Navratri, Eid, Baisakhi fervor galore,cover story 8 April,2024 c

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Navratri,  Eid, Baisakhi fervor galore
News Kashmir Analysis
Festivals are an occasion of joy for humanity. They strengthen the bonds of love and happiness.
Indian culture, festivals are more than just occasions for celebration; they serve as medium to the deepest and most profound aspects of life. Each festival carries its own unique significance, offering valuable lessons, spiritual insights, and cultural traditions that have been passed down through generations.
We are having during this week  festivals related to Muslims, Hindus,  Sikhs coinciding in a single week one after another which is a good omen, and we take a glance on all these .
Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated annually from the first day of the Hindu Luni-Solar calendar. This year, it will begin on April 9 and end on April 17. While there are four Navratri celebrated throughout the year, Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri are more popularly observed across the country. Devotees worship Maa Durga and her nine divine forms during Chaitra Navratri. However, on the last day, they celebrate Ram Navami. It marks the birth of Lord Rama. Meanwhile, the nine forms of Maa Durga are known as Navdurgas. They are Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri.
The holiday on this account is in Jammu and Kashmir and many other states is  on April 9.
The holiest festival of Eid al-Fitr will also commence on either 10 April or 11 April depending on sighting of moon. The   ’Holiday of Breaking the Fast’ is the earlier of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha). Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar; this does not always fall on the same Gregorian day, as the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities. The holiday is known under various other names in different languages and countries around the world. The day is also called “Lesser Eid” (Arabic: العيد الصغير, romanized: al-ʿĪd al-Ṣaghīr), or simply Eid.
April 13th we would mark the Baisakhi festival.
Vaisakhi, also pronounced Baisakhi marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April.It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India. Further, other Indian cultures and diaspora celebrate this festival too. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi is also the date for the Indian Solar New Year.
Sikhs, in addition to its significance as the harvest festival,during which Sikhs hold kirtans, visit local gurdwaras, community fairs, hold nagar kirtan processions, raise the Nishan Sahib flag, and gather to socialize and share festive foods, Vaisakhi observes major events in the history of Sikhism and the Indian subcontinent that happened in the Punjab region. Vaisakhi as a major Sikh festival marks the birth of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhism, on 13 April 1699.Later, Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Sikh Empire on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi), creating a unified political state.
Undoubtedly, we should take this as a very good omen that festivals belonging to different faiths are dawning in a single week.

Over thinking Hurts

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Overthinking Hurts
By Nazema Parray
While going through my robotic routine my mind usually remain occupied with some things that are unimportant. The things that drains my mental health and makes me prisoner of my own unending thoughts.These endless thoughts that comes out of nowhere drags me to unknown places that seems horrible.

As a human we have become habitual of accepting commands and always thrive to finish them on time as if our minds are replaced with machines. Then comes the process of thinking that we  have kept on the loop in our mind. These thoughts and this phase of thinking is called Overthinking. Correct me if I am wrong if I would say this phase a Satanic phase because in this process we are at our lowest vis s vis our emann become weak.It is a process when our desires lead us to astray.
In this overthinking phase we want to understand the things according to our understanding.We want certain events to happen according to our wishes that has already happened or about to happen in future time. We don’t want to consider about the others way of thinking and their mental capabilities. We confuse our mind in tiresome issues that has taught us lessons and has made us better and stronger in present. We need to end this cycle by accepting the fact that past has gone future holds bundle of surprises and we need to concentrate on present moment.
Overthinking leads one to self doubts .If We really want to do something just act.  We as a Muslim should surrender ourselves and our future to Almighty as He Is The best planner in whole universe. We should break this satanic cycle by keeps our mind busy in zikr of Allah. Most of over thinkers are physically doing their work but they are mentally exhausting thier mind with the things that are not in our control.
Overthinking will lead you to nowhere.We cannot change others but yes we can change ourselves.Be The Change and stop overthinking about past and future.we should focus on what we have in plate at present and we should know the art of enjoying this platter as Everyone is not as fortunate as you .Be thankful Be Mindful Trust His Plans and Surrender Yourself To Him.

Pinky’s Childhood!

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PINKY’S CHILDHOOD!
( An Autobiographical story of eminent Odhisa writer Monalisa Parida to be taught in Nepal schools for Grade 7 Students)
      Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Pinky who lived in a small village, Chhoti. She was a lively child whose passion was playing, studying, writing poems, short stories. She was a bright student of Ramachandi Sikshya Niketan, Chhoti who loved learning new things and was always curious about the world around her. As she grew older, she realised the importance of education. Her parents were farmers who worked hard to feed their family. Despite their hardships, her parents valued education and always encouraged her to study.
       One day her father got some work in Cuttack, Odisha. Pinky convenienced her father to accompany him on the trip. It was a matter of  three days. So her father agreed. She packed her luggage and very excited to go there, where she could start her new professional life. When pinky reached at Cuttack, she saw the buildings, shopping Mahals, pakka roads etc. There were full of crowed where one couldn’t breathe fresh air. She felt suffocated. So, Pinky returned her own village where she could breathe clean air and played with her best friend Niki to whom she loved more than her life. Though Pinky was a bright student in her school but her family members especially her grandmother opposed her not to go to school whom Pinky loved more than her mother. But her family members allowed her cousin brother to study hard and supported him to reach his destination. When she saw the opposition of her family members, she was weird. And thought “Why is she not going to school?” But her father supported her to go to school where she can built her future.
    Pinky was inspired by her father’s word and decided to pursue her education further. Through her journey, Pinky realised that education was not just about getting a good job or earning money. It is about gaining knowledge, developing critical thinking skills and using that knowledge to make a difference in the world. She understood the value of education and how it could empower individuals and communities.
    By the blessings of Maa Ramachandi, support of her parents, relatives and friends now Pinky became an Assistant Professor of English at Bhubaneswar College of Engineering, Khordha, Odisha who is also an international recognised poetess of Odisha.
     The moral of the story is that education gives us identity and helps us to make the right decisions.

World Homoeopathy Day 2024

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World Homoeopathy Day 2024
World Homoeopathy Day (WHD) is celebrated on 10 April and the day has become the red-letter day for the Homoeopathy profession because it is being celebrated under the aegis of the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India for the last few years in New Delhi.
It is celebrated to raise awareness about homoeopathy and to improve the accessibility to homoeopathy. It is also important to understand future strategies required to develop homoeopathy on a larger scale and its challenges. It is required to focus on the quality of education, enhancing the
the success rate of an average practitioner.
Therefore, Homeopathy is a medical system that believes that the body can cure itself. Practitioners of homoeopathy use tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals. They believe that these stimulate the healing process. World Homoeopathy Day is celebrated on 10 April to raise awareness about homoeopathy. Also, the day commemorates the birthday of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy.
theme for World Homeopathy Day is “Homeoparivar: One Health, One Family.
World Homeopathy Day in 2024 may present a polite and candid platform for discussing the application of homeopathy in medicine. It’s crucial to approach the conversation with a dedication to morality and responsible behavior, as well as critical thinking and scientific data.
Homoeopathy does not use drugs or surgery. It is based on the belief that everyone is an individual, has different symptoms and should be treated accordingly. Homoeopathy first time gained prominence in the 19th century after extensive pioneering work by the German physician and chemist Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). But its origin date back to the 5th century BC, when the ‘father of medicine Hippocrates introduced homoeopathy remedies to his medicine chest.
The popularity of Homoeopathy is growing with passing time.

BLUETHON 2024 by Dr Shabnam Bashir

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BLUETHON 2024 by Dr Shabnam Bashir
  • News Kashmir Health Bureau
March is observed as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common in men and 2nd most common cancer in women (GLOBOCAN 2020) worldwide & in a study at SKIMS (2014-2016): CRC was most common in age group of 56-65 years (25%) & around 20% were less than 35 years of age & 50% had presented in Stage 3. Colorectal cancers have a huge behavioral component and 90% of colorectal cancers are preventable.
In this backdrop, the 3rd Annual Colorectal Cancer Awareness event of Kashmir  BLUETHON 2024 initiated by Dr Shabnam Bashir , senior Consultant Breast & Colorectal Cancer Surgeries & Executive Committee Member of Association of Colon & Rectal Surgeons of India (North Zone), was organised under the aegis of the Association of Colon & Rectal Surgeons of India (ACRSI) in collaboration with Commissionerate Of Disabilities J&K  and Voluntary Medicare Society on 28th  March 2024 at the Voluntary Medicare Society Rehabilitation Centre, Bemina. This year’s theme was ‘Awareness is Everyone’s Right!’ The event received support from Care Foundation J&K and Kashmir Cancer Awareness Network. The Bluethon included a Cancer awareness talk by Dr Shabnam Bashir, a talk by President founder of J&K Care Foundation Mr Dildar representing people with Spinal cord injury in which he mentioned various issues faced wheelchair -bound people and difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities and treatment.
Past President of, the Association of Colon & Rectal Surgeons of India, Prof. Nisar Chowdari reiterated the importance of such cancer awareness events and Commissioner Disabilities J&K Mr Iqbal Lone Congratulated Dr Shabnam Bashir for the initiative and Voluntary Medicare Society for all the support in such activities & extended his support for such activities in future. The event was also attended by Director Social Welfare Mr Ishfaq Ahmed and the Founder President of Voluntary Medicare Society, Prof Mohd. Maqbool.
After welcoming the guests and participants by VMS staff, the Cancer Awareness talk was delivered by Dr Shabnam Bashir, who discussed prevention of colorectal cancers by lifestyle modification in the context of Kashmir and people with disabilities. She said the technologies and advancements are of no use if they do not reach the most vulnerable and needy segments of society. Hence, policies and pathways need to be created to make it accessible to those who cannot avail those facilities due to various limitations and healthcare facilities need to be made equitable by making the access to those facilities feasible for people who have any kind of disability that restricts them from getting an easy access to the same because awareness, screenings and treatment is everyone’s right.
 The function was concluded by vote of thanks by Dr Bashir Lone Director VMS and by creation of a Human Colon logo by all participants with various disabilities.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness themed caps were distributed by Zydus Oncology and refreshments were served to all participants by Dilshad Houseboats.

AFSPA Revocation, Cover story 1 April 2024

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AFSPA Revocation

News Kashmir Analysis
Peace is paramount for progress of any concerned society.  It is heartening to note that peace and prosperity is limping back in Kashmir after decades of turmoil and terror.
The new look Kashmir is witnessing huge number of tourists and youth of Jammu and Kashmir are bringing national and global laurels.
In a bright development, it is learnt recently that esteemed
Union Home Minister Amit Shah  said that the Centre is planning to revoke the AFSPA Act and pull back some troops from Jammu and Kashmir.
With Lok Sabha elections approaching, Home Minister Amit Shah also said that the government will leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
In an interview  Amit Shah said, “We have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.
The AFSPA gives armed forces personnel, operating in disturbed areas “special powers” like arresting individuals they find suspicious, and doing encounters if they deem it necessary for the maintenance of “law and order”.
An area or district is notified as disturbed under the AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces.
As a matter of fact, December 2023, The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, as it upheld the government’s 2019 decision to scrap Article 370.
Centre has made it clear that elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held before September deadline of Supreme Court.
Enshrining democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise and it will be fulfilled. However, this democracy will not be confined to three families alone and will be a people’s democracy,”  Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Expert pulse suggests that AFSPA removal in Jammu and Kashmir suggests peace is heralding in a major manner and the progress would be further cemented on grassroots.
Other developmental are also heralding
OBC reservations have been made in the panchayats and the urban local bodies. We have made space for the SCs and the STs. Without reducing the share of the Gujjar and Bakarwals, the Pahadis have been given 10 per cent reservation. And special provisions have been made to accommodate the displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (PoK).. The Centre is determined to ensure that these benefits percolate to the grassroots level,” HM Amit Shah said.
It is great thing to note that
Since the Abrogation of Article 370, militancy related incidents have declined in the J&K, paving the way for the Centre to consider the need to remove AFSPA in the region.

World Autism Day, Editorial 1 April, 2024.

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World Autism Day
Autism – also referred to as autism spectrum disorder ̶ constitutes a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain.
About 1 in 100 children has autism.
Characteristics may be detected in early childhood, but autism is often not diagnosed until much later.
The abilities and needs of autistic people vary and can evolve over time. While some people with autism can live independently, others have severe disabilities and require life-long care and support.
World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), on April 2nd each year shines a bright light on a growing global health crisis.
As children with autism grow older, they face all sorts of obstacles. Because many don’t speak or use social cues as you or if do, they become targets for bullies or are excluded altogether. Children with autism are also vulnerable to drowning because they wander from their homes and schools. Due to their inability to communicate, they cannot tell someone their name or where they live, either. Additionally, adults are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed.
Autism transcends cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender boundaries, affecting individuals from all walks of life. Despite the prevalence of autism, there remains a significant lack of understanding and acceptance in many communities. World Autism Awareness Day serves as an opportunity to address misconceptions and promote inclusion.
We too in Kashmir need to take steps so as to provide our children answers to their autism woes.
Available scientific evidence suggests that there are probably many factors that make a child more likely to have autism, including environmental and genetic factors.
Extensive research using a variety of different methods and conducted over many years has demonstrated that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine does not cause autism.

Awareness Key in Combating Fire Incidents- Aqib Hussain Mir, Assistant Director Fire and Emergency Services Jammu and Kashmir

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Awareness key in combating fire incidents- Aqib Hussain Mir, Assistant Director Fire & Emergency Services Department Jammu and Kashmir
Aqib Hussain Mir, Assistant Director  Fire & Emergency Services Department Jammu and Kashmir in an exclusive interview with the News Kashmir talks to Editor in Chief Farzana Mumtaz.
How do you see Rising Fire Incidents in Kashmir?
You have to Understand that the valley of Kashmir is different from rest parts of the country, as the period of winter is prolonged here and people use heating Gadgets of LPG and Electricity . Sometimes due to careless attitude in using same unfortunately fire erupts. We used to have in old times the houses fully made of wood and thus quite vulnerable to fire, but now we have many houses made of concrete thus less vulnerable. Still, there are good number of houses that  use Wood in Panelling and Flooring and are thus vulnerable to fires.
Since the esteemed Director has taken over in the year 2020 the awareness programmes by the department have increased manifold as we believe awareness is main key to combat fires.
We have due to awareness seen such fires wherein people after attending our programmes had swiftly doused fires . We have also in our awareness programmes visited Hospitals,  Banks and other important establishments.
We need to bear in mind that every fire starts from tiny spark so initial response is much pivotal.
The need of the hour is that we have proper staircases in houses so as to escape fire and need of well dimensioned exit points .
Every household should keep the basic fire extinguishers and Fire Hose Reels.
What is your take on some deaths also during Fire incidents?
The deaths are definitely a tragic aspect. We at the Fire & Emergency Services, J&K have conducted scores of awareness programmes in Srinagar and other districts ,with our focus on grassroots and thus focusing on school children . The challenge is that we as Department still do not have enforcing power and for residential houses wherein most of tragic fires occur no NOC is mandatory from our side,  we just Give NOC on Demand. The people should also have basic fire extinguishing equipment at home.
How do you combat challenges of fire especially in highly congested Downtown Srinagar, any changes in fire combating vehicles in such areas ?
The Srinagar District is highly vulnerable and in it the Downtown Srinagar is more vulnerable,  as in Downtown Srinagar the fire gaps between houses is very very less and congested lanes are everywhere. This makes fire dousing job highly difficult, to add to it the wrong parking of vehicles in Downtown Srinagar and wrong loading of construction materials makes both health and fire emergency a challenging task in Downtown Srinagar.
Now , we are placing fire tenders at distance and using many hose Reels to douse fire, but then there is a limit at which Hose Reels can be placed from Fire extinguisher.
Is Srinagar the most affected in terms of fire incidents in Kashmir valley?
Yes due to high house density and population density makes the Srinagar district very vulnerable to fires along with Anantnag and Sopore. Take for example Ganderbal the house density is low and there the fire incidents are low.
Does Department have modern equipment to deal with fires in Kashmir?
The Fire and Emergency Services Department has well sophisticated Hydraulic Platforms to tackle fires in high rise buildings as well. Basically,  you need to understand some equipments are specific for fires and in case of petrol pump fires water tenders are of no use and in that case we use foam tenders.  We have all the modern equipments to tackle major fires.
Do our big hospitals have fire combating measures in place?
The major hospitals in Kashmir have complete fire audits done and also the private hospitals because until then registration is not done if an institution does not undergo fire audit.
The majority hospitals also have fire extinguishing equipment in place if God forbid fire takes place.
Recommended fire gaps for residential houses?
The ideal gap for residential houses is 15 to 18 feet but at least houses should keep 10 to 12 feet gap in case to thwart major fires from spreading.

Child Labour Menace, Editorial 25 March, 2024

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Child labour menace
Child labour is a serious menace or hazard devastating not just childhood of millions of children in world but hurting humanity.
As a matter of fact, Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful.Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation worldwide, although these laws do not consider all work by children as child labour; exceptions include work by child artists, family duties, supervised training, and some forms of work undertaken by Amish children, as well as by Indigenous children in the Americas.
In India too child labour was a serious issue. At the last count, there were over 10 million child labourers and 43 million children who were denied the right to an education.
As a matter of fact, a parliamentary standing committee on labour, textiles and skill development in its 52nd report on ‘National Policy on Child Labourers’ has said that it was “practically not possible” to meet the international commitment to eliminating child labour by 2025.
Noting that different definitions of ‘child’ under various laws leads to ambiguity, the committee called for examining the discrepancies in the criteria for determination of age of child and suggested a relook at the offences as being congnizable or non-cognizable to ensure that these do not lead to any ambiguity as well as delay in justice to the aggrieved child.
World Day Against Child Labour, June 12, 2023 we are calling for
Reinvigorated international action to achieve social justice, particularly under the envisaged Global Coalition for Social Justice, with child labour elimination as one of its important elements;
Universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, which, together with the universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved in 2020, would provide all with legal protection against all forms of child labour.

Killer Roads in J&K, Cover story 25 March 2024

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Killer Roads in J&K
News Kashmir Analysis
Road accident deaths or Traffic accident deaths are a grim tragedy of the world we live in . Jammu and Kashmir owing to its tough terrain has a very complex and sensitive Geography making our roads also dangerous.  But owing to many other factors road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir have become a big menace. Even in plain areas many lives are lost in traffic accidents.
The facts and statistics in this regard are worrisome.  The often road accident deaths especially in Chenab area is a matter of huge concern.
As a matter of fact, The
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a horrifying toll of 4251 road accident fatalities over the past five years, with the National Highway and the Chenab Valley region emerging as particularly treacherous zones, according to data released by the Traffic Department.
On an average, two individuals have lost their lives daily due to road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, a very very grim  reminder of the urgent need for improved road safety measures.
The National Highway, a crucial transportation artery, has emerged as a major hotspot for road accidents, accounting for a very large number of fatalities over the past five years.
In 2019, 211 lives were lost on this vital roadway, followed by 178 deaths in 2020, 271 in 2021, 261 in 2022, and a further 234 fatalities in 2023.
The Chenab Valley region, known for its treacherous terrain and winding roads, has also proven deadly for motorists and pedestrians.
In 2019, the area witnessed 113 road accident deaths, followed by 64 in 2020, 91 in 2021, 81 in 2022, and a spike of 114 fatalities in 2023. The data highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions and infrastructure improvements along these high-risk routes to prevent further loss of life.
Road accident deaths are also a big challenge for our beloved country India.
The “Road Accidents in India 2022” report, released in November 2023, said that the number of deaths reported in India due to road crashes in 2018 was 1,50,785 and it rose to 1,53,792 in 2021. The number was 1.3 lakh in 2010.
The need of the hour is to ensure building of quality roads everywhere,  bringing end to rash driving and making giving driving license a very tough process then only we can find solution to increasing road fatalities.
Tragic accidents happen often. Just last month , Seven persons, including four members of a family, were killed in three separate road accidents in Udhampur, Jammu, and Reasi districts of Jammu and Kashmir on , officials said. A couple and their two daughters were killed and another one was injured after their car was hit by a truck in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said.
The family from Jammu was on its way to Kashmir. The accident took place at Salore near Tikri along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway shortly after midnight and the rescuers had a tough time retrieving the bodies from the badly crushed vehicle, they added.
One hopes increasing traffic accidents would be a matter of past soon .