The Mental Health Crisis in Kashmir: An Epidemic Within A Pandemic

It’s not a hidden fact that the Indian government wants sole claim over the State or now known as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir is no stranger to lockdowns, curfews and military crackdowns when rules are not followed, and has always been the primary talking point whenever someone wants to defend the Indian Armies might or every time Pakistan threatens to free Kashmir from India’s stronghold.It is interesting to note that for a state that everyone wants a piece of nobody in reality pays much heed to what the inhabitants of the state want. The narrative here is not just political but it is important to understand that no conversation about Kashmir can ever be apolitical. Everything that happens or has happened in the UT of Kashmir since India's independence in 1947 till the Abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, is always going to be political. While the rest of the world is updating their Covid-19 positive caseloads every day, not much is known about the number of positive cases, recovered cases, and deaths taking place in theUT of Kashmir.The 30 year long insurgency in Kashmir has resulted in several generations experiencing state induced violence as well as collective community violence. The official numbers state that about 40,000 people have died since India gained independence from the British in 1947. When young children see their primary and secondary caregivers die in front of their eyes ornot see them return home one fine day, a lot of questions arise. Some simple questions and some complex ones, the answers of which are not enough to soothe their aching soul for the loved ones they have lost.