Even though the guns have fallen silent, the memories that linger refuse to let those who have borne witness forget. After the deaths of 123 protesters at the hands of the Indian security forces since January 2010, the Kashmir Valley is now coping with another problem. It is no surprise that the suicide rate here is the highest in the world, but Kashmir is also the most militarized zone on earth. The United Nations has included Jammu and Kashmir on its list of the oldest unresolved disputes in the world.
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Psychiatrist Dr Muzafar Khan feels that the increase could be due to several factors. He says that the ways of dealing with stress and distress that used to be available to teenagers and young adults have been blocked due to the curfew. ‘Patients used to tell us when they used to go to the college, and be around their friends, or play, it would help them cope with depression. But because of the curfew, there is no physical activity. There’s a direct link between depression and [lack of] physical activity.’ The patients, he continues, may become angry, abusive and frustrated at the prevailing situation and turn their aggression on others, and in cases of suicide, on themselves.
He observes that in Kashmir, people also visit shrines as a coping mechanism, but that has also stopped because of these circumstances. Full story...
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(...)
Psychiatrist Dr Muzafar Khan feels that the increase could be due to several factors. He says that the ways of dealing with stress and distress that used to be available to teenagers and young adults have been blocked due to the curfew. ‘Patients used to tell us when they used to go to the college, and be around their friends, or play, it would help them cope with depression. But because of the curfew, there is no physical activity. There’s a direct link between depression and [lack of] physical activity.’ The patients, he continues, may become angry, abusive and frustrated at the prevailing situation and turn their aggression on others, and in cases of suicide, on themselves.
He observes that in Kashmir, people also visit shrines as a coping mechanism, but that has also stopped because of these circumstances. Full story...
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