I managed to reach the hospital to enquire about the well being of a friend who had been hospitalised for some abdominal problem. This was inspite of the fact that the whole valley was under relentless curfew and strikes from past two and a half months. Total chaos, anarchy and lawlessness have taken over. Even a steel hearted person would burst into tears while looking back at the events that have taken Kashmir to a stone age. When I compare Kashmir with the rest of the world it seems the only place which has seen so much bloodshed and total economic meltdown but has never been heard the way it should have.
While entering the hospital I could barely find a way in. It looked as if the whole city had gathered here. Screaming, shouting and small fights welcomed me in. I managed to walk past the emergency corridor and while looking around I could see the gory scenes I have ever witnessed. Injured people lying on the floor with blood all over, others patients were standing with a help from their relatives, beds had fallen short in the biggest super speciality hospital of Kashmir that was the number of people injured. I could see every bed occupied by at least three patients with half of their bodies hanging in the air, scores of saline bottles hanging from nails, wooden planks and whatever could be used to keep the bottles above the patient’s body. Some were even holding them up with their hands. It was unfortunate to see angry relatives hurling abuses at anyone who had a white apron. It’s understood the emotions that were flowing inside them but couldn’t make up my mind whether they were genuine to shout at doctors or was it situational. Human psyche is such that everyone wants to be the first to be addressed to. Well, haven’t we all heard even seconds can save lives. I felt sorry for the doctors as well, its impossible for any hospital or doctors to attend a few dozen patients in an emergency at one time.
I was the only person in the milieu not running around and I thought I had become the focus of attention. I did feel a little nauseated as I couldn’t stand the foul smell of blood spilled around that’s when my driver literally dragged me out of that hall. It was such a sorry state of affairs that it took time for me to compose myself. My driver later told me that the security forces had again opened fire at a protest killing many and injuring hundreds. How easy has it become to be killed or get killed? As I write this note I hear that there have been more violent incidents in the valley. Not a single day goes by when one doesn’t hear that someone got killed or injured otherwise how would any one justify killing almost seventy people including 32 teenagers in two months. None could ditch the bullets, young, old, male, female. Walking a few steps away from the emergency trauma centre I sat on one of the benches thinking how helpless the families of the victims might be when a security guard at the hospital offered me water and reluctantly told me in Kashmiri “ Yeh haaz chee wein dohai sabhdan” This is a daily routine.
There can hardly be a family in the valley which has not been a victim of terrorism by either sides. I was not in a position to go and check on my cousin so I decided to head back home. Not for even a single second could those pictures of the hospital go away from my mind. I could subconsciously hear those screams, waling and shouting, they were as evident as they were in the hospital. Had I been at a place other than Kashmir I would have been one of the recipients for physiological treatment. It’s just one incident I witnessed, i cannot decipher the plight of many others who have to deal with such kind of situation day in and out .
After reaching home I thought the best way to distract myself was to watch the TV, while surfing around I came across an Indian news channel. It amazes me how people distort facts to suit them and their TRP’s at will. An educated person like me finds it so absurd when India claims to be the largest democracy but doesn’t do anything when it has such a burning issue in its backyard and still prefers to ignore it.
Right from 1947 Indian has shamelessly betrayed Kashmir for its geo-political interests. Had they not eroded the constitution according to their whims things wouldn’t have been as bad as they look. It’s as simple as this; the state of J&K went into an instrument of accession with the Indian republic without any instrument of merger. Its pertinent to mention here that 3 important fields i.e defence, external affairs and currency would stay with India. Pandit Nehru the PM of India promised that he will honour his commitment as and when the people want to decide their future course of action. Before the volcano bursts further and causes more death and destruction its high time that sanity prevails in Delhi and a solution was thrashed out that would satiates the aspiration of the common man in the region.
While entering the hospital I could barely find a way in. It looked as if the whole city had gathered here. Screaming, shouting and small fights welcomed me in. I managed to walk past the emergency corridor and while looking around I could see the gory scenes I have ever witnessed. Injured people lying on the floor with blood all over, others patients were standing with a help from their relatives, beds had fallen short in the biggest super speciality hospital of Kashmir that was the number of people injured. I could see every bed occupied by at least three patients with half of their bodies hanging in the air, scores of saline bottles hanging from nails, wooden planks and whatever could be used to keep the bottles above the patient’s body. Some were even holding them up with their hands. It was unfortunate to see angry relatives hurling abuses at anyone who had a white apron. It’s understood the emotions that were flowing inside them but couldn’t make up my mind whether they were genuine to shout at doctors or was it situational. Human psyche is such that everyone wants to be the first to be addressed to. Well, haven’t we all heard even seconds can save lives. I felt sorry for the doctors as well, its impossible for any hospital or doctors to attend a few dozen patients in an emergency at one time.
I was the only person in the milieu not running around and I thought I had become the focus of attention. I did feel a little nauseated as I couldn’t stand the foul smell of blood spilled around that’s when my driver literally dragged me out of that hall. It was such a sorry state of affairs that it took time for me to compose myself. My driver later told me that the security forces had again opened fire at a protest killing many and injuring hundreds. How easy has it become to be killed or get killed? As I write this note I hear that there have been more violent incidents in the valley. Not a single day goes by when one doesn’t hear that someone got killed or injured otherwise how would any one justify killing almost seventy people including 32 teenagers in two months. None could ditch the bullets, young, old, male, female. Walking a few steps away from the emergency trauma centre I sat on one of the benches thinking how helpless the families of the victims might be when a security guard at the hospital offered me water and reluctantly told me in Kashmiri “ Yeh haaz chee wein dohai sabhdan” This is a daily routine.
There can hardly be a family in the valley which has not been a victim of terrorism by either sides. I was not in a position to go and check on my cousin so I decided to head back home. Not for even a single second could those pictures of the hospital go away from my mind. I could subconsciously hear those screams, waling and shouting, they were as evident as they were in the hospital. Had I been at a place other than Kashmir I would have been one of the recipients for physiological treatment. It’s just one incident I witnessed, i cannot decipher the plight of many others who have to deal with such kind of situation day in and out .
After reaching home I thought the best way to distract myself was to watch the TV, while surfing around I came across an Indian news channel. It amazes me how people distort facts to suit them and their TRP’s at will. An educated person like me finds it so absurd when India claims to be the largest democracy but doesn’t do anything when it has such a burning issue in its backyard and still prefers to ignore it.
Right from 1947 Indian has shamelessly betrayed Kashmir for its geo-political interests. Had they not eroded the constitution according to their whims things wouldn’t have been as bad as they look. It’s as simple as this; the state of J&K went into an instrument of accession with the Indian republic without any instrument of merger. Its pertinent to mention here that 3 important fields i.e defence, external affairs and currency would stay with India. Pandit Nehru the PM of India promised that he will honour his commitment as and when the people want to decide their future course of action. Before the volcano bursts further and causes more death and destruction its high time that sanity prevails in Delhi and a solution was thrashed out that would satiates the aspiration of the common man in the region.
