In Srinagar, a single mother’s search for safety has turned into a three-year battle against the very system meant to protect her. From denied school documents to ignored warrants, she shares the heartbreaking story of how the judiciary became the biggest obstacle to her child’s survival.
By Farhana Hamid
In the crowded halls of the Srinagar District Court, justice is supposed to be a shield for the weak. But for one mother who walked through its doors in 2022, the system has felt more like a weapon used against her. What started as a search for safety from an abusive marriage has turned into a three-year nightmare where the court itself has become the biggest obstacle to her child’s survival.
The first blow was a shock to the system. All the mother needed was her husband’s Aadhaar card—not for a bank account or property, but so her toddler could get life-saving vaccines. When the husband refused to provide it in open court, she says the judge didn’t intervene. This wasn’t just a legal setback; it was a physical blow to a mother trying to keep her child healthy.
That early indifference soon turned into a disaster for the child’s future. Because the court failed to make the father provide basic documents, the little boy has now lost an entire year of school. He is about to pass the age limit for Nursery, meaning the legal system has effectively blocked his right to an education. While the court moves at a snail’s pace, the child is growing up without the basic start in life every toddler deserves.
The court’s handling of the case has been a cycle of empty threats. Six times, the court issued “Non-Bailable Warrants” against the husband for ignoring orders. And six times, those warrants were simply cancelled without explanation. By failing to punish him for ignoring the law, the court is essentially rewarding him. While the legal arguments drag on, the mother is left struggling to buy the most basic necessities: milk and diapers.
The atmosphere inside the court is just as hostile. As a single mother, she feels invisible. She is forced to rely on lawyers who often haven’t even read her file, sending junior assistants who don’t know the details of her life. Even worse is the feeling that “who you know” matters more than the law. There is a painful sense that senior lawyers use their personal friendships with judges to get the results they want, leaving ordinary people in the dark.
The final insult happens every time she enters the courtroom. Because she has no one to help her, she has to bring her two-year-old son with her—the very child she is fighting for. Instead of compassion, she says she is met with looks of annoyance and impatience from the judge because a toddler is “disturbing” the quiet of the court.
After three agonizing years, her Domestic Violence case hasn’t even moved past the starting line. She went to court to end her suffering, but instead, the process has made her a victim all over again. She is forced to watch the system destroy her child’s future while she waits for a justice that never seems to arrive.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of this Magazine. The author can be reached at [email protected]
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