India has always been a land of sages, mistics and a peace-loving populace. Since time immemorial India has never harboured any ill intentions towards our neighbours and has never sought to subjugate other peoples. With such a history as well as our very well-known strategy of nonviolence as propagated by Gandhiji during our freedom struggle one might perceive the people of India as pacifists, but this cannot be further from the truth. The willingness to take up arms inface of any existential threat and in protection of the weak and oppressed has been the hallmark of our civilization. Since time immemorial our history is replete with stories galore of our men and women who have taken up arms in defence of our motherland and in protection of anyone who sought refuge or protection from us. The women of Kashmir are no different and whenever any inimical power laid eyes on Kashmir the women of the valley stood up to the occasion. The women of Kashmir valley since the late modern period did not have any tradition of taking up arms. This all changed in 1947 when Pakistani Tribesmen with full support and under direct command of the Pak Army decided to attack Jammu and Kashmir. The tribesmen were able to overwhelm the small but professional army of Maharaja Hari Singh with their sheer numbers and direct assistance from the Pak Army. The then political nemesis of Maharaja Hari Singh, Sheikh Abdulla was a Staunch nationalist with a left inclination. Due to the influence of the leftist and because of the imminent and existential threat being faced by Kashmir as a whole and Kashmiri woman in particular a Women Self Defence Corps (WSDC) was created in Srinagar in Oct 1947. The Women Self Defence Corps (WSDC) was created at a time when the threat on Srinagar was acute and imminent. The tales of the trail of massacre, plunder, murder, rape and molestation left behind by the unscrupulous tribesmen had put Srinagar in a state of angst and panic. The motivation behind enlisting in WSDC of the teenage girls and young women apart from the desire to protect the sovereignty of their motherland and the lives of their loved ones, was also a quest for a means to defend their own honour. Women preferred dying fighting than having to be helpless infront of the marauding tribesmen. Women from all religious backgrounds volunteered to join the ranks of WSDC. They were given physical, discipline and weapons training. The venue for this historical and significant milestone was Gol Bagh in Srinagar, which was renamed later as Usman Zanana Park in the honour of Brigadier Usman. The women of WSDC were trained in marksmanship and handling of weapons like 303 Rifles, sten gun, bren gun and pistols. They were also given training in grenade handling on the outskirts of Srinagar in Chandmari. The young women were excited to test their marksmanship and took part in various marksmanship competitions, the winner of which was given a few bags of salt a scarce but precious commodity in Srinagar as all trade routes from Pakistan had been blocked by them which traditionally supplied salt in the valley.
Initially only college going young women joined the WSDC but when the young recruits of WSDC started their outreach programme, thing began to change. The recruits went to small mohallas and villages in groups of 4-5 to inspire others, very soon hundreds of women started to join. The volunteers of WSDC went to hospitals to provide a sense of security and comfort to the victims of rape and torture at the hands of Pakistani tribesmen, organised refugee camps and managed donation centres. There was also a cultural front of WSDC, in which they performed in plays and songs in order to display their nationalism and showcase to the world that people of Kashmir want a secular and peaceful state. Some prominent names of women who joined the WSDC were Kanta Wazir, Krishna Misri, Girja Dhar and Jai Kishori. Although the WSDC never fought on the frontlines the women of WSDC provided crucial logistical support in the form of rear area security, running of hospitals and tending to the wounded and sick. The programme lasted for roughly a year but the impact it had on the entire society was profound. Wherever the women of WSDC went the took along with them a feeling of empowerment and camaraderie. The WSDC will always have a niche and special place in the annals of history of our nation and Kashmir.
