Half-widow struggling to sustain family

Bandipore,June 21: Haleema Begum, 35 is selling vegetables to sustain her five children after her husband went missing in 2003. “I hope that my husband will return, but presently am struggling hard to make the ends meet,” she said adding that educating the children had become a Herculean task due to financial constraints.Haleema’s husband Manzoor Ahmad Baba 38, a carpet weaver left for Srinagar from his home at Bankoot on January 20, 2003 and never returned. “I and my relatives visited the army camps, jails and interrogation centers to ascertain Manzoor’s whereabouts, but failed to trace him,” she said adding the repeated pleas made to the senior police officials of the districts also failed to bear any fruits. “Except hollow promises, these officials did not lend me any help in tracing my husband,” she said. “The State Human Rights Commission also refused to pursue my case,” Haleema added. “I approached police station Bandipora to get the death certificate of my husband, but the officials demanded Rs 5, 000,” she added. She said the government failed to extend any financial support. “I made numerous representations to the concerned officials seeking financial help, but my pleas fell on deaf ears,” she said. TARIQ RASOOL