashmiri that he was not my father-in-law but an angel of death for me,” she said.
Asmat, according to her family, put on a fight with her molesters by trying not to allowing them to enter inside the kitchen. She later was hit by a brick before making her unconscious with a spray, and seven thousand rupees and a golden chain was stolen.
The family said that Asmat is facing some health issues apart from being in depression. They say she complains spray has impacted her eyes.
“I usually suffer from headaches, and everything turns black in front of my eyes. I get irritated by the presence of people,” Asmat said adding “My consultant has recommended me to go see a psychiatrist.”
Shabir Ahmad Khan believes her wife, Asmat, is behaving in a strange way after the incident. He said Asmat is lost in some deep thoughts and hardly shows interest in doing house hold chores. “Prior to this incident I haven’t seen her in such a situation. She was the first person to wake up early in the morning and do all house hold chores,” he said. “Those who claim that the victims whose hair was chopped are suffering from physiological disorder are actually themselves suffering from it. My wife was fit mentally that our neighbors and relatives used to give example of her intelligence.”
Qusain Aijaz, a 16-year-old school going girl became the victim of mysterious hair chopping incident on October 11 last month. The class tenth student was getting ready to for tuitions. But before she could leave her home her long as well as dense braid was chopped.
Qusain was recovered by her mother in an unconscious state. She maintains that someone hit her with a stone after that she did not knew what happened next. “I don’t understand who is behind it and what sort pleasure are they enjoying by doing all this” she Qusain.
Qusain mother, Tasleema, told INS that she has seen a different side of her daughter that they had never seen before. “She weeps whole day and lives in her own world. I can’t see my daughter in such a state. Whosoever is involved in chopping I want to slit her throat and burn his body,” the anguishing mother said.
Psychiatrists, however, say it is difficult to come to a conclusion without examining every case. “It is difficult to conclude that whether all victims are psychiatric patients. It is difficult to deduct a pattern,” a psychiatrist said.
“Without examining every case individually, we cannot come to a conclusion that it is a psychiatric phenomenon,” he said.
Another psychiatrist said the police’s announcement for reward has led to complications. “We cannot come with an announcement that this is a psychiatric issue when the police are officially looking for some culprit,” the psychiatrist said.
An official circular was issued in valley’s lone physiatrist hospital not to speak regarding the matter.
A renowned psychiatrist on the condition of anonymity said that he sees braid chopping in three different perspectives. “Psychiatrics have not jumped to any conclusion because there are three different perspectives in it. One, some cases propose that someone is behind it, others suggest it is a case of mass hysteria created by threat and the rest cases hint that others vigilantes might have involved themselves into the case for their own benefits like thieves,” he said.
The doctor said for mass hysteria the subject (patient) demands not to be mentally ill as it can arise due to immense fear. “In the case of mass hysteria patients don’t know about their acts, and they hardly remember anything they did during the time their mind was occupied by fear.”
He added that there is no chemical that can make a person unconscious in few minutes. “This is what makes confuses me. I did some research on internet but could not find any such substance that can make anyone unconscious in a minute.”
Azka Sunain, an anthologist at Sheri-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, told INS it take several minutes to her in making her patients unconscious. She said that it depends upon the concentration of chemical given to the person. “No one knows what sort of chemical the chemical is being used on the victims. In normal situation at the hospital it depends on the type of anesthetic agent and additive or any other chemical in it,” Sunain said.
She further stated she cannot comment on the ill impact of the chemical or unless and until the name of the chemical come into limelight. “There are rumors that victims complain memory loss, impact on eye sight, nausea etc but I personally believe all such claims are rumors”.
State Women’s Commission Chairperson Nayeema Mehjoor told INS that police claims that it is a case of mass hysteria but she disagrees unless a solid proof is provided to the commission.
“Health department should clear the air about the chemical sprayed and should distinguish whether it really is a case of mass hysteria or a crime.
She added that police department has assured her to provide detailed report to the commission about the cases. “From now onwards whenever a suspect would be nabbed by police the commission will get involved in it to find the truth,” Mehjoor said.
The Chairperson said the Commission has proposed government of providing professional councilors so that they recover from trauma and depression. “Government has responded positively and I will personally accompany the team. The campaign will begin very soon,” she added.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Imtiyaz Hussain said, “Some incidents occurred within the four walls of victims’ houses. One of the victims was consulting a psychiatrist. There are some radical elements who don’t want women to be given a free hand. They want to stop women from pursuing education and government and private jobs and this is happening right now.”
The opposition National Conference party accused the state government of failing to protect the “dignity” of their “mothers, daughters and sisters.
Protests have often ended in clashes between government forces and civilians. Police earlier created a “special investigative team” to catch the attackers. They also announced a 600,000 rupee award. But separatists accuse government forces of planning these attacks to “intimidate” Kashmiris.
Young men across the state also formed vigilante groups, with sometimes tragic results. Vigilantes killed a 70-year-old man who they mistook for a “braid chopper”. Six foreign tourists, including a British national, were also threatened by a mob in Srinagar.
Waseem Ahmad was brutally beaten by a vigilante mob in north Kashmir because they suspected him of being a “braid chopper”. He says they tried to burn him alive but he was rescued by the police.
Hundreds of people installed CCTV cameras in their homes after the rise of incidents and to vigil the people who is visiting their home.
On October 25, the High Court had directed the police to consider forming specialised crime-cracking teams for investigating the braid cutting incidents after the police said that no braid cutter has been identified yet. The case will now come up for hearing on December 12.
(The writer is working with INS as feature reporter)
