Parliamentary Committee On Home Affairs To Visit JK, Ladakh

SRINAGAR: The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs will pay a visit to Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh from August 17 to 21 for a detailed examination of matters relating to administration, development and people’s welfare in the two Union territories.

While the committee, chaired by deputy leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress MP Anand Sharma, will arrive in Ladakh on August 16 and be there on August 17 and 18, it will spend the remaining part of the tour in Jammu and Srinagar before returning from Jammu on August 22.

The standing committee plans to hold meetings with select stakeholders on the subject ‘administration, development and people’s welfare in the UTs of Ladakh and J&K’ for an in-depth understanding of their issues and problems, along with representatives of the ministry of home affairs and administration of UT of J&K and Ladakh. It also seeks to review and get a briefing on working conditions of CRPF, ITBP and BSF.

In Ladakh, the panel will hold meetings with the advisor to LG, Ladakh; chief secretary of UT of J&K; and select stakeholders.

The standing committee on home affairs comprises 28 members who are MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The visit comes almost two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met leaders of all mainstream political parties of JK.

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Cattle-Lifter Bear On Prowl In Ganderbal

SRINAGAR: A cattle-lifter bear was on prowl on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir Ganderbal district throwing villagers into a tailspin.

The residents of the Haripora village of Ganderbal district said the bear struck in the early hours of Monday morning, lifting its fifth prey from the village.

“It tore the iron window mesh of our cowshed and entered during the night.”

“It lifted a calf and broke the shed’s door from inside to escape with its prey,” said Muhammad Shafi Bhat whose calf was lifted by the prowling bear.

Monday’s is the fifth cattle attack by the bear in this village. Earlier, under similar circumstances, it entered the cowshed of another villager in Haripora.

Abdul Rashid Sheikh lost his calf to the prowler a fortnight earlier.

“We shouted and beat iron sheets after we heard noises from our cowshed. By then, the bear had lifted our calf and run away.”

“We chased it and in panic, the bear let go of the critically wounded calf that later succumbed to injuries caused by the predator,” said Abdul Rashid.

In between, the bear killed a sheep and two more calves in the adjoining hamlets.

Villagers fear that the predating bear could also attack children and wayfarers if it fails to get its kill of the cattle.

The wildlife protection department has decided to set up cages in the village today to capture the predating bear.

“We will capture it and shift it to the rehabilitation centre inside the Dachigam national park.

“We are setting up the cages today,” news agency IANS quoted an officer of the wildlife protection department as having said.

Till the prowler is captured and shifted away, scores of villagers in Haripora are spending sleepless nights to haplessly guard their cows, calves and sheep in the village.

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Four Suspected Drones Spotted In Samba

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said that four flying objects, suspected to be drones, were spotted in Samba district on Sunday.

Quoting a police official, news gathering agency GNS reported that the drones were spotted by them in the vicinity of Bari Brahmana police station.

The police did not open fire as the drones were flying out of range, he said. However, army personnel posted in 92 Infantry Brigade were informed.

SSP Samba Rajesh Sharma said that four “flying objects with red lights” were spotted and that they are suspected to be drones.

He said that security forces are already on high alert.

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Is Kashmir Failing As An Ideal Society?

by Naveed Para

The conversation needs to begin at home, we have to immediately stop talking about mental health issues as ‘absurd’ or ‘weird’, mental health issues are as real as physiological issues.

A woman caught for peddling drugs.

Recently, it was noted that a child as young as a 10-year-old boy from north Kashmir was diagnosed at the drug de-addiction Centre of SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, to reveal that he was a heroin abuser. The 10-year-old boy is currently on Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST), a treatment regimen that makes it possible to give up heroin and other opium derivative drugs, highly addictive and with life-threatening consequences.

In another case, in early July, it was seen that a 24-year-old youth in Kashmir committed suicide on Sunday by jumping into Aharbal waterfall in the Kulgam district. During the second wave of Covid19, suicide cases have seen a surge in Kashmir.

According to experts, economic distress, drug abuse and frequent domestic violence are the main reason for the rise in suicide cases in Kashmir. As per some reports, more than 100 people, mostly youth, have committed suicides in Kashmir during the last six months. Over 500 attempt to suicide cases from different areas of Kashmir have been reported at Srinagar’s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in the last year, as per official figures.

The Kashmiri society, by the virtue of its existence, has been in shape and form as a society largely banking on the community spirit of the people.

The Mind In Mess

In this rising trend across Kashmir, suicides are peaking. This dangerous tipping point is especially visible among youth. Without the space to express, breathe and freely move, owing to the nuances of living in a conflict zone moved to chaos by Covid19, suicides are becoming a very prominent cause of death in Kashmir.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has recorded around 6000 cases of suicide in Kashmir between 1990 and 2019, with experts attributing the cause to the conflict. Many experts have also pointed towards mental health issues like anxiety, major depressive disorders, and drug addiction as probable suicide causes.

A Failing Society?

With all the data and deaths that are available at our disposal as evidence, it is enough to conclude that we are blatantly failing as a society. Apart from our circumstances, the distance from our doors to our hearts is causing our children to indulge in activities that are wrong both, in the Islamic sense and morally. Surviving a history of clampdowns, lockdowns even the ones before the Covid19 pandemic was eating up people, our community spirit has kept many disasters at bay.

Taking a cue from the way people helped each other during the 2014 floods, our Kashmiri brothers and sisters not only helped each other but also tourists stranded with them. Sheltering, feeding, and taking care of random strangers; that is when we showed our social fabric to everyone who had lost faith in the feeling of Kashmiriyat.

Unusual Circumstances

We Kashmiris are surrounded by unusual circumstances since the foundation of the concept of the modern nation-state, from the way we live to the way we dress, everything has been questioned. Every now and then we are met with a disaster, sometimes natural, sometimes man-made, yet we manage to stay afloat, we resist the sink!

In a research conducted by Syed Amin and AW Khan published in the International Journal of Health Sciences; they reveal shocking data. Due to continuing conflict in Kashmir during the last 18 years, there has been a phenomenal increase in psychiatric morbidity. The results reveal that the prevalence of depression is 55.72%. The prevalence is highest (66.67%) in the 15 to 25 years age group, followed by 65.33% in the 26 to 35 years age group. The difference in the prevalence of depression among males and females is significant.

Depression is much higher in rural areas (84.73%) as compared to urban areas (15.26%). In rural areas, the prevalence of depression among females is higher (93.10 %) as compared to males (6.8%).

Naveed Parra

As I seeing this impending disaster that has found its way into our houses, the need of the hour is to talk to each other and forms civil society group that work on knowing our society, its need, its wants, its desires, drawing a special focus on our youth and what it needs to understand our social fabric better. The way we have institutionalized the profession of healthcare, it is high time to collaborate with mental health practitioners and work towards the de-stigmatization of mental health diseases and mental healthcare needs.

The conversation needs to begin at home, we have to immediately stop talking about mental health issues as ‘absurd’ or ‘weird’, mental health issues are as real as physiological issues. The more we steer away from having a conversation about mental health means we will be pushing more children into drugs and suicide. Drugs and self-harm are activities that neither our culture nor our community professes, these need to be stopped at their roots.

(The author is an advocate by profession. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Kashmir Life.)  

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Journalist Moazum Muhammad Bereaved

SRINAGAR: Journalist Moazum Muhammad’s father passed away on Sunday. Ghulam Nabi Bhat was not keeping good health for some time. He was laid to rest Sunday evening.

Moazum is working for Kashmir Reader besides freelancing with India Today and many other media outlets. He is an office bearer of the Kashmir Press Club also. Bhats’ live at Lane 4, Iqbalabad Bemina.

The Kashmir Press Club has also expressed its heartfelt condolences to Moazum Mohammad. The Jammu Kashmir Civil Society Forum Srinagar and the Chairman of KCCI and Kashmir Traders Federation President have also expressed their condolences.

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Wedding Party Survives Food Poisoning, 60 Hospitalised

by Hilal Shah

SRINAGAR: On Thursday a marriage function turned into mourning after 60 people including bride and groom fell sick within hours after they had their Wazwaan feast at Mirnag (Haihama) in Kupwara. It was later revealed that they had food poisoning.

“We don’t know how it happened, it was our sister’s marriage on Saturday, July 29, and everything was going fine,” the bride, Qurat’s brother Javid Anzar said. “All of a sudden, some of the relatives started pain in his stomach and was feverish and soon we drove him to the Kupwara hospital.”

While the family was busy managing the first one, within minutes almost all the invited guests experienced the same crisis – pain in their stomach, headache and fever.

One of the family’s friend’s from a neighbouring village said though they had sent only two members to attend the function, all the eight members fell sick. They all were admitted to the same hospital. Most of them were vomiting and complaining of dysentery.

BMO Kupwara Dr Zaffar told Kashmir Life that 60 persons are under treatment in Kupwara hospital and all are stable. He said they all had food poisoning and had diarrhoea. “They will be fine soon,” he said.

Authorities have already collected the food samples.

Foods in high temperatures and humid situations start decaying quickly unless managed properly in freezers. It is more problematic with Wazwaan as all the preparations require a high temperature.

 

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COVID-19: JK Reports 145 New Cases, One Death

SRINAGAR: The Government on Sunday informed that145 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), 48 from Jammu division and 97 from Kashmir division, have been reported today, thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 321607.Also 01 COVID death has been reported from Jammu Division.

Moreover, 109 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from various hospitals including 35 from Jammu Division and 74from Kashmir Division.

Besides this, 99.48 percent of the population above the age of 45 years has been vaccinated across Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bulletin also informs that No confirmed case of Mucormycosis has been reported today, thus the total number of confirmed cases remains 35 in the UT of J&K.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), out of 321607 positive cases, 1211are Active Positive, 316017 have recovered and 4379 have died; 2143 in Jammu division and 2236 in Kashmir division.

The Bulletin further said that out of 11777725 test results available, 11456118 samples have been tested as negative till today.

Till date 2850478 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 7437 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 1211 in isolation and 354480 in home surveillance. Besides, 2482971 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Srinagar has 71421 positive cases (including 32 cases reported today) with 307 Active Positive, 70282 recovered (including 43 cases recovered today), 832 deaths; Baramulla has 23650 positive cases (including 25 cases reported today) with 130 Active Positive, 23238 recovered (including 09 cases recovered today), 282 deaths; Budgam reported 22904 positive cases (including 09 cases reported today) with 70 active positive cases, 22629 recovered (including 07 cases recovered today), 205 deaths; Pulwama has 15191 positive cases (including 03 cases recovered today) with 51 Active Positive, 14946 recovered and 194 deaths; Kupwara has 14069 positive cases (including 04 cases reported today), 30 Active Positive, 13874 recoveries (including 08 cases recovered today), 165 deaths;  Anantnag district has 16328 positive cases (including 05 cases reported today)with 39 Active Positive, 16084 recovered (including 03 cases recovered today), 205 deaths;  Bandipora has 9470 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 13 Active Positive, 9357 recoveries, 100 deaths; Ganderbal has 9920 positive cases (including 13 cases reported today) with 60 Active Positive, 9782 recoveries (including 04 cases recovered today) and 78 deaths; Kulgam has 11265 positive cases (including 04 cases reported today)with 34 Active Positive, 11114 recoveries and 117 deaths while as Shopian has 5584 positive cases with 10 active positive cases, 5516recoveriesand 58 deaths.

Similarly, Jammu has 52777 positive cases (including 13 cases reported today) with 107 active positive cases, 51531 recoveries (including 17 cases recovered today), 1139 deaths; Udhampur has 11299 positive cases (including 03 cases recovered today), 32 active positive cases, 11131 recoveries (including 01 cases recovered today) and 136 deaths; Rajouri has 10932 positive cases (including 03 cases reported today) 46 active positive, 10661 recoveries (including 04 cases recovered today) and 225 deaths; Doda has 7265 positive cases (including 14 cases reported today) with 102 Active positive, 7038 recovered (including 07 cases recovered today) and 125 deaths; Kathua has 9263 positive cases (including 01 cases reported today)with 06 active positive cases, 9106 recovered and 151 deaths; Samba has 7123positive cases with 13 active positive cases, 6991 recoveries  and 119 deaths; Kishtwar has 4645 positive cases (including 04 cases reported today) with 35 Active Positive, 4566 recoveries (including 01 cases recovered today) and 44 deaths;  Poonch has 6265 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 33 active positive, 6137 recoveries (including 03 cases recovered today) and 95 deaths;  Ramban has 5967positive cases (including 01 cases reported today)with 24 active positive cases, 5877 recoveries and 66 deaths while Reasi has 6269 positive cases (including 07 cases reported today)with 69 active positive cases, 6157recoveries (including 02 cases recovered today)and 43 deaths.

According to the bulletin, among the total 321607 positive cases in J&K, 22857 have been reported as travelers while 298750 as others.

The Bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing.

The bulletin added that there are 2423 COVID dedicated beds, 2019 Isolation beds with 1992 vacant beds and 404 ICU beds where 392 beds are vacant in Jammu division while there are 3353 COVID dedicated beds, 3074 Isolation beds where 3034 beds are vacant and 279 ICU beds where 238 are vacant beds in Kashmir division. There are a total of 5776 COVID dedicated beds, 5093 Isolation beds with 5026 beds vacant and 683 ICU beds with 630 vacant beds in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Central Government is continuously monitoring the evolving situation of Covid-19 in the Union Territory and is providing all necessary support towards effective containment of the spread of Covid-19 and better clinical management of positive cases.

The government has also started free tele-consultation general OPD services by Specialists/MBBS Doctors for the residents of J&K under National Tele-consultation Service. People can avail these services from Home by registering online on web portal  https://ift.tt/2YXoEWE. The services are available on Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. People can also download and install e-sanjeevani OPD app from Google play store.

To ensure public convenience and avoid chaos & panic crowding at tertiary care hospitals, COVID-19 Triage Facility has been started in Jammu at (i) Chest Disease Hospital, Jammu (opposite GMC Hospital Complex, Jammu, Triage CD Hospital Jammu Contact No.-9541925371, 0191-2561000), (ii) Govt Hospital Gandhinagar (Old Block) Contact No.0191-2459300 and in Srinagar at (i) National Institute of Technology Campus,  Hazratbal, Srinagar, Contact No. 9419006991&  (ii) SKIMS-JVC Bemina, Contact No. 7006617821, that  shall act  as “first   arrival point” for screening of any COVID +ve patient intending to  get   admitted in Govt. Medical College Jammu/ Srinagar & Associated Hospitals, SKIMS Soura  and other identified dedicated COVID Hospitals under Directorate of Health Services Jammu/ Kashmir.

For COVID +ve cases in periphery areas and districts other than Jammu/ Srinagar, the triage point shall be the concerned District Hospital / New GMCs (Doda/ Kathua/ Rajouri/ Baramulla/ Anantnag). Admission of such patients from these districts to GMC Jammu/ Srinagar, SKIMS Soura etc shall be strictly on referral basis only.

Besides, 24×7 Rapid Antigen Testing facilities for COVID-19 have been started outside the emergency of GMC Hospital Jammu. The facility will be very useful for segregation of patients in emergency wing of GMC Jammu.

Meanwhile, a 24×7 COVID Control Room has been set up for redressal of the grievances related to COVID-19 positive patients admitted in the Associated Hospitals of Government Medical College, Jammu and Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. Patients or attendants can call at 0191– 258 5444 (Control Room), Exchange: 0191-258 2626 / 258 5542 / 258 4290 /258 4291 / 258 4292 / 258 4293/ 258 4294 for assistance.

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