By: Dr Farooq Ahmad Ganie Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, SKIMS, Soura
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you may become infected, even if you feel well.
After exposure to anybody who has COVID-19, do the following:
Contact health care provider to find out where and when to get a test.
If testing is not available, stay home and away from others for 14 days.
While you are in quarantine, do not attend your duties don’t go to work, or to public places.
Keep always 1-metre distance from others, even from your family members.
Wear a medical mask when you need to seek medical care. Clean your hands frequently.
Stay in a separate room from other family members, and if not possible, wear a medical mask. Keep the room well-ventilated.
If you share a room, place beds at least 1 metre apart. Monitor yourself for any symptoms for 14 days.
Stay positive by keeping in touch with loved ones by phone or online.
Establish a daily routine and keep to it each day. For example, get up at the same time, have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time. May be do a particular activity at the same time each day such as a walk in the morning, watch a film after lunch, hot chocolate before bed. Routines will help keep a structure and help you feel that you have some control over your day.
This will help you to do away with the negative implications of loneliness, and perception of being isolated.
Whether you’re a parent in the US or anywhere else in the world, raising your first child is invariably a steep learning curve. With so much on our plates, it’s easy for parents to overlook caring for baby’s teeth, but a few useful tips will keep us on track.
Aww…the First Tooth
A baby’s first tooth erupts between four to eight months of age and typically by the time he or she is two-and-a-half to three-years old, every baby tooth should have erupted. Some children have a difficult time during teething, while others sprout teeth effortlessly. When babies are teething, they tend to be droolers and often refuse to eat because their gums hurt. Excessive drooling can irritate skin around the mouth causing rashes. Babies can become restless and fussy; the pain even keeps some from sleeping well. Tiny hands in the mouth and a willingness to bite on everything are sure signs of the baby being uncomfortable. You may even find them rubbing their cheeks to deal with the discomfort associated with teeth erupting at the back of their mouth.
What Should Parents Do?
Massage baby’s gums with your finger or damp gauze. Keep the area clean, use a soft toothbrush and use teething rings. Chilled teethers are the way to go. Do not freeze the teether. Cold carrots are good substitutes if your baby can chew on solid food. To prevent skin rashes caused by excessive drooling, dab dry their chin regularly.
Tooth Care Starts Early
Start cleaning baby teeth and gums as soon as they erupt. Use damp gauze to clean them when they are just peeking and graduate to a soft tooth brush once they have erupted. Brush twice a day and floss once. Stick flossers are ideal for babies. Use safe-to-swallow, no-fluoride training toothpaste until your child turns one. After their first birthday graduate to a fluoridated tooth paste, use a smear layer till the age of three and pea size after.
Save Your Child from a Nightmare: Nursing Bottle Syndrome
Picture of a 5-year-old patient
Nursing Bottle Syndrome (NBS), also known as Baby Bottle Syndrome, affects children less than five years of age. NBS is caused when baby teeth have prolonged contact with liquids containing sugar such as milk, formula or juice, resulting in extensive decay. I frequently see children as young as two years old who need fillings, crowns or extractions.
What’s to be done? Wean babies from the bottle around 12-14 months. Never let your child walk around with a bottle filled with milk for more than 20 minutes. When children fall asleep while having a bottle or breastfeeding, they generally don’t swallow the last part of the milk and that remains in their mouth all night long. Bacteria present in the mouth breaks sugar down into acid causing tooth decay. Breastfeeding is great for children but after their first birthday, have a bottle of water ready to swap after feeding so that any residual milk or formula is rinsed down. Aim to gradually reduce the frequency with which you feed at night.
Juices and sodas cause erosion of teeth and should be avoided. 4oz is the maximum amount of juice a child should consume in a day. Limit sticky snacks to once a day. Children should be fed every 2-3 hours. A typical schedule could be breakfast at 8:00 am, snack at 10:00 am, lunch at 12:00 pm and so forth. Water is the only thing they should be consuming between the meals. Also, dental examinations should begin at 12 months.
Here Comes the Tooth Fairy
Time does go by fast and before long, your six or seven-year-olds will come and tell you that their teeth are loose. Some may start losing their baby teeth a year earlier or later. Often, kids avoid brushing around loose teeth, so it is important to help them keep those areas clean.
Over retained lower anteriors
Shark teeth
Baby teeth usually fall out on their own. However, in some cases they can stubbornly stick around even after permanent teeth have erupted. Often, this happens with lower front teeth, resulting in ‘shark teeth’. The permanent teeth grow behind the over-retained baby teeth. If the baby teeth are loose, they will fall out in a week or two and the tongue will push the permanent teeth forward. Sometimes the roots of baby teeth don’t get resorbed; in that case, they might need to be extracted by a dentist. ‘Shark Teeth’ in upper arch often needs to be extracted and might not be a self-correcting issue. If neglected, it can require orthodontic intervention in the future.
The Six-Year Molar
Permanent tooth erupting behind the baby Teeth
Another important development is the appearance of the first permanent molar, also called six-year molar. This is a very important tooth that erupts behind the baby teeth. The jaw grows to accommodate the molar.
Children aren’t used to having a tooth so far behind in their mouths and can inadvertently skip brushing them. Given how big a tooth this is, it can cause considerable pain if it gets infected with food collecting around it. Salt water gargle, brushing and massaging the area will help ease the discomfort. As soon as the six year molar makes an appearance, it needs to be sealed. Sealant is like a nail polish coat that goes on top surface of the molar. It prevents food from collecting in groves and helps reduce the incidence of cavities. Yes, dental care starts young. The better and more regular the care, the smaller your future dentist and orthodontic bills!
Five food items you should add in your daily life to boost your immunity to fight the virus
1. Vitamin C –ascorbic acid
Yes, you have heard it millions of times but it works. Vitamin C can be taken in any time of the day. Vitamin C can be taken in the form of any effervescent tablets which are easily available in pharmacy or supermarkets. Two of my favorites are REDOXON and BOOST. you can use one Redoxon or Boost tablet in a glass a water.
One Redoxon tablets contains 1000mg of vitamin C ,400 IU of vitamin D and 10g of zinc
One Boost tablet contains 1000mg of Vitamin C ZINC 7.5 MG and Echinacea 239mg
Chewable Vitamin C like our age old Limcee can be taken one tablet per day
Natural sources of vitamin C like Oranges, Lemons, kiwi, pineapples .
Five things to add to your diet to boost your immunity
2.Manuka Honey
It is the best honey n the world .it has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory benefits. Studies have found it decreases harmful oral bacteria.
Research suggest that Manuka honey help treat gastric ulcers caused by H pylori
It has high antioxidants benefits and boosts immunity Some of my favorites are NZ health naturally and Manukora.
One teaspoon in Luke warm water taken early stomach is very helpful .
3 Organic Turmeric
Well my beloved mom always used to say Haldi is a medicine and I think we have all embarrassed ourselves many times with Haldi stained hands. Turmeric has compounds called Curcuminoid and the most important is curcum in which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Using turmeric daily helps to increase in anti-oxidant enzymes in our body and boost immunity Turmeric can be used with glass of milk or Luke warm water once a day best being before sleeping .
4.Garlic
Garlic has high concentration of sulfur containing compound which includes Allicin which acts anti-inflammatory. Garlic has high levels of Vitamin A and C.it HELPS TO boost immunity and overall health. 2 cloves roasted can be used in morning or 3 cloves crushed and boiled in a 250 ml of water.
5. Nigella seeds or KALOONJI or Black cumin
It is packed with Anti-oxidants and can help to fight any disease and boos immunity. it has been found to be as effective as a standard anti-bacterial to treat bacterial infection.it has highly anti-inflammatory properties and regular use can cure chronic inflammations too.
Kaloonji can be used in many ways used while cooking or sprinkled in salads or with a glass of water.
Adding these five things in your diet will help you boost immunity and fight diseases but let’s all be a responsible and practice social isolation. That’s the need of the hour.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Kashmir Today and Kashmir Today does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Even as coronavirus outbreak has put the medical scientists and global human saving institutes to crucial test, policymakers and financial regulatory bodies too are equally confronted with litmus test. The deadly virus has grossly turned into a disruptive financial contagion tearing apart global economic supply chains. For the last couple of years, analysis from different quarters was pouring in about the economic slowdown hitting even strong global economies and experts were expressing worries about an imminent global recession. But no one had even imagined that a deadly coronavirus breed in a pandemic mode would bring financial shock to the global economy, bringing economic activities of all nature almost to a grinding halt.
Measures taken to combat economic slowdown in pre-coronavirus outbreak period have gone down the drain as the novel coronavirus is impacting the free flow of economic cycle across the nations. Now the economic slowdown in the post-coronavirus scenario is fast graduating into a recession. The efforts of governments and central banks to limit the shock seems is turning out a cumbersome task as the outbreak is spreading fast across geographical boundaries. Precisely, in the context of India, containing the spread of the disease and limiting its impact on the already ailing economy is an uphill task given the level of policymakers controlling the economic decisions of the country.
As of now, India accounts for a minuscule share of coronavirus cases globally. Its share of casualties is even lower. But given gaps in India’s health system and already deteriorating economic scenario, any time seems trouble time. It’s a tricky situation where the government is caught between the devil and the deep sea. On health front, count can change rapidly if any laxity is shown by the government on mitigating steps. The preventive measures have a direct bearing on economic activities. So, on economic front, mitigating steps to prevent spread of the disease necessarily means imposing partial lockdowns to preventing gatherings. These restrictions inevitably hit economic cycle, with demand part getting major hit.
Such mitigating measures have already been put in place by the government and now slowly scaling up such measures curbing the movement of people and even their activities with every passing day. There is a huge section of people who will get a direct hit on their livelihood. For example, many small businesses would suffer on revenue front. There is a huge army of daily wage earners who would struggle to get a job. Precisely, many people would be out of job, as businesses would suffer in absence of demand.
Economic experts have already warned of the severe slowdown in the country. They say even if India manages to contain the spread of Covid-19 and escapes the worst of the outbreak, it would still have to deal with the effects of financial hemorrhage and trade disruptions across the world.
This expert opinion is really a forecast of bad times ahead for common masses. Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das during a hurriedly conducted press conference on Monday looked a worried regulator. His poor body language while responding to questions from media persons was self-explanatory even as he announced measures to boost liquidity in the foreign exchange and domestic markets. By making a general statement that while India could be impacted due to the slowdown in global growth which stands reduced to 0.4-1.5%, the quantum of impact will be assessed at the monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting next month, the apex bank chief seemed clueless and a worried regulator.
By now, it’s well understood that slowing growth over a period of time has considerably slowed down the revenue growth for most businesses, and put additional stress on their cash flows. Here the country’s financial system, which is already reeling under a mountain of non-performing assets (bad loans), will be facing a crucial test. However, there is no doubt that banks will face huge problem on repayment front in near future once coronavirus gets under control. By that time, the businesses would be left incapacitated for the lack of demand and disruptions in supply chains owing to mitigation measures rolled out by the governments.
Now the point of all discussion is that all is not going well with the economy. Media headlines reveal that coronavirus-driven recession looms large over India. Remarkably, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged governments to work together to stop the coronavirus pandemic from plunging the global economy into recession.
In the context of J&K region, recession would mean deep-rooted depression. Here, particularly in Kashmir, economic activity is facing a severe slump which is reflected in all forms of manufacturing, commerce and trade. Indicators like GSDP growth, unemployment rate and credit off take are touching new lows. Despite the fact that the region has been going through three decades of turmoil, most of the businesses in Kashmir have mastered the tactics of surviving the tides of the unrest. However, the ongoing slump faced by the businesses in Kashmir is taking a colossal form never witnessed before. The prevailing miserable situation that our economy & businesses are in is a result of exposure to sustained systemic risks and callous policy responses from the respective governments over a period of time.
Starting with the great floods in September 2014, the valley’s businesses in particular are finding it very difficult to return to their previous turnover figures. Every time business community tried to put on a resilient face, something more lethal more devastating comes up. After floods the economy suffered a mammoth loss with estimates ranging from Rs.40,000 Crore (by the then State Govt) to over Rs.1 Lakh crore (by different trade and manufacturing bodies). Contrary to the package of Rs.1 lakh crore announced by GoI, its real value amounted to few thousands of crores vis-à-vis flood rehabilitation. Even if the insurance claims are factored in along with this paltry government package, it hardly covered 20 percent of the actual losses incurred by the region’s economy.
Year 2015 was entirely spent by valleyiets on reconstruction of lost assets with immense hopes from 2016. Many businesses went overboard in raising debt and returning to normal inventory levels. This over-leveraged position turned out to be a nightmare when all the hell broke loose in July 2016. Official estimates by GoJK pegged the losses caused due to the unrest from July 2016 to November 2016 at more than Rs 16,000 crore. It broke the very bases of already fragile businesses. All business assumptions were left in dust and all of a sudden focus shifted from businesses to survival of life. And worst of all it didn’t stop there.
Then we witnessed the mother of all monetary shocks when GoI announced demonetization of 86% of its currency notes. The vast unorganized sector that Kashmir’s economy has, runs mostly outside the banking system on cash. The impact resulted in the demand for goods and services drastically coming down pushing the economy into deep dark hole.
One more entry to this mayhem has been the introduction of Goods and Services Tax. The unprepared implementation resulted in extreme negative market sentiment which in turn impacted the decision on inventory levels, movement of goods, consumer demands and investment decisions. Costs of compliance to the new tax regime coupled with transitional challenges turned out to be a perfect recipe for killing Kashmir’s numerous small businesses which derive their income from the massive unorganized sector that the region has. Then came the unforgettable day of August 5, 2019 when the government of India scrapped Article 370 and 35A, which brought the region under lockdown for rest of the year 2019 and political implications apart, razed even established businesses down to ground.
Precisely, it’s not economic slowdown or recession which has remained companion of Kashmir, but it’s depression which this region has been facing for long now. Impact of coronavirus will only be deepening this depression leaving the J&K’s economy in deep dark hole.
(The views are of the author & not that of the institution he works for)
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Moqierish Tak, Co-Founder of India Assist Insights Pvt Ltd hailing from south Kashmir’s Anatnag district is achieving new heights in country’s corporate sector. In an interview with Greater Kashmir, she discussed her innovative ideas and success story.
Moqierish Tak, CO-Founder, India Assist
Q… How did you step into this field and are you a first generation entrepreneur?
Moqierish: Although I am not a first generation entrepreneur, I am one of those 1% that didn’t choose entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship chose me. My mother is a self-created and established woman, but I was bestowed with an idea and a journey that gave me an opportunity to impact people’s lives. India Assist is a product that has the potential to make a huge impact, this alone was reason enough for me to leave my previous career and embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. Now that I have begun this journey, I do not see myself being anything else but an entrepreneur. Regardless of how difficult the journey is, I would choose entrepreneurship over a corporate career every time.
Q…What is the nature of your business and how did it come into existence?
Moqierish: India Assist is a start-up revolutionizing the way people travel, specifically working on improving travel experience of foreigners visiting India. It is an on-call solution providing ‘Assistance & Distress Management’ service to the foreign tourists. Our core product offering is the assistance and distress management service via a subscription-based phone app. We provide help to travelers in India which includes verified information and personalized assistance through our on-ground team in medical emergencies, theft, loss, altercation and transit.
The model of our product is on-ground assistance and human interface and we offer assistance by allocating personnel to the tourist at their live location. We are also constantly working with our teams to ensure they are compassionate and their moto is to “Help First” and ensure the subscriber is put at ease and comforted. The idea was conceived by the founder of India Assist Harish Khatri when he identified a serious gap in the current travel and tourism landscape, that of security and active assistance. Together we founded India Assist to bridge the gap created by lack of a centralized system that could provide foreigners in India with a platform that provides verified information and trusted assistance.
Q… Tell us about your early days and what inspired you to start a venture?
Moqierish: I studied in Delhi throughout my schooling and undergraduate years. After graduating from Sanskriti School with Commerce background, I studied BA Mathematics Hons from Miranda House, Delhi University where alongside I pursued my passion in sports. My passion however took over my life decisions. During my first job at the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, I decided to pursue my further studies in sports. Thereafter, I graduated in MSc International Sports Management from Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK to initiate a full-fledged career in big ticket sports events. My love for sports made me realise that I would do anything to follow my passion and in doing so love every minute of hard work and energy put into building something I wanted. This was the epicentre of my inspiration. Once I got associated with India Assist it changed my outlook towards life. It was easy to leave behind my established career to start something new that I believed in.
Q…What are your thoughts about women empowerment especially vis-a-vis Kashmir?
Moqierish: I always believed that Kashmiri women are a force to reckon with. I have grown up watching and looking up to such remarkable women who have made their mark, with their undeniable resilience and strength, not just in society but in the world. In today’s day and age, we are seeing women stand up and move to the frontlines in business, politics, as well as all spectrums of public space. This is especially true in Kashmir, where strength is born with the women’s movement and consciousness. Women’s empowerment is valuable to me because not only does it allow women to take up space that is constantly denied to them, but also because it gives rise to love and solidarity amongst women.
Q…Entrepreneurs in Kashmir continue to strive despite hurdles. What’s your mantra to success which you would like to share with them?
Moqierish: My success mantra has always been ‘to dream it and do it’. Great leaders are innovative. They look at things differently, and they teach us to look at things differently. They are also energetic, they can see the whole picture, they have great foresight, and they understand people and business. They are people with ethics, integrity, and honesty—and they’re decision-makers. One should learn how and when to say no and delegate. Enjoy what you are doing, and make sure you are having fun. And don’t be afraid to bring new ideas forward.
Q… Kashmir is also a tourist hub and considering nature of your venture would your company ever be keen to have a presence here?
Moqierish: Absolutely. We aim to cover all corners and parts of India. Kashmir has so much to offer in terms of tourism, and a product like ours once implemented with proper care and precision would help increase the tourist inflow into the Valley and boost the tourism based economy.
Q….What are your key hobbies apart from work?
Moqierish: I play basketball and other outdoor sports during the week. I enjoy an active personal, work and social lifestyle and intermediately take opportunities to roll back from technology and rejuvenate and work on myself. Reading during off time is a great way for me to keep the mind active. There is no better feeling than the one of constant growth.
Q…What are your future business plans and how big do you see yourself making it in India’s corporate sector as a woman entrepreneur in next 5 years?
Moqierish: Our near future business plans entail creating an eco-system for foreigners arriving in India and becoming a most reliable information and assistance platform for them while they travel within the country. They should be able to enjoy the better side of India and just in case they get into any distress, we are there to help them and make their trip stress-free.
At micro level we want the states to adopt this model (UP Assist, Rajasthan Assist etc) and at a macro level we want to venture into other countries as well.
In the next 5 years I see India Assist groomed and built into the next unicorn start-up from India, making path breaking advancements in the service industry through technology enabled solutions. Alongside, India Assist, I hope that I would have built myself and gathered enough knowledge and experience and still have courage to keep innovating and challenging myself.
Q…Be a job creator and not a seeker.. How much do you believe in this?
Moqierish: A job seeker means working for others dreams, being satisfied with what is given, following process instead of thoughts, not challenging self-capabilities enough and being taken care of rather taking care for others. But when you become job creator, you define many things. You create job opportunities for others. You bring innovation and try to make that innovation relevant to people and create an impact on community development. You bring economic integration of outsiders and create global environment and in a way enhance the standard of living for society at large.
Job creator also promotes research and development which help mankind to be prepared for future challenges.
The Interview was First Published on Greater Kashmir ‘Largest Circulated Daily of Jammu & Kashmir’
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has infected 73 people in India and killed more than 4,500 individuals globally, doctors have advised that in addition to regularly washing hands, one should also disinfect their smartphone every 90 minutes with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Ravi Shekhar Jha, Head of Department at Fortis Escorts Hospital in Faridabad said the best method to disinfect your smartphone is to use regular doctor spirit or the alcohol-based hand sanitizer at least every 90 minutes.
“Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. The best option is to use a phone cover or a Bluetooth device and try to touch your phone as less as possible. We would also recommend cleaning your phone at least twice a day,” Jha told IANS.
According to research, published in 2018 by Insurance2Go, a gadget insurance provider, revealed that smartphone screens have three times more germs than a toilet seat.
One in 20 smartphone users was found to clean their phones less than every six months, said the study.
“In the time of fear of coronavirus, smartphones should also be disinfected with alcohol-based sanitizer rub. Pour few drops of sanitizer on a tiny clean cotton pad and rub it safely on your entire phone,” said Jyoti Mutta, Senior Consultant, Microbiology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in New Delhi.
“You can repeat this process every evening coming back home after an entire day out at work and once in the morning before going out,” Mutta added.
“Maintain basic cleanliness, and try to avoid using other’s phones especially if suffering from respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms as there is no other way to disinfect these regular gadgets,” she stressed.
Another study from the University of Surrey in the UK, also found that the home button on your smartphone may be harbouring millions of bacteria – some even harmful.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic on Wednesday. The death toll of COVID-19 has crossed the 4,500 marks and confirmed cases globally have touched one lakh as per the reports.
According to Suranjeet Chatterjee, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine Department of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, “We should frequently wash our hands, cover our coughs and it is important to adapt to other good hygiene habits that are most important in such a situation.”
“Coronavirus and other germs can live on surfaces like glass, metal or plastics and phones are bacteria-ridden. It is necessary that we sanitize our hands frequently and make sure that our hands are clean all the time,” Chatterjee told IANS.
“The emphasis should be laid on sanitising our hands rather than sanitizing the phone – once in a while the phone can be sanitized under the guidance of the makers of the phone,” Chatterjee stressed.
According to the global health agency, the most effective way to protect yourself against coronavirus is by frequently cleaning of your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water.
The WHO’s report showed the virus infects people of all ages, among which older people and those with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of getting infected.
People should eat only well-cooked food, avoid spitting in public, and avoid close contact, the WHO said, adding that it is important for people to seek medical care at the earliest if they become sick.
Kashmir lost its claim to heaven a long time ago but the debate today is not about ‘why’ but ‘who’ caused the paradise to fly away, leaving behind its miserable and yet romantic claimants.Say Kashmir, and the sweet aroma of pine takes over the mind fluttering among images of valley flowers,
While the valley is brewing to shivered cold, resorting to bone ache, and suddenly you get to hear the act, that tender your muscles and your brain starts oscillating in agony. While I was on the way to home, and as usual my phone keeps on beeping with variable feeds, and at a moment my eyes stucked to a feed, mentioning that a baby was thrown outside in a cartoon enveloped in polythene, across the road from the city’s maternity hospital Lal Ded. Not the first time, I got to hear such inhuman act, previously such incidents have fillled the social networking sites with tera byte data.
Kashmir, a Conservative populace with rigid religious beliefs, where such incidents dwindle the heart, to the core and ionise in the surroundings within fraction of the second.
…”oh foetid soul, you aren’t a burden, your cravings, your presence, is sacred, unworthy are those, who abandon you … you are born to take nap at the realm of GOD”…
This mischievous act is on surge in kashmir citing numerous incidents in the past, Now concerning the aetiology of this social chaos, : over the years there has been a paradigm shift in the psychological, behavioral, living style of the people inhabiting valley, leading to variant changes, pertaining to psychosexual onslaught, Now we see pre marital sexual relations, a non serious concern leading to apathy in the ethos of society, the ramifications of this are vivid and perturbing, the couple especially in their teen ages, moved by their sudden hormonal changes engage in sexual relationships, and in certain cases, unaware of its complications, maybe due to lack of knowledge, debarring the use of protective devices, the female counterpart conceives and remains unaware for most of the time, as fear of surroundings, the societal rejection, the client fears to express the event to parents, till she develops such symptoms, and in reaction, either they go for illegal termination of pregnancy or wait for the term to deliver remaining in isolation carried out in privacy, and later the baby is abandoned.
In certain cases, the baby delivered from legal couple, go for termination, if it’s unwanted, or a female,, called female infanticide “in kashmir such incidents are on record where foetus laden with blood were found in toilets, on the footsteps of shrines, some years back, an abandoned baby, caught by mob of dogs was noticed outside lal ded hospital, such incident shocked the consciousness of people,.
Congenital defects :Every single creation of God is not futile, but I can say, a sheer ignorance, the babies who are born with genetic defects have every right to continue life, even Stephen Hawkins was born with hereditary defect, still he rose to prominence, even normal human couldn’t think ever, contributes to the cause of abandoning babies, recently a horrendous incident captivated the conscious minds of valley where a father tried to Bury his live baby, citing the reasons of poverty, that he can’t afford the care of baby born with genetic defect.
Now describing the risk factors, loosening bondages from religious acuity, problems in socialisation, faults in upbringing, difficulties in coping up with puberty, lack of education, accelerate such incidents.
The treatment is more of a belief than literal.The old age adage holds true every where, we should focus on preventive strategies, we should be more religious, because not a single religion advocates such horrendous act, be more conscious when you go for such a relationship, we should profoundly act on such incidents, awareness schedule should be set up,
We need to develop legal resolutions for those abandoned, because we have many childless couples, so as to create balance.
Certainly at the end, those who abandon live births, are abandoning the humanity, the moment they opt for such gigantic mischief, they turn into wilds, and their ability to be human seizes.
I have been constantly of the opinion that NC had always a strong base and hold and even in much talked 1987 elections Kashmiris voted for NC
Er Rasheed
In a sensitive state like J&K where six lac precious lives have been lost since 1947 and the final settlement of the political dispute is yet to come, a stable government should always be the first choice. Omar Abdullah rightly asked people not to give a fractured mandate in upcoming assembly elections. Before asking masses to give his party overwhelming mandate he is morally duty bound to introspect and answer what happened to the previous huge mandates which his party got from time to time. In fact only party which got an absolute or even two-thirds majority in any election till 2002 has been none other than NC. After Indra Abdullah accord, in all the three general elections to state assembly in – 1977, 1983 and 1987 – NC got two-thirds majority. I have been constantly of the opinion that NC had always a strong base and hold and even in much talked 1987 elections Kashmiris voted for NC. Unfortunately from 1975to 1990 party couldn’t restore the autonomy which it publically promise and even in Indra Abdullah accord there is no such agreement or assurance. After Kashmiris took up arms NC again participated in 1996 elections, even against the wishes of its own cadres, as New Delhi was running out of options. However, party promised again restoration of autonomy as it’s main objective without realising that sacrifices of Kashmiri’s deserve implementation of UN resolutions, not restoration of autonomy.
Political analysts were always of the opinion that autonomy slogan is nothing but New Delhi’s prescription to dilute and confuse the Kashmir cause. Still a small minority within J&K were of the opinion that if NC gets autonomy restored it may prove a step in the right direction for the ultimate resolution, but nothing happened and NC went on making new promises only to break old ones. People felt further let down creating a political vacuum. NC often cries victim saying that PDP was the creation of New Delhi to weaken NC, dividing the mandate of Kashmiris. Respectfully one can ask NC leaders if they thought J&K as their colony; shouldn’t it be always left to the wisdom of masses to make the better choice. One wonders what NC has been accusing New Delhi of, PDP is accusing of the same when other smaller political parties are launched in J&K. It is ironical that those who always acted as proxies of New Delhi, talk about sentiments, sacrifices, and aspiration of Kashmiri people. Should every individual surrender and sacrifice his self-respect and legitimate opinion only because it makes betrayal difficult for NC and PDP. Had NC implemented even one tenth of its promises it would not have been reduced to 15 seats from 58 seats. It is for Omar Abdullah and his team to answer that who divided Kashmiris and why. Those who believe in their words, and have a conviction, don’t need authentication from New Delhi and Islamabad; they always derive strength from the masses and their own conscience. Omar Abdullah has thrown the ball in people’s court and now people should decide if they believe supporting NC is remedy to their sufferings. If they still hold the opinion that both NC and PDP are responsible for their miseries, It is a golden opportunity to uproot both of them. A leadership by the people, for the people and of the people must emerge that should dare to tell New Delhi that enough is enough, and the only way to bring peace, not only to J&K but the entire sub-continent, is to give Kashmiris the right to self-determination on both side of LOC. Let us give up beaten tracks and stop disgracing our own self respect further.
Video gaming is like a non-financial kind of gambling from a psychological point of view,” said Griffiths, a distinguished professor of behavioral addiction at Nottingham Trent University. “Gamblers use money as a way of keeping score whereas gamers use points.” He guessed that the percentage of video game players with a compulsive problem was likely to be extremely small—much less than 1 percent—and that many such people would likely have other underlying problems, like depression, bipolar disorder or autism. Psychologists however, estimated that 2 to 3 percent of gamers might be affected. Griffiths said playing video games, for the vast majority of people, is more about entertainment and novelty, citing the overwhelming popularity of games like “Pokemon Go.” PUBG Etc “You have these short, obsessive bursts and yes, people are playing a lot, but it’s not an addiction,” he said. Psychologists said parents and friends of video game enthusiasts should still be mindful of a potentially harmful problem. “Be on the lookout,” he said, noting that concerns should be raised if the gaming habit appears to be taking over. “If (video games) are interfering with the expected functions of the person—whether it is studies, whether it’s socialization, whether it’s work—then you need to be cautious and perhaps seek help,” they said.
Negative Effects of Video Games Most of the bad effects of video games are blamed on the violence they contain. Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and decreased prosocial helping, according to a scientific study (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Also according to Dmitri A. Christakis of the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, those who watch a lot of simulated violence, such as those in video games, can become immune to it, more inclined to act violently themselves, and are less likely to behave emphatically. Another study suggests that chronic exposure to violent video games is not only associated with lower empathy, but emotional callousness as well. This, however, is still hotly debated because there is also evidence that shows that excessive use of video games does not lead to long-term desensitization and lack of empathy. A 2017 study published in Frontiers in Psychology, for example, didn’t find any long-term effects of playing violent video games and empathy. Another study from University of York found no evidence to support the theory that video games make players more violent, and another study suggests that there is no increase in the level of aggression of players who had long-term exposure to violent video games..
On the other hand, The American Psychological Association (APA) concluded that there is a “consistent correlation” between violent game use and aggression, but finds insufficient evidence to link violent video play to criminal violence. An open letter by a number of media scholars, psychologists and criminologists, however, find APA’s study and conclusion to be misleading and alarmist. Many experts including Henry Jenkins of Massachusetts Institute of Technology have noted that there is a decreased rate of juvenile crime which coincides with the popularity of games such as Death Race, Mortal Kombat, Doom and Grand Theft auto. He concludes that teenage players are able to leave the emotional effects of the game behind when the game is over. Indeed there are cases of teenagers who commit violent crimes who also spend great amount of time playing video games such as those involved in the Columbine and Newport cases. It appears that there will always be violent people, and it just so happen that many of them also enjoy playing violent video games. Some experts also believe that the effect of video game violence in kids is worsened by the games’ interactive nature. In many games, kids are rewarded for being more violent. The act of violence is done repeatedly. The child is in control of the violence and experiences the violence in his own eyes (killings, kicking, stabbing and shooting). This active participation, repetition and reward are effective tools for learning behavior. Indeed, many studies seem to indicate that violent video games may be related to aggressive behavior (such as Anderson & Dill, 2000; Gentile, Lynch & Walsh, 2004). However, the evidence is not consistent and this issue is far from settled. In 2018, an analysis of 24 studies involving 17000 youngsters from countries including the U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found those who played violent games such as “Grand Theft Auto,” “Call of Duty” and “Manhunt” were more likely to exhibit behavior such as being sent to the principal’s office for fighting or hitting a non-family member. According to Jay Hull, the study’s lead author “If your kids are playing these games, either these games are having a warping effect on right and wrong or they have a warped sense of right or wrong and that’s why they are attracted to these games. Either way you should be concerned about it.” Hull’s previous research suggests players may also practice riskier behaviors such as reckless driving, binge drinking, smoking and unsafe sex. Kids can be addicted to video gaming. The World Health Organization in June 2018 declared gaming addiction as a mental health disorder. A study by the Minneapolis-based National Institute for Media and the Family suggests that video games can be addictive for kids, and that the kids’ addiction to video games increases their depression and anxiety levels. Addicted kids also exhibit social phobias. Not surprisingly, kids addicted to video games see their school performance suffer. MRI scans reveal that addictive video games can have a similar effect on kids’ brains as drugs and alcohol. A series of studines by California State University found that the impulsive part of the brain, known as the amygdala-striatal system was more sensitive and smaller in excessive game players. According to Professor Ofir Turel, heavy game players between 13 and 15 whose self-control system is not yet well-developed can have increased susceptibility to other forms of addiction and can be more predisposed to impulsive and risky behaviors later in life. A 2017 study from the Université de Montréal suggests that playing action video games like Call of Duty may actually harm the brain. Most study participants mainly use an area of the brain called the caudate nucleus. These players navigate through the game terrain using in-system navigation tools or on-screen GPS, relying on navigational “habit” instead of active learning. It appears that this causes an increase in the amount of gray matter in their caudate nucleus, while it decreases in the hippocampus. Reduced gray matter in the hippocampus has previously been linked to higher risks of brain illnesses, including depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, and Alzheimer’s disease. However players who play games that requires players to navigate using spatial strategies like the 3D Super Mario games have increased grey matter in the hippocampus. Too much video game playing makes your kid socially isolated. Also, he may spend less time in other activities such as doing homework, reading, sports, and interacting with the family and friends. On the other hand, a study by researchers at the North Carolina State University, New York and the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology points out that gamers usually do not replace their offline social lives with online game playing, but rather it expands them. In fact, among gamers, being a loner is not the norm. Some video games teach kids the wrong values. Violent behavior, vengeance and aggression are rewarded. Negotiating and other nonviolent solutions are often not options. Women are often portrayed as weaker characters that are helpless or sexually provocative. On the other hand, a University of Buffalo study suggests that violence and bad behavior played in the virtual world may be contributing to better behavior in the real world. Gamers who play violent games may feel guilty about their behavior in the virtual world and this may make them be more sensitive to the moral issues they violated during game play. Games can confuse reality and fantasy. Academic achievement may be negatively related to over-all time spent playing video games. Studies have shown that the more time a kid spends playing video games, the poorer is his performance in school. (Anderson & Dill, 2000; Gentile, Lynch & Walsh, 2004). A study by Argosy University’s Minnesota School on Professional Psychology found that video game addicts argue a lot with their teachers, fight a lot with their friends, and score lower grades than others who play video games less often. Other studies show that many game players routinely skip their homework to play games, and many students admitted that their video game habits are often responsible for poor school grades. Although some studies suggest that playing video games enhances a child’s concentration, other studies, such as a 2012 paper published in Psychology of Popular Media Culture, have found that games can hurt and help children’s attention issues — improving the ability to concentrate in short bursts but damaging long-term concentration. Dr Philip A Chan and Professor Terry Rabinowitz, writing in the Annals of General Psychiatry, concluded that: “Adolescents who play more than one hour of console or Internet video games may have more or more intense symptoms of ADHD or inattention than those who do not.” This negative effect may lead to problems in school. Video games may also have bad effects on some children’s health, including obesity, video-induced seizures. and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders. When playing online, your kid can pick up bad language and behavior from other people, and may make your kid vulnerable to online dangers. Kids spending too much time playing video games may exhibit impulsive behavior and have attention problems. This is according to a new study published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Psychology and Popular Media Culture. For the study, attention problems were defined as difficulty engaging in or sustaining behavior to reach a goal. According to Catherine Steiner-Adair, a Harvard-affiliated psychologist and author of the best-selling book “The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationship in the Digital Age”, if kids are allowed to play “Candy Crush” on the way to school, the trip will be quiet, but it’s not what kids need. “They need time to daydream, deal with anxieties, process their thoughts and share them with parents, who can provide reassurance.”
Nazim Ali runs sales & services of Eureka Forbes with 52% valley market share
Marketing success
When Nazim decided to bid farewell to his family business of carpets to do something that he liked, it raised eyebrows from everyone in the family. “They would ask me if I’m out of my mind to do this door-to-door business of selling day to day appliances?” says 33-year-old Nazim Ali Koul, who now heads the Kashmir province operations of Eureka Forbes for sales and services through his distribution enterprise, MIDHAA.
For Nazim, the relationship of his enterprise with Eureka has been a journey of baby steps to a spot in Kashmir market where he is holding the 52 percent market share in home security systems and housekeeping equipment that include commercial and private items like water and air purifiers, commercial ride-on vacuum cleaners, camera security systems, portable water purifiers and much more in this field.
Nazim, who has done MBA in marketing and finance, did what he learned through his studies. He instead of going for already well built family business started his own distribution, marketing and sales company, MIDHAA through which leading multinational Eureka Forbes sat their foot prints in the state and are now leading in the market with 17 percent annual growth in Kashmir.
“When I started as a cub marketer with door-to-door direct sales and services in 2005, the use and concept of such appliances was new in Kashmir, in fact Eureka Forbes was first to introduce air purifiers in year 1997 while as others started the same post 2007,” says Nazim.
“When you provide pure water to patients who are not allowed to drink from tap water in cases of ailments like cancer, there is a humanistic touch to your work. My personal bonding with costumers has been a driving force to my work,” he says.
Hard work and dedication
During the years of unrest in 2010 and 2016, Nazim says, when all the companies would suspend the sales and service, they would work during the night so that his customers won’t have to suffer.
“As I told you that there are some patients who can’t drink tap water, we would get calls for service during day and we would attend to our customers during night time,” he says. “I’m lucky to have a dedicated team of youngsters in sales and services that made this happen.”
Nazim says that the dedicated people like Syed Suhail Kamli who heads the service operations has made it possible to work and reach to every costumer even during night hours of those years.
Nazim through the active online presence via social media and official company website makes a strong bond with costumers and stays available for them 24/7. “It is not only about the sale of products, it is about providing best service through dedication and hard work to the full customer satisfaction,” he says. But his active services team has made it possible to reach people in unrest, floods and every sort of situation.
Market
Eureka Forbes through Nazim’s MIDHAA has 52 percent market share with a healthy annual growth. Being the first to introduce major appliances like purifiers etc in Kashmir market gave Nazim an edge.
Currently Nazim is distributing Eureka Forbes vacuum cleaners, water purifiers, security solutions to all major government and private departments of the state.
“We have annual maintenance contracts with all the major private and public sector companies, where we provide our services to them,” he said.
Presently Nazim’s MIDHAA has service contracts with government departments, corporate houses, hotels etc.
“We also work with educational institutions and provide ride-on vacuum cleaners to all government hospitals like SKIMS and others,” he says.
Apart from this they provide services to the major religious places through Wakaf and other religious organisations. They hold the major market share in Kashmir and Ladakh.
Social work
Nazim’s has worked with many NGOs during 2014 floods and other incidents to provide help to needy. Nazim through Euraka Forbes has made a good contribution to the corporate social responsibility of the company which helped him to make a strong bond with people and institutions in the valley.
“During 2014 floods, we coordinated with public health engineering department (PHE) of the state and contributed to provide pure drinking water to people when all tap water was contaminated and harmful,” he says. Under the CSR, Eureka provides free sale and service of many appliances in Mosques, Shrines, Gurdawaras and other religious places.
Expansion
Instead of going for a government job or family business, Nazim is providing employment to dozens of youth in valley. Instead of operating from Srinagar only, Nazim is opening district wise offices across Kashmir districts with already functional units in Anantnag, Kulgam, Baramulla , Kupwara, Pulwama, Ganderbal and Sopore which allows him to take more youth onboard and provide them with employment.
Nazim has received a number of awards for his business success.
