WE THE PEOPLE
Social Welfare Department has failed to improve lives of Orphans and Widows in Kashmir Valley
Hence People urge concerned Authorities to meet Objectives and provide Relief to the deserving Lot
By: Mirror News Service
Srinagar: In a democratic set up of any government, it is the moral obligation of the ruling government to cater to the needs of the downtrodden sections of the society. Not only this, the government has to come up with a more comprehensive and effective Scheme to address the issues of this section of the society and has to work in a variety of settings; within a framework of relevant legislation and procedures, supporting individuals, families and groups within the community. That is what for, the Social Welfare Department is meant for.
The main objectives of the department are to improve peoples' lives by helping them to cope with issues in their everyday life and help those who face a disability or a life-threatening disease or a social problem, such as inadequate housing, and unemployment. Similarly the issues of orphans and widows are on toll and need to be addressed seriously. There is a need from top bureaucratic level to ground social worker to conduct research, advocate for improved services, engage in systems design and get involved in planning or policy development. In a conflict ridden state like J&K; to what extent the Social Welfare Department stands to meet its objectives is a matter of concern.
According to Sociological Study of Widows and Orphans conducted by Professor Bashir Ahmad Dabla of Kashmir University, there were 32400 widows and 97200 orphans in Kashmir in 2008.It also stated that the number of widows grew from 16000 in 2000 to 32400 in 2008. The study reveals that the main cause of this alarming number of widows and orphan in Kashmir is because of the two decade old conflict. The condition of these widows and orphans has been deteriorated to the miserable subhuman level. However, the study reflects that neither the State government nor NGOs have been able to address this problem properly and in a systemized way. While pointing towards the remedial approach in this regard, the study emphasis the strong response from the state authorities and the civil society. It further states there should be an immediate need to take the help of NGO's in effective implementation of the plans of government.
By turning a blind eye and careless attitude of the members of civil society, the only places for survival of orphans are orphanages and that too for lucky ones. But the majority of these orphans live in penury and extreme poverty, contradictory to what the State government had been claiming. Another survey conducted by the Department of Education in Kashmir University (KU) revealed that orphans between age group of 0-6 and 6-14 live in a state of depression and dreariness. The survey further maintained that 2.5 lakh orphans in the age group of 5-14 years live in deplorable conditions.
Shockingly, the response of the State government to the orphan problems is a relief package and the deserving one is to receive an ex-gratia relief Rs. 1.00 lakh or a little more than that. But the State provides ex-gratia relief to the orphans, only after completing a hectic procedure which is not desirable. An official of the Social Welfare Department, pleading anonymity, said that the State government is yet to find out total number of orphans in the state. "No one is serious about addressing the concerns of the orphans, a compensation of Rs.75,000, of which Rs 5,000 goes as bribe to local officials is what all an orphan gets from the State government, that too in a few cases," added the official.
Saima Farhad, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Kashmir University said, "If we think and analyze the situation, one wonders what could have been the condition of these poor creatures under the sun, if volunteers would not come out and opened homes at various places across the State for the orphans and NGO would not have opened these Orphanages. It is understood that the plight of orphans would have been appalling as the State government is incapable of addressing the issue of orphans, it is yet to disburse money and provide justice in proven cases of human rights violation, how can one expect it to do something for the orphans across the state," stressed the lecturer.
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