 Kashmir is Parvati, so said Lord Krishna in the Neelmath Puran and perhaps that is why collective memory, cultural history, folklore tells us of the Kuldevis, the Matrikas, the Shaktis. In fact, all the myriad manifestations of the mother goddess, which reside in the gurgling brooks, sparkling rivers and lofty peaks of this land to nurture and to protect myth or legend. But the truth also is that always and even in its darkest hours, women in Kashmir have been its guiding light, nurturing and protecting. Traditionally, for centuries, socially and culturally, women in Kashmir have been nurtured in freedom and equality, which once militancy suddenly erupted made it even more difficult for them to accept the dictates of foreigners, who demanded invisibility and subservience from women. They defied these dictates as best as they could, working to sustain their children, families, themselves and society. Bravely, taking a stand against all odds, even if they belong to a miniscule minority. Iron butterflies is how one Westerner described Indian women, soft, gentle and beautiful on the outside, but with steel running inside as they nurture, protect and sustain themselves and their own. We are very, very much working so that we also make progress on a level with the пол-international government in other countries as well. We are not following them, we are just following each other's communities. Whether someone does not allow me to do so or not, I am happy that I am helping someone out to this point. May be Allah has already given me the advice that I can give someone their daily daily job or find another job. Across India, women live up to this reputation every day of their lives. Women in Kashmir are no exception.