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“The official count of Covid-19 deaths in the valley is an underestimate and only provides a snapshot of the true death toll virus has taken”

Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Wednesday said the actual number of Covid-19 deaths in Kashmir valley is higher than what is reported.

“Many Covid-19 deaths go unreported in Kashmir,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“The official count of Covid-19 deaths in the valley is an underestimate and only provides a snapshot of the true death toll virus has taken,” he said.

Dr Nisar said many people with Covid symptoms don’t get tested for the virus because of the fear of stigma and quarantine of family members.
“Social stigma makes people hide their illness and keep them away from seeking health care,” he said.

Dr Nisar said people fear that if they die of Covid-19, they will not get the decent burial and few will come to their funeral.

“As a result, people are choosing to die at home, unrecorded,” he said.

“Another apparent deterrent to testing is widespread conspiracy theories about the virus. People believe that Covid is a hoax and the virus is fabricated,” he added.

Dr Nisar said while elderly people have the highest rates for hospitalization and death, many are not tested for Covid in hospitals.

“Older people don’t develop typical Covid symptoms. In them, feeling weak or confused may be the only sign of having the infection,” he said.

“When patients lack classic signs, health professionals are less likely to think of the diagnosis. This means many patients die undiagnosed,” he added.

Dr Nisar said many Covid deaths are hidden among other diseases.

“Many patients with heart or lung disease die of Covid, but their death is attributed to their underlying condition,” he said.

Dr Nisar said more than 30 percent of the positive cases may be missed by the RT-PCR test which is used to identify people infected with Covid infection.

“Inappropriate sample collection, taking the sample too early or too late during infection and late processing of the sample can give rise to false negative results,” he said.

As many as 48 inmates at a jail in Kashmir — most of them political prisoners — have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to sources.  

A key health official in charge of anti-pandemic measures told that after a pro-freedom activist was diagnosed with the virus a couple of days ago, all prisoners at Anantnag District Jail were tested for infection.

“Yesterday, four tested positive. Today’s results showed 44 others positive,” the official said.

Most of the positive cases are other pro-freedom prisoners who had come in contact with the activist, he added.

A government spokesman later said on Twitter that 290 people had tested positive in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday. Their identities were not revealed for fear of stigma. Also, seven more deaths Wednesday took the toll in the restive region to 195.

Among those who tested positive at Anantnag District Jail were a preacher and several people held on charges of providing logistical support to militants, the father of one of the infected prisoners told.

On Sunday, the local government announced a fresh lockdown in parts of the capital Srinagar, attributing the measure to a spike in the number of positive cases.

According to the Indian Home Ministry, more than 7,300 Kashmiris were arrested—most of them released later—before and after Aug. 5, when the Indian government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomous status. But hundreds are still lodged in jails in Kashmir and elsewhere. In April, human rights organization Amnesty International urged India to set “arbitrarily detained Kashmiri prisoners” free.

Last month, Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Prisons VK Singh told the media that every new prisoner is “properly screened” for COVID-19 before being shifted to any jail in the region.

– AA News

I choose not to place ‘DIS’, in my ability: Robert M. Hensel

By: Shah Hussain

All of us have our own share of troubles throughout our lives, but then even the thought of losing one’s eye-sight would leave one horrified on any given day. However there still are some truly amazing people in the world who despite going through this awful experience have achieved equally amazing heights that a person with normal vision can only dream off. This story of Sami-ul-Haq Wani concurs with the list of those amazing souls who despite battling rare vision impairment has went on to set a glorious example of how to live life to the fullest. This ‘disability’ has not stopped Wani from leading life the way he has ever wanted to. Sami-ul-Haq Wani commonly known in the social circles as Sameer Wani is presently a Government Teacher, a Resource Coordinator, Trainer, Speaker with a kaleidoscope of talents.

It was on January 9, 1981when a middle class (farming) family of Drugmulla – a famous village in the northern frontier District Kupwara – was blessed with a gifted baby boy on an equally blessed Friday. However ten years down the lane, Wani was diagnosed with severe vision impairment and from there on a story unfolded, story which will imbibe in you a sense of hope and courage!

Starting his journey as a student from Government Boys Middle School Drugmulla, Sameer very soon caught the attention of his teachers and peers for his exceptional grasp over studies. The journey went as such till 1992, however soon after Sameer started complaining of less sight to his family. A major setback took Sameer off his feet when doctors diagnosed him with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) – a rare, inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment- A genetic disorder that involves a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina (RP leads to the gradual loss of sight). The family of Sameer was equally shattered and the hunt for cure begun with his elder brother, Nasrullah Wani, leaving no stone unturned to arrange their meetings with as many ophthalmologists as they possibly could.

Narrating the ordeal, Wani remarks “We ran from post to pillar and went on meeting almost every ophthalmologist in Kashmir and a few in Delhi, Amritsar and Bengaluru with almost negligible fruitful results.After extensive case study, the doctors said that it was genetic disorder and thus cannot be cured.”

Caught in a double whammy as to continue his studies or leave in between, Sameer somehow took a giant leap of faith and went on with his studies to exhibit his brighter, colorful and cheerful side to the world. Wani went to pass his matriculation and 12th examinations, with flying colors from Government Higher Secondary School, Drugmulla. Having a keen interest in English language, he happened to be the only student in Kashmir province, who secured 98 marks out of 100 in English, in his then matriculation examination. During his higher secondary school days, doctors advised Sameer to quit studies however defying all the odds, Sameer sailed against the tides and graduated from Government Degree College, Handwara, in Arts. The journey was full of rough roads though.

During the college vision kept on decreasing over a period of time, thus adding to the woes of Sameer. While his eyes continued losing sight, the urge to continue his education kept on mushrooming, and the inner urge to conquer the world defeated the barricades within and outside. With a great hold on English language, mastering fluency, gifted with a clear, lucid, audible voice, having a lively accent, Sameer brought laurels to his college, by not only participating but securing positions in various debates, symposiums, seminars, eloquence competitions also. During the course of time however it became a necessity for Sameer to be accompanied by escort students, as he struggled to walk alone, with his diminishing sight. “For all the students, it was a Herculean task to speak on the podium while for me, it was a challenge to reach the podium”, Sameer, while recalling his old days, said in a compelling tone.

In the year 2005, Sameer was appointed as an Rehber-e-Taleem (ReT) Teacher in the department of education. This major breakthrough proved a “Morale booster” for him. According to Sameer, his young shoulders were trusted to work as a Nation Builder. Working with zeal and zest, despite facing myriad challenges, Sameer was elevated to the position of resource coordinator/Teacher trainer in 2012. Not resting on his laurels, Sameer pursued his post graduation in Political Science, through University of Kashmir’s distance mode and a BED also. He is presently pursuing Masters in Public Administration through distance mode.

With dwindling eyesight, every passing day, the colorful world was replaced by a one permanent color, Black! What’s more inspiring is Sameer’s perseverance and strong mental health.

Sameer tied the knot in 2012 and is blessed with a daughter. On being asked about his wife’s role in his life, Sameer emphasized that marrying him was her wife’s first and the biggest sacrifice. Irrespective of the fact that he has a visual impairment, his wife chose to marry him. Sameer cannot read books now. His sight doesn’t allow him to write anymore. His wife always holds his hand to take him out, reads for him, and lends him a shoulder for all his needs.

Sameer is a technocrat and shows a palpable presence on Social networking sites. He with the help of various smart-phone features keeps himself busy in accumulating knowledge. Sameer has a galaxy of friends, whose contribution towards him cannot be sidelined. Usually in the evening, after attending mosque, Sameer along with his friends go out to enjoy the bytes of life.

The turning point, according to Sameer in his life, was the interaction with Syed Humayun Qaiser, a radio wizard, on the popular show, “Meet a friend” on August 14 2014, aired on Radio Kashmir Srinagar. Sameer shared his journey on the show and gained wide popularity across the horizons in and outside Valley. During the show, Qaiser was full of praises for Sameer’s struggle and complimented him by appreciating Sameer’s communication skills.

That was the motivational moment which accelerated the gears of my life, Sameer remarks. Since then, Sameer has participated in various shows on Radio and TV, sharing his inspirational journey. He speaks on various socio-cultural and educational issues.

A cricket enthusiast by heart, Sameer has grown up commentating on cricket fields. A great fan of Waqar Younus, he is very much in awe for the English commentators, Nasser Hussain, Michael Holding and Tony Greg. Sameer loves the poetry since his childhood. Ahmad Faraz is his favorite poet. Sameer’s articulation of poetry has won many hearts, particularly those of his colleagues and friends. Sameer’s love for Ghazals and classical, Bollywood, romantic songs never fades. Mehdi Hassan, Kishore Kumar, Noor Jahan are in his favorite Singers’ list.

Presently Sameer provides training to the teachers, with an attempt to impart various technical and non technical teaching skills in teachers. He also deals with stress management, new learning techniques and communication skills. Adding a new feather to his cap, in this global pandemic lockdown, when students have been forced to study from home, Sameer Wani has been roped in by the DESK Srinagar to deliver English classes on All India Radio, Srinagar. What is more astonishing is that he happens to be the only physically disabled teacher in the valley to deliver the classes of such kind!

When asked about his future aspirations, Sameer aims to write a book to encompass his journey of life, “How he defeated his disability to inspire those who are either physically disabled or down in the dumps due to depression.”

Sameer believes that there is no difference between a so-called normal person and the one who is physically disabled. Once asked by a pellet victim, how to survive with the blind eyes, Sameer inspired him by calling black as the only permanent color, and that they should take the disability as a strength to compete with the rest of the world. What’s worrisome is the lack of appreciation and recognition from the top administration in the education sector. Despite possessing a bagful of talents and doing immense work for the department, the top officials and administration of the department has failed to applaud the efforts of this talented visually impaired teacher. Sameer wants to excel in the department, aims to train teachers in new and advanced ways, motivate students and above all, become a productive member of the society.

The author can be reached on: [email protected]

With inputs from Kashmir Glory

My father faces a coronavirus death sentence in an Indian prison, having committed no crime.

By: Ruwa Shah

Like thousands of other young people, I, too, am worried about my elderly parents during this pandemic. I am especially concerned about my father, who is imprisoned in a small dingy cell in South Asia’s largest prison complex – Tihar jail – in India’s capital New Delhi.

My father, Altaf Ahmad Shah, or Abu as I call him, is 63 years old and has diabetes and hypertension. Hence, he is in the “high-risk” category of people who face potential life-threatening conditions if they, God forbid, contract coronavirus.

Abu was arrested in July 2017. He is not in prison because of any criminal activity. The reason for his incarceration is his political activity and his belief in the right to self-determination in Indian-administered Kashmir. Intimidated by my ailing Abu’s political aspirations, the world’s largest democracy imprisoned him, charged him with sedition and accused him of “waging war against the country”.

Abu has not been imprisoned for the first time. He has spent several years in different jails for supporting the resistance movement of Kashmir and being a member of the pro-resistance political group, Hurriyat Conference, headed by my grandfather, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Tihar prison complex has about 16 prisons housing more than 17,000 inmates. Abu and many other Kashmiri political prisoners are kept in the so-called “high-risk security ward”.

Family visits for those in high-risk wards are different from the ones in general wards: they are shorter and take place later in the day once all other visits have finished.

During my meetings with Abu at Tihar jail in 2017-2018, I developed a stronger and more affectionate bond with him. Visiting Tihar has been more than challenging in every sense to me. Every Friday, I would prepare myself mentally to travel to that place that frightened me, but at the same time it meant half an hour of happiness for both of us. Those visits were always full of trauma, fatigue, intimidation, anxiety and fear.

When I went to meet Abu, I would have to wait for more than three hours in the waiting area, perched on a corner of a broken bench and overwhelmed with fear. I was not allowed to carry anything before entering the waiting area, except a little courage and desperation to see Abu.

As I and others waited, rodents, insects and stray dogs would lurk in the room. Many times, I fell sick after those visits, given the unhygienic conditions of the prison. Despite the heat and the humidity inside, visitors would not even get a glass of clean water to drink.

Whenever I asked Abu about the living conditions in the cells, he would dodge the question, but his physical appearance spoke for itself. He started looking weaker with each visit and much older, his hair and beard turning white.

Out of anger, I once asked him why he had chosen such a life that put him and our family in such great suffering. “You are privileged to see me and meet me. I am in the same prison where Afzal Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat have been hanged and buried. Their families did not even see their dead bodies. They remained incarcerated even after their death,” he told me. Bhat and Guru were Kashmiris who were also arrested and charged with “waging war against the state”; they were hanged in 1984 and 2013 respectively.

Abu always tried to keep my spirits high, telling me to hope and pray for the day of his release. I last saw him on February 21 this year. It was one of the most emotional visits, as I had not seen him for more than a year. “Ah! Baedd chaham gamaeczh!” (Ah! You have grown up), was the first thing he said when he saw me through the window in the dim-lit room. He looked so old to me. But I did not say it.

A month later, India imposed a nation-wide lockdown due to the coronavirus. Prison visits were banned.

My worries about my father are fuelled by the fact that prisoners do not receive adequate health care in India. There have already been a few cases of Kashmiri prisoners whose severe health problems have been neglected.

Peer Saifullah, a 54-year-old Kashmiri resistance leader, was operated on for a brain tumour before he was arrested in 2017. He needs life-saving medication to survive and often falls unconscious in jail, but he told me, so far, he has been provided medical assistance just once. In one of his desperate messages, Saifullah wrote to me: “I am dying in this prison. I might not survive as my body is giving up now”.

In December last year, Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, a 65-year-old Kashmiri, died in an Uttar Pradesh jail. He had been detained under the Kashmir Public Safety Act – a law which allows Indian police to detain anyone who they suspect may commit a crime against the state.

There are hundreds of Kashmiris imprisoned outside Kashmir and most of them are pre-trial prisoners. News about their wellbeing and messages from them rarely make it out of the prisons where they are kept.

The outbreak of the coronavirus in India has spread more anxiety among hundreds of families of Kashmiri political prisoners. We all fear we may not see our loved ones again.

India currently has more than 500,000 registered coronavirus cases so far and at least 16,000 deaths.

Tihar jail reported its first coronavirus case in late May and there are rumours of an outbreak there.

In March, after prisoners started testing positive for the disease, the Supreme Court ordered early releases to decrease overcrowding. In April, former first chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was shifted from prison to house arrest; 65 prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir were also set free.

But so far, my father and his associates have not been released, despite the fact that none of the accusations against them have been proven in any court of law in India.

My mother, who has been unwell too since the arrest of Abu, frantically calls me every day to ask if there is any news. Last month, our bail plea was rejected, but our application to get my father checked at a hospital was accepted. Despite the court order issued on June 1 to grant Abu medical attention, the jail authorities have not yet carried it out.

As the coronavirus death toll surges and more people are reported infected with the virus, our hopes are dwindling that justice will be served and we will see our loved ones free, alive and well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ruwa Shah
Ruwa Shah is a student of cinema and TV and previously worked as a journalist
 @ruwashah15

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.

With inputs from Al-Jazeera

The Valley has been witnessing an unabated spike in Covid-19 cases and re-imposition of lockdown restrictions.

While Kashmir is set to welcome tourists after the administration opened the sector on Tuesday, the valley residents have ridiculed the decision which has come when the region is witnessing an unabated spike in Covid-19 cases and re-imposition of lockdown restrictions.

The tourism department officials said the protocol committees and health teams are on the ground, but they expect that it may take some time for trickling down of the message to potential visitors.

“We have started getting congratulatory messages from the outside tour operators and everything is in place. Our officials are on the ground to make sure that every precaution is taken. However it may take at-least two weeks to one month for the tourists to start bookings,” said Kashmir tourism director Nisar Ahmad Wani.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday decided to open the tourism sector in a phased manner with effect from Tuesday, allowing only by-air arrival. All incoming tourists must have confirmed hotel bookings for the duration of their stay and confirmed return air tickets besides compulsory RT-PCR testing of everyone on arrival.

Ironically, the order came on the same day when the administration imposed restrictions in parts of the valley, including Srinagar — the worst affected district— by designating over 88 containment zones amid a surge in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. Earlier, the Amarnath pilgrimage was also given a go-ahead besides opening of parks.

These decisions have been sharply castigated by people even associated with tourism.

Ashfaq Siddiq Dug, president of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, said it was an ill-timed move and an insult to the sensibilities of the locals.

“It is a shame. How can I welcome tourists when the locals are being herded into their homes? How do you expect tourism to flourish in this scenario and how can we be sure if they are not carriers,” asked Dug.

“The ground situation is not conducive. The decision to open the tourism sector is as good as building castles in the air. Probably it has a political angle to it to show to the world how much we are enthusiastic about starting tourism,” he said.

The number of people infected with the disease in J&K has already crossed 10,800 with 187 fatalities — 170 in Kashmir and 17 in Jammu division till Monday evening.

Moin-ul-Islam, an engineering student, questioned how locals will agree amid the dichotomy of the decisions. “This is why people don’t follow the guidelines. Locals asked to stay at home and tourists welcomed. How are we supposed to adhere to their orders,” he asked.

Others jibed whether only locals were susceptible to the virus and the visitors were immune. “Does the virus become hyperactive and harmful when it comes to dealing with the natives and goes into hibernation mode with respect to the visitors and pilgrims? Has the critical thinking in Kashmir been quarantined or put in isolation? Or, may be, declared a containment zone,” said author and political commentator Gowhar Geelani on Twitter.

The tourism director, however, defended the administrative decision saying that the people associated with the sector have been suffering losses. “Please ask those who are associated with tourism like pony riders, tourist guides and Shikara rowers whose families have been suffering from hunger. There are so many who really want it,” Wani said.

“We are not saying that we will bring them without taking all the precautions. We will follow proper protocol,” he said.

With inputs from The Hindu