Basera E Tabassum ("BeT") is an Indian girls' shelter. It was started in 2002 for girls who lost their parents as a result of

armed conflict War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

during the ongoing

Kashmir conflict The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, and also between China and India in the northeastern portion of the region. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1 ...

. The mission of BeT is "To provide a secure home to the girls in the armed conflict". At the time of BeT's founding, no girls' shelters were available in this area. BeT is the first project launched in the

Kupwara district Kupwara district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mentio ...

, which is badly affected by

militancy The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

History

BeT was started by

Borderless World Foundation Borderless World Foundation (BWF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization registered under India's Societies Registration Act, 1860. Working in Jammu and Kashmir, along the conflict-riven border region in between India, Pakistan & China, ...

, led by Bharti Mamani, Mohiuddin Mir, Bipin Takwale, Zahoor Sheikh and Adhik Kadam in

. As of 2016, over 5 BeT Homes operate across

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

Programs

BeT works mainly with girls who are unable to live normal, secure lives due to the loss of parents in the militancy. BeT provides shelter to the girls and cares for their

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

and

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

. More than 200 girls occupy the 5 homes. The shelters are located in

Anantnag district Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a m ...

Budgam district Budgam district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kash ...

Srinagar district The Srinagar District is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and ...

, and

Jammu district Jammu district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kash ...

. BeT is supported by

Asha for Education Asha for Education ("Asha") is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the United States. History and Mission Asha was founded in 1991 by V.J.P.Srivatsavoy, Deepak Gupta, and Sandeep Pandey at the University of California, Ber ...

National Securities Depository Limited National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) is an Indian central securities depository, based in Mumbai. It was established in August 1996 as the first electronic securities depository in India with national coverage. It was established based ...

and

HDFC Bank HDFC Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services company, headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's largest private sector bank by assets and market capitalisation. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has identified the HDFC Bank, Stat ...

GTL Ltd GTL Limited (Global Telesystems Limited), is a network services company based in Navi Mumbai. It is India's largest network services provider to the world, and is a Global Group Enterprise. GTL Limited provides services to telecom operators, t ...

. BeT organizes national-level education exposure tours for better understanding of various cultures and educational methods. BeT also provides the girls with training and workshops. Local schools help BeT girls with admissions and regular classes. Colleagues and Kashmri University students join block field work courses via their undergraduate programs. Students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Nirmala Niketan, University of Pune, and University of Delhi send social work students to participate in field work as per the requirements of their master's degree. Under Education Exposure Tours, children visit cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Nasik, Kolhapur, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is a multi-campus public university in Mumbai, India. It is Asia's oldest institute for professional social work education and was founded in 1936 in the then Bombay Presidency of British India as the S ...

, Motiwala Education and Welfare Trust.

Visits and recognition

Children of BeT pursue higher education in cities including

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

Nasik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari River, Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sit ...

, and

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...

, especially in

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

and

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

. Many younger girls take courses in computerized embroidery, making sanitary napkins, stitching, knitting, and various computer courses. Some girls are recognized as upcoming business entrepreneurs. Furthermore, in photography, girls won national awards. Prominent personalities including Shahu Maharaj

Kolhapur State The Kolhapur State was a Maratha princely state of India, under the Deccan Division of the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was considered the most important of the Maratha principalities with the others being Baroda Sta ...

Syed Ata Hasnain Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM & Bar is a retired General of the Indian Army. His last assignment in service was as the Military Secretary of the Indian Army. Prior to that, he commanded the Indian Army's 15 ...

and the Holkar Dynasty have sponsored the initiative.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Jammu district Srinagar district Budgam district Anantnag district Kupwara district Orphanages in India 2002 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir Peacebuilding in Jammu and Kashmir