Hunger is the only thing they fear

The hardy women fish sellers of Srinagar at The Amirakadal Bridge on river Jhelum manage to set up their stalls on the bridge everyday.

Driven by poverty, these women even defy the strike which has become a daily norm in Srinagar and the rest of Kashmir, to be out on the bridge, lest their families go hungry.

Thirty-three year old Rafiqa makes it a point to reach the Amirakadal Bridge on the river Jhelum in Srinagar at 9 am to sell fish.

If there is hartal in the City, she has several problems to surmount. She will have to walk several kilometres to reach the Amirakadal bridge as she is staying at Telbal-Hazratbal on the outskirts of the state capital. “On normal days, I get public transport. But on strike days I walk several km on foot with the container on head to reach the bridge.

During curfew, life is miserable. Police do not allow me to reach the bridge and I have to sell the fish in my locality, sometimes at a lesser price.’ says Rafiqa.

The Amirakadal Bridge connects the historic Lal Chowk with other Civil Lines areas of Srinagar and below the bridge flows the river Jhelum, which finally enters Pakistan. As per the Indus water treaty, Pakistan uses the river water and Kashmir cannot stop the flow of water. The river originates from a spring at Veerinag in south Kashmir.

On the Amirkadal Bridge, some fishseller women are from Rafiqa's area and others are from different localities in Srinagar city. Their men catch the fish and the catch is sold by the women the next day. “In winter the fishing becomes difficult due to cold.

They can catch only very small quantity and we have to purchase the fish from others and sell here,” said Rafiqa.

Shahina, another fisherwoman, sitting besides Rafiqa, says they do not earn much when they have to buy the fish from others. “My husband is ill for last five months. I have two daughters and a son. I do not want my kids to continue with our profession. I am sending them to school and I want them to become doctors, engineers or teachers,” she said.

People in Kashmir do not consume fish in large quantities like they do mutton and chicken.

“I wish the people consume more fish than mutton and chicken. Not only have we wanted more customers but too much of eating mutton leads to overweight and related ailments,” says Shahina.

The fisherwomen have to bear the brunt during disturbances. Fifty eight-year old Zaina is selling the fish on the bridge for the last 26 years. “I think this bridge is witness to what has happened in Kashmir in last two decades of violence.

I have seen bullets and blasts killing hundreds of people on this bridge. Initially, I used to get disturbed and did not want to sell the fish here. But other fisherwomen persuaded me to continue, pointing out that the entire Kashmir is disturbed,” she said.

Zaina says the tough phase of militant violence is almost over, but the strikes and curfew in the last four months are making life difficult for them. “Even as we come on this bridge to sell the fish we find very few customers on strike days. We have to wait the whole day for the customers and some times we have to return with unsold fish,” she says.

The woman said the government employees in Kashmir do not have to bother during strikes. “They get pay even if they sit at home. But we have to come out even during the disturbance. If we also sit at home, who will feed our families?”

Sometimes women and girls accompany men during fishing. “Since our schools were closed for several months, I too was going fishing with my brother,” said 18-year old Nazia. She said how she could sit at home and wait for the family to suffer financially.

Nazia added that the fishing profession is on the decline in the Valley. “More and more people are switching over to other professions. This is because we feel that we are unable to generate more money. With prices of even essential commodities skyrocketing we are unable to meet our both ends meet,” she said.

The fishermen get their daily catch from the river Jhelum and the world famous Dal Lake. Manzoor Ahmad, 37, leaves his home in a boat early in the morning and goes to either to Jhelum or Dal Lake for fishing. “I take my lunch box with me.

I spend the whole day fishing with short breaks in between,” he said. Manzoor said he cannot afford not to go fishing. His family would suffer. “We cannot afford to buy fish from others and sell as margins are very low.  That is why I move out every day and do fishing. My mother and sister-in-law sell those in the market,” he said.

Very few men are in the business of selling fish in Srinagar markets. Fifty-eight-years old Abdul Gaffar sells the fish at the Goni Khan market near the Amirakadal Bridge.

“When my wife was alive I used to go fishing and she would go to market to sell the fish, but after her death none of the women - neither my daughters nor daughters-in-law want to do it. Hence, I have to sell the fish.” he says.