Abdul Khaliq Tak Zainagiri who was a renowned academician, dedicated and honest administrator as well as a selfless social activist is the founder of J&K Yateem Trust. He was born on 19th May, 1924 and he served orphans, widows, ill and downtrodden irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, sex or region. He spent his whole life in the service of Mankind. He had toured far and wide of the state in connection with his research work “Different Dialects of Kashmiri Language” which later won the Sahatya Academy award in year 1970. He had also served as a revenue officer at various places since 1942 therefore he had himself seen the plight of downtrodden communities like orphans, widows and destitutes. People knew him as an honest and God fearing person who would always extend helping hands to the deserving people.
One day a post card was received by him. It was from an orphan boy who had heard about Tak Sahib’s philanthropic behavior and nobility. The boy had stated that he had passed matriculation examination in first division and that he wanted to prosecute his studies and being a destitute widowed mother’s son, was unable to do so as his mother had told him that since she has no income she could not bear the expenses of his education. He therefore requested that Tak Sahib should pay out of his own pocket his “orphan’s” educational expenses; he would work hard to achieve meritorious success in PUC( 11th class) also. Tak Sahib was amazed to receive his letter. Perhaps the boy had written this letter with no hope knowing that rich people have very little time to listen to the miseries of the distressed persons. But that was not true about Tak Sahib. He got up and travelled several miles to locate the family and the boy. When the boy saw Tak Sahib right in front of him at the door of his house, his joy knew no bounds, He stated that he wanted to study further if a help is extended to him. Tak Sahib promised to help with a condition that he shall have to work hard in order to get first division in PUC again. The boy agreed but requested that if he was able to get first division in PUC then Tak Sahib should help him again in first TDC( 12th class) so that his studies do not face a stumbling block. Tak Sahib agreed. The boy got first division in PUC yet again. The help was again extended to him and he got merit in first TDC as well. He became a doctor.
This was the turning point in the life of Tak Sahib. He thought if this orphan boy had not contacted him, his talent would have rotten in rubbish and that there must be many such intelligent and capable orphans who do not get proper avenues to show their talent. “Therefore he must do something for the orphans” he thought. So he established J&K Yateem Trust in the year 1972 altruistically in his native village Hardu Shiva Zainagir which was later registered in the year 1973 and shifted to Srinagar. The Trust was registered with the Registrar of Societies on 24th July 1973 and it is interestingly surprising that on the same date in the year 1989 Tak Sahib left this world for heavenly abode.
The Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust is a living tribute to his life and work. After his death, through a large consensus, his son Mr. Zahoor Ahmad Tak was chosen as the Patron and assigned the Holy task which was real challenge to face.
Due to the turmoil, which surrounded the valley for the past two decades, the whole network of Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust got shattered but from the last few years it has been reestablished and even expanded with the opening of new branches in the valley.
The State especially the Kashmir valley witnessed not only loss of property, human resource and income but worse than that the conflict gave rise to youngest widows of the time who are only 16 years old . According to the official records there are 30,000 widows who are helpless and are soft targets for the exploiters and sometimes are forced to get involved in inhuman and illegal activities. The burden of responsibilities of feeding, educating and bringing up children all alone becomes miserable for these widows most of whom prefer not to marry again for a variety of reasons. Since most of the widows do not remarry, they are put to agonies the whole life which are never shared. When this stress is perpetuated for years it gives rise to depression and psychiatric disorders which is very common amongst widows in Kashmir, Losing the sole bread earner of the family and a life partner brings disaster to women. The problems become serious when they are left with children, who are toddlers or teens.
Enforced disappearance is one of the most harrowing consequences of the armed conflict in Kashmir. During the last two decades of conflict, the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) an organization of the relatives of people who have disappeared, claims that more than 10,000 people have been subjected to enforced disappearance. Of the disappeared persons, between 2000-2005 a majority were married males. Although men have been subjected to disappearance largely, but women have been adversely affected because of being related to them as daughters, mothers, sisters and wives. In the absence of any information about the whereabouts of the disappeared men, their wives have acquired the title of ' Half-Widows'. These half-widows apart from other relatives of disappeared persons are left without any entitlement to land, homes, inheritance, social assistance and pensions.
The government does not provide any relief to half-widows before the expiry of seven years from the date of disappearance. And even after the completion of seven years from the date of disappearance, they get either a one-time grant ranging from Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 or a monthly pension of 400. Further, a half-widow cannot remarry until the expiration of seven years from the date of disappearance of her husband whose whereabouts must not be known in these seven years. In the meantime, the rights to her husband’s property are often threatened. Some widows, who intend to remarry, largely do not find men who are willing to marry them. A study titled, 'Women and Children under the Armed Conflict in Kashmir' done by Prof A G Madhosh, reveals that the migration of widows with their children resulted in a sudden break in normal family life. Women had to assume the roles of breadwinners for their families and the future of their children became insecure.
Another worst hit section of the society is children who lost their parents especially father. According to the official records there are one hundred thousand orphans in the state, who are helpless and waiting for the angles to come for their help. Thousands of grown up girls are waiting for some one who would make arrangements for their marriage.
Conflict made many things non functional even the government machinery. The educational system of the state was also worst hit.
Above all the social structures which were very helpful
and very famous in the valley got broken. Before 1989 if any person would pass away in a village the relatives would come forward for the up bringing and education of the children. But now-a-days it is not happening because of the broken social structures. Even if any one takes the responsibility his eye is in most of the cases on future earnings or on the property of the orphan.
THE J&K YATEEM TRUST CAME FORWARD AND TOOK THE RESPONSIBILITY OF UPBRINGING OF THE ORPHANS AND REHABILITATION OF THE WIDOWS.
The J&K Yateem Trust which started with the establishment of an orphanage only in the year 1972 is now performing multifarious rehabilitative activities and is steadily and gradually marching ahead to become a developmental organization.