Gazi Muzamil
As covid-19 has crossed all the geographical barriers at an alarming rate, Kashmir received its first positive case of corona virus from Srinagar on March 18. J-k principal secretary Rohit Kansal broke the news on twitter and announced that the patient who has a history of foreign travel arrived on 16th March has been put in isolation. Kansal requested people to cooperate. Within minutes the news spread like the wildfire in Kashmir. Activists, health experts and journalists throng to social media and requested the general public to take all the necessary precautions, prefer to stay at home and not to be panic. People started responding quickly and in a positive manner. They took all the advisories and adhered to them in letter and spirit. Next day Srinagar witnessed a spontaneous and complete lockdown. People were asked to stay indoors. They did. Restrictions were imposed at certain places, public transport was suspended, exams were postponed, and other curbs were imposed. To this people responded quickly and in a positive way. Everything seemed to be all right from people’s side. Later the elderly lady’s travel history revealed that she had come from Saudi Arabia and was not screened at the Srinagar Airport courtesy she is the mother in law of some SSP rank police officer who used his influence to take her home without any screening test. The said officer reportedly has self quarantined himself now. On Thursday as Srinagar was under lockdown to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus and health and SMC & other officials were tirelessly working in and around the patient’s site, a group of students arrived at Srinagar Airport from Bangladesh and were supposed to be screened before leaving to their respective homes. But few students left out of the Airport without screening via some VIP exit gates courtesy their influential parents. Thus making lives of thousands of people including their families and relatives vulnerable to the deadly virus which has killed more than 24,000 people and has infected about 3.6 lakh people worldwide. When some of the students who came from other countries were sent to quarantine stations in Srinagar. They were seen huddled in rooms eating and sleeping together which is another mockery of quarantine. The question arises is our health infrastructure all competent to tackle the spread of this deadly novel coronavirus. The answer is a big no. our health sector is in shambles (thanks to political gimmicks), much weaker than other Indian states (forget about China, Italy,UK and US). At a place where there is not enough medical staff, no better health care facilities and where there are only approximately 97 ventilators (not to think of other advanced modern health care facilities) for more than 7 million people in whole Kashmir people can imagine what a health catastrophe like this could do. On one hand our doctors are valiantly working with utmost sincerity to stop the spread of this virus, working from the most sensitive places, providing people their contact information in case any help needed, while asking them to stay at home.
This callous approach of yours could invite a big disaster.
On the other hand the local officials are using their influence to pave the unhindered ways for it to enter and spread. This is more than a criminal negligence. The sifarshi (recommendation) culture which is the other form of corruption is very unique to Kashmir when it comes to use once influence. But at this very crucial juncture when there is health emergency and a pandemic is about to hit us all and before we could fall short of test kits and beds and isolation centers, this callous culture should stop for God’s sake. This crucial time demands people and administrators should work together to reduce the damage this microscopic creature can cause but it is again the negligence from the latter’s side that could invite a disaster which cannot be handled nor stopped owing to our own poor health-care system. Remember every good or bad time does not need a militaristic response. During this pandemic time those who are at the helm of affairs shall behave politely not arrogantly with the public. Spread awareness but in a polite tone. Make people not power your priority. Make as much isolation wards as you can. Take the advices of senior health experts. Don’t behave like hapless and incompetent officers. Use your resources wisely. Provide people all the basic necessities including 4G internet services so that they can stay indoors as much as possible. Punish and suspend not applaud those officials who use and promote sifarshi culture during these harsh days.
(The author is a student activist and President at J&K students Movement. Views are his own) and can be reached at, [email protected](Note : dear editor kindly post with authors photo)
