'Widow' struck off Kashmir records

The authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have banned the use of the word "widow" in official records saying it aggravates the suffering of a woman already grief-stricken by the loss of her husband.

They say records in English, Urdu and Hindi will instead, now refer to the widow as "wife of deceased".

The moves follows a directive issued by India's National Human Rights Commission.

Women in Indian Kashmir have welcomed the change.

They say it gives them a sense of respectability.

Correspondents say the issue is particularly sensitive in the disputed territory of Kashmir where some 10,000 women have lost their husbands in the conflict.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service