News Kashmir Magazine

Wular India’s largest fresh water lake is not just pride of Kashmir but entire India and it is located in North Kashmir’s Bandipore district in the Indian  state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia and one of the most awesome  lake of world . As a matter of fact, The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River. The lake’s size varies from 12 to 100 square miles (30 to 260 square kilometers), depending on the season.

Wular Lake is an important fish habitat, the main species being the Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), rosy barb (Barbus conchonius), mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), Nemacheilus species, Crossocheilus latius, and various snowtrout [disambiguation needed] species in the genera Schizopyge and Schizothorax.

It is worth pointing out that Fish from Wular Lake make up a vital part  of the diet for innumerable  living on its shores and elsewhere in the Kashmir valley. It is also source of livelihood for thousands of families .

In recognition of its biological, hydrological and socio-economic values, the lake was included in 1986 as a Wetland of National Importance under the Wetlands Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for intensive conservation and management purposes.

However it continuously  faces environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of the lake’s catchment areas into agriculture land, pollution from fertilizers and animal wastes, hunting of waterfowl and migratory birds and weed infestation in the lake itself.

 

But the lake is facing dire threats from human greed and indifferent attitude of authorties. The pollution from fertilizers and animals as well as human wastes, the conversion of vast catchment into agriculture land and the hunting pressure on waterfowl and migratory birds are the biggest problems in the region.

According to experts, the current unattended bleak situation of Wular Lake can have catastrophic impacts on the overall natural beauty paradigm of Kashmir as the lake forms an important part of diverse beauty of Kashmir. Experienced voices state that if current situation continues Wular  lake would face great damage and thus all urge upon masses and authorities to save this precious jewel of Kashmir from further havoc.

 

Love or sexual orientation between Men and Men, Women and women have always remained a deeply controversial topic in human history. Homosexuality is not an offence in India and it is not a mental disorder, five Supreme Court judges declared today in a spectacular leap for gay rights in the country and a rainbow moment in its history. The Supreme Court overruled its own 2013 decision and partially struck down Section 377, a controversial British-era law that banned consensual gay sex. The ban is irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary, the judges said. “Take me as I am,” said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, toasting gay pride. “We have to bid adieu to prejudices and empower all citizens,” said Chief Justice Misra, reading out what he said was a consensus judgment. The judges also said: “Homosexuality not a mental disorder, treat LGBT without stigma.”Section 377, which is part of an 1861 law, bans “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” — which was interpreted to refer to homosexual sex..A part of that law still remains; non-consensual or consent obtained by force continues to be an offence, as will “carnal intercourse with children, animals and bestiality”.

The verdict is being cheered by millions across the country, far beyond the gay community, which has fought for decades for the right to be treated equally.The historic judgment acknowledged their struggle as it noted “158 years ago, the law deprived people of love.” The judges said: “Respect for individual choice is the essence of liberty; LGBT community possesses equal rights under the constitution.”

This verdict will have great relief for gays and lesbians living in India.

 

In an interesting development, social media gaint WhatasApp has rejected  Centre’s plea to trace origins of messages spreading rumours, cites privacy policy.The company’s spokesperson said people use the app for all kinds of sensitive conversations, including with their doctors, banks and families.

 

Facebook-owned messaging application WhatsApp on Thursday has indicated that it will not comply with the Indian government’s suggestion to trace the origins of messages that are used to spread false information, PTI reported quoting the company’s spokesperson. The company official cited its policy on end-to-end encryption as a reason for its stance on the matter.

 

The development follows a meeting between Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and WhatsApp Chief Executive Officer Chris Daniels in New Delhi on Tuesday. Prasad had said that they discussed solutions to technological challenges related to the messaging application in India and that he had asked the firm to appoint a grievance officer in India to tackle problems.

 

The company’s official said people use the app for all kinds of sensitive conversations, including with their doctors, banks and families. “Building traceability would undermine end-to-end encryption and the private nature of WhatsApp, creating the potential for serious misuse,” the spokesperson said. “WhatsApp will not weaken the privacy protections we provide. Our focus remains working closer with others in India to educate people about misinformation and help keep people safe.”

This is undoubtedly a far reaching development .

In what will draw the roadmap for many heated future discussions and researches the Buddhist Spiritual  leader Dalai Lama has claimed that India and Pakistan would have been one country had Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made prime minister instead of Jawahar Lal Nehru.

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist religious leader made the remarks during a question and answer session at a student interaction at Goa Institute of Management.

“Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to Jinnah. But Nehru refused. He was self-centred. He said, ‘I wanted to be prime minister’. India Pakistan would have been united (if Jinnah was made prime minister). Pandit Nehru is very experienced. But mistakes do happen,” Dalai Lama was quoted as having said by The Indian Express.

Dalai Lama chose Nehru’s “decision” to explain that “mistakes do happen” in reply to a student who asked him how can one be sure of the decisions one makes, and if they can avoid making mistakes.

On the otherhand of the spectrum, this will once again open the great Pandora box of debate around who is to be blamed for the partition . The4 politics around it is also expected to grow momentum with these latest controversial comments from Dalai Lama.

 

In a worrying development it is learnt ‘81% of total drug samples found substandard across state were lifted from Kashmir’.

 

Reports have indicated that the trade of substandard drugs is growing in Kashmir with each passing year, data compiled by drug and food control organization (DFCO) has shown.

Pertinently, In 2017-18, at least 69 samples of the total drugs and other healthcare consumables lifted for testing by the DFCO were found to be not of standard quality. “Out of these, only 13 samples were from Jammu division, whereas 51 (81 percent) samples were from markets and hospitals of Kashmir division. Four samples were from Leh and one from Kargil.”

 

These figures are part of data sourced from DFCO and points towards the growing menace of substandard drugs in Kashmir. As per the data, over 17 percent of total substandard drugs were part of hospital supplies.

It is a known fact that sub standard drugs have devastating impacts on health.

The list of the “not of standard quality” drugs include antibiotic injections from hospital supplies. Among these are Ceftrioxone injection and Cefoparazone injection. In addition, oral antibiotics such as Amocin CV were also found to have shortcomings vis-à-vis drug description requirements.

Surprisingly, iron and folic acid combination, supplied by JKMSCL in bulk for administering to expecting mothers and adolescent girls primarily have also failed quality tests.

Besides, life saving IV fluids and other injectables from open market are part of the not-of-standard quality list as well.

 

Against the 69 samples found substandard in 2017-18, only 33 had been red flagged in 2016-17. A year earlier in 2015-16, 35 samples had been reported to be substandard.

In the first quarter of 2018-19, 14 drugs have already been reported substandard by DFCO in Kashmir division alone.

In 2017, National Institute of Biologicals published the largest ever survey on the quality of drugs in India.

As per this report, 3.4 percent drugs in J&K were substandard, higher than the national average of 3 percent. The survey put J&K at a dismal 21st rank in terms of availability of quality drugs.

These facts need to considered and evil nipped in the bud.

 

Public sector is very vital  to economic progress of any nation, but in Kashmir the public sector has been hit badly due to varied reasons .  In our region , even the very important public health care and public education system are  in shambles. The Public Health Sector of the Jammu & Kashmir State, especially that of the Kashmir Valley is in mess. Most of the government owned hospitals are failing to meet the expectations and the needs of patients and rural health care is failing to impress . The desperate scenario pertaining to public health sector calls for the implementation of reformative measures.

Pertinently, poor performance of government schools despite being staffed with sufficient manpower  describes the status of our Education System. Just as the seven deadly sins correspond to weaknesses in human nature, the sins of public education are inherent in the nature of the existing system — that it is controlled, operated and funded by government.

Several studies  have suggested that   the state’s PSUs are doing so badly they have to depend on the government to pay employee salaries.

In order to encourage the development of small scale and medium-sized industries in the country, the Government of India had launched a national programme. Public sector has contributed to this programme by fostering the growth of ancillary industries and satellite planets. Such plants have been established around the major public sector undertakings. The need of having such industries and plants is direly felt in the state so as to tackle the grave problem of un-employment in the state. But what we have seen in the state of J&K is utter inefficiency while managing the public sector units.

We need to improve by leaps and bounds our public healthcare.

The figures with reference to unabated bloodshed in the valley of Kashmr are simply worrying with 30 year old deadly conflict showing no signs of solution or easing down. Incessant bloodshed has pained humane hearts in Kashmir and every voice of sanity .

As a matter of fact, Hundred militants and 43 security personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in the first six months of this year, Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Wednesday.

Ahir, the minister of state for home, said 16 civilians were also killed during this period, which saw 256 incidents of violence. He was replying to a written question in Rajya Sabha.

On the otherhand, n 2017, 342 incidents of “violence” were reported in the state, in which 213 militants were killed. A total of 80 security personnel and 40 civilians were killed last year, Ahir said.

As many as 82 security personnel, 15 civilians and 150 militants were killed in the state in 2016, which witnessed 322 cases of “violence”, he said.Meanwhile, Minister of State for Defence, Subhash Bhamre informed the Lok Sabha that the Army has lost 106 personnel, including eight officers, in battle casualties in 2017.There were 155 non-fatal battle casualties last year, he said in a written response.

One hopes all the concerned stakeholders engage in effective brainstorming and put an end to this ugly cycle of violence as soon as possible so that last peace is established and no more families are rattled.

An empowered women signifies an empowered society. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, recently  interacted with the members of Self Help Groups from across the country and beneficiaries of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, through video bridge. The interaction covered over one crore women representing various Self Help Groups.  This is the ninth interaction in the series by the Prime Minister through video conference with the beneficiaries of various Government schemes.

Expressing happiness in interacting with women from Self Help Groups of various states, Prime Minister said that each member is an inspiring example of resolution, collective efforts and entrepreneurship.  He said that women are enterprising, have enormous inner strength for self-reliance during odd circumstances, and they need only opportunities to perform. He added that it is impossible to imagine many sectors especially agriculture and diary, without the contribution of women. This is the true spirit of women empowerment all over the country.

Narendra Modi during the interaction said that Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission has been started in all states. He added that the aim of the scheme is to reach crores of poor households in 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and provide them sustainable livelihood opportunities. He also congratulated all States and Officials in the successful implementation of the scheme.

Talking about Self Help Groups (SHGs), Prime Minister said that Self Help Groups play a very important role in the economic and social advancement of poor, especially for women from rural strata of society.Through Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojna, training has been given to over 33 lakh women farmers. At present there are 45 lakh Self Help Groups with active participation of around five crore women all over rural India.

We definitely need to give more impetus and encouragement to women self help groups.

Water scarcity is one of the burning issues faced by world currently and this is expected to get worse with time. The scarcity  of fresh water throughout globe  is in future going to be number one concern . The conflicts and tensions over water, widespread deaths due to polluted water is now not an exception  and possibilities of an imminent war over water not being ruled out. Wisdomful  voices have  stated that water might be the main cause of future wars.

We in Jammu and Kashmir should also learn to preserve and conserve water otherwise we are doomed .

The worrying statistics  speak out for themselves. According to the 2001 Census, only 68.2 per cent of households in the country had access to safe drinking water. Experts say, as of now, 50 per cent of the villages have no source of protected drinking water. In a list of 122 countries rated on the quality of potable drinking water, India ranked a lowly 120. With 1.2 billion people to feed, it is estimated that by 2020, India will become an even more water-stressed nation. The availability of water per person per annum has been reduced from 6500 cubic meters to 2500 cubic meters. On the otherhand,  India’s supply of water is rapidly dwindling due primarily to mismanagement of water resources. India’s water crisis is predominantly a man-made problem. India’s climate is not particularly dry, nor is it lacking in rivers and groundwater.According to expert analysis,  extremely poor management, unclear laws, government corruption, and industrial and human waste have caused this water supply crunch and rendered what water is available practically useless due to the huge quantity of pollution.

We need to gather our acts together and start saving the resources of water with utmost urgency.

Cancer is one of the deadliest disease facing humanity with its advanced stages virtually still having no effective treatment available despite strides in medical technology. The need to make the treatment of cancer disease affordable is burning one indeed.

In a related development, Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu has asked policy makers to put in efforts to make cancer treatment affordable. Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the new State Cancer Institute Block at Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru in Karnataka , he expressed concern over the rising cost of cancer treatment. Governor of Karnataka, Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy and other dignitaries were present at the venue.

Vice President called for strengthening of preventive, curative and palliative care programmes at national and regional levels to combat the rising incidence of cancer.

No doubt, huge investments are needed for trained man power and equipment necessary for offering optimal treatment, but the government should explore various policy alternatives that would make cancer treatment affordable, he said.

The Vice President asked doctors to establish a regular communication with the patients, especially in a dreaded disease like cancer. Patients and their families need comfort. They need palliative care and more importantly kind words that make the pain bearable, he said.

Empathy and patience, care and compassion are qualities that can infuse hope in the hearts of patients and calm the troubled minds of the families, he said.

The Vice President stressed on the need to create greater awareness on the dangers of pollution, obesity, harmful use of tobacco, betel nuts and alcohol, leading sedentary lifestyle, eating junk and other foods linked to cancer. It is also equally important to take up periodic screening of people, especially those at risk of developing cancer.

 

Ground pulse is that we need to establish cancer units for early detection, diagnosis, treatment and to provide palliative care in rural areas where about 70 per cent of our population resides.