It was expected. When COVID-19 hit us hard, we knew it will take a toll on our mental health. People have begun buckling under the Socio-economic pulls and pressures that Covid-19 brought along with it. It is a normal human tendency to feel dejected when a pandemic of such a magnitude hits the world. There have been suicide cases even in the pandemic of 1917 commonly known as Spanish Flu.
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In the various metropolitan cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai many patients jumped from the hospital windows fearing they had COVID-19. In other Indian mainland Indian cities people committed suicide fearing they will face economic troubles during the pandemic-some feared they may never be able to pay off loans to their money-lenders.
In Kashmir, due to the role played by various religions people usually had a greater scale of peace of mind till 80s of last century. However, the violence of 90s was a crushing blow to the mental peace of the citizens of Kashmir valley. The economic downturn brought by the violence was another which led to several mental health issues and in the worst cases suicides.
Currently, we have had a spate of suicides in Kashmir. Fearing uncertainty, the mentally fragile people just feel they have had enough and just want to end it. The scenes on Television showing people walking hundreds of miles to reach their hometowns-a majority of them hungry and without days of sleep on end. Scenes like these have taken a toll on the mental peace of the people in Kashmir as well.
The current administration needs to instil confidence in people that the government is with them and help them understand how they can start their lives all over again. It is a tall order but administrations across the world are doing it. Besides, the elders in the house must quote religious scriptures depicting how prophets and saints got through difficult times by consistently praying to God at all times.
Kashmir has seen many a difficult times and come out it too. We hope this time too we will retain our sanity and emerge as stronger people on the other side of COVID-19.
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