[Reader-list] Voices Unheard

[arshad hamid]

*Voices Unheard *
I was supposed to submit my fourth posting between April 22 and April 28.
The reason for the delay is the outright denial of most of  the patients
visiting Psychiatric hospital in Srinagar to share their grief   and let the
researcher know the reasons underlying their stress disorders.
Kashmir being a closed society, people have inhibitions disclosing their
diseases particularly the psychiatric ones, for they fear disclosure of same
may result in categorizing  them as insane or lunatic.
Owing to this assertion of social ostracism, even doctors at Psychiatric
hospital say that many people despite knowing that they have psychiatric
problems avoid visiting the psychiatric hospital.
"we want to live and do not like intrusion in our lives. What  bad  we have
experienced, we don't  like it to cast shadows on our future," was the
response from most of the patients, this researcher tried to caught up.
For weeks together, I kept on interacting with the patients and their
families. If sometimes patients were ready to share their experiences and
speak about the horrors, family sources showed reluctance. Their argument
was that quoting  examples from their families will make them 'outcasts' in
the society. At times patients themselves were blunt.
At one point it appeared that I can not proceed further, then a detailed
interview with a youth, Shabir Ahmad generated a fresh hope inside me. His
positive approach and understanding of the problem made me to conduct
further interviews.
*Case Study 5:
*Shabir Ahmad, hailing from Anantnag was brought to Government Hospital for
Psychiatric Diseases, Srinagar in November 2005 after being diagnosed of
post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD).Shabir's family said they witnessed
a dramatic change in his behaviour prior to the diagnosis.
He was a depressed lot, talking less, doing abnormal acts like pouring water
in to rice, while taking the meals. Was complaining  about sleeplessness
and  getting angry. At times he was getting totally unconscious. A stage
reached, he was getting violent and trying to beat anyone who try to pacify
him. His presence has become the source of inconvenience for the family.
His brother Manzoor, relates,
"One evening, when Shabir came back to home, he told us that he is not
feeling well and complained of fever. We suggested him to lay in the bed.
Around 10 pm, he felt unconscious and resorted to intra-personal
communication .Everybody at home got puzzled. In the unconsciousness, he at
once got up and ran towards the attic of the house raising alarm, save me,
save me. . .
He whispered that army has zeroed the entire house and that encounter will
start soon. We persuaded him that it is his nightmare and he need not to
panic.
At the second moment, he complained that gunmen (militants) will shoot him.
The drama continued for whole night till morning prayers were called form
the local mosque," recalls Manzoor.
Next day Shabir was taken to the Psychiatric Hospital.
Initially Shabir's family use to treat Shabir for evil spirits, for they
were convinced that some evil spirits are causing harm to Shabir. Revered
waters and clay blessed by the priests (locally know as peers) was given to
Shabir as panacea.
Communication with Shabir dawned upon the researcher that Shabir had
friendship in militant ranks as well as with police and army personnel
deputed to tackle militants. His profile of job was such that he could not
annoy anyone. Being a cable operator in the locality, keeping acquaintances
both with militants and police/army personnel was Shabir's compulsion.
Police station and army personnel in the locality were subscribing his
service. Militants often used to summon him for according to Shabir, they
many a times tried to close down the cable service. They were being told
that cable service is likely to bring immorality in the society. "Having a
sort of association with both, wild thoughts used to occupy my mind and
sensing the prevailing situation, I thought I may become a target," Shabir
says.
Another reason for Shabir's diseases is the broken love affair. Snapped ties
with his fiancee forced him to take drugs in order to get relieved. For
seven years Shabir relied on the drugs as an alternative to derive temporary
solace. But continued usage of drugs that too with increased dosages each
day found Shabir caught in the quagmire of drug addiction.
"I myself am responsible for the deterioration of my health but the
prevailing conflict situation simply aggravated my stress," Shabir says.
Nowadays Shabir is on the Medication under the supervision of Psychiatrist,
who not only cured Shabir but ignited spark inside him for further living.
"The situation here is bad and needs a serious approach. Hundreds of the
people are using drugs as an alternative to over come frustration and
depression," informs Shabir.
*Case Study 6:
*Sarwa Akther (50) is trying hard to forget the incident that made her
daughter Yasmeena to breath her last in the courtyard of their house. The
sound of bullets and screams of Yaseema are still resonating in her ears.
Yasmeena was gunned down by militants in 2003. On the allegation that  she
was working as SPO (Special police officer) with the local police and
providing them information about the movement of militants. The tragedy has
left an indelible impressions on her memory. Unable to cope up with the
separation of her daughter and  the nature of Yaseema's death, Sarwa became
a psychiatric patient.
In April this year, she was referred to Psychiatric hospital  by a doctor
after Sarwa didn't show desired results. She was being  treated for
depression and even double dozes of anti-depressants were not giving desired
results.
At Psychiatric hospital Srinagar, she has been diagnosed a patient of PSTD,
and after taking medicines her family sources say that now they  feel a
little difference in her attitude.
Sarwa's reason for falling prey to Psychiatric diseases is that her daughter
Yasmeena was killed by gunmen in cold-blood.
According to Sarwa,Yasmeena's father was about to retire from service and to
help the family. She choose  to work as an SPO on 1500 rupees, which is a
dangerous job to do in Kashmir. SPO's are thought to be a cursed people with
every apprehensions of facing the wrath of militants.
Sarwa argues that her daughter died as a  martyr .The entire family is yet
to come out of the shock that it suffered during an evening of September
2003 and Sarwa is worst affected.
"The two masked gunmen entered our house and asked for Yasmeena. Not feeling
well, she was lying in the bed. When we pressed for knowing the reason,
Yasmeen cried that they had come to kill her. No sooner the duo heard her
cry from inside the room, they fired a volley of bullets killing her on the
spot and critically injuring our seven-year-old cousin," relates Tasleema,
another daughter of Sarwa.
The family abandoned their ancestral home in Bijbehara to help Sarwa recover
from the diseases and tragedy. They have not  visited their home and have
almost snapped all their relationship with the relatives at Bijbehara.
Nowadays the family lives in an exile in Anantnag town. Sarwa recalls the
indifferent attitude of their neighbours in Bijbehara when Yasmeen was
killed. "Nobody among our neighbours came out at the time of incident. Even
a limited people joined us to carry her last rites. It was very painful,
even more painful than her killing," she says.
There is hardly a day when Sarwa does not weep in memory of her daughter.
She compels her husband Ghulam Rasool  to visit the grave of Yasmeena on
every Friday to offer Fateh Khawani.
One thing that haunts Sarwa is that Yasmeena's death has brought bad name to
the family and that people will not marry any of  her other daughters all of
whom  have attained the marriage age.
The daily news broadcast from radio makes Sarwa restless the moment violent
incidents are reported.
*Case Study 7:
*Hajra (50) is a half-widow, meaning she has no whereabouts about her
husband who has disappeared. Half-widow is a term coined by media in
Kashmir, and refers to women whose husbands disappeared in the conflict.
According to Muslim laws  a woman whose husband has disappeared has to wait
for seven years before she can remarry.
Hajra is one of many half widows in Kashmir. Her worries simply increase
with every passing day. Unable to trace her husband Mohammed Yosuf Malik,
who she says was subjected to enforced disappearance in the custody, Hajra's
concern is the growing age of her three daughters.
Twelve years ago, to be exact on May 7, 1994, her husband was picked up by
the army from her residence at around 2;30 am in the dead of night. The
fearful entry of the men in uniform is still fresh in her memories.
"The men belonging to Para 9 Commandos broke open our doors and forcibly
made their entry inside our bedroom, where we were sleeping along with our
daughters. They dragged my husband and took him away," recalls Hajra.
Right from that day, Hajra is suffering from abnormal heart beat that even
make her unconscious. Relating the incident even today makes her feel uneasy
and frightened. After her husband's disappearance, she assumed the status of
family head and used to manage everything from managing agricultural land to
bear the expenses of daughters. She stood like  a rock and is struggling
hard for her family.
Doctors, whom Hajra approached for treatment of her diseases after seeing no
let up in her condition, advised Hajra  to go for psychiatric consultation
after.
"I am not scared of my death but what will happen to my daughters, who will
manage their marriage and other things. They have always seen sufferings,"
says Hajra.
Mixing up with patients at psychiatrist hospital made Hajra feel that her
worries are smaller compared to others visiting here. She has been put on
medication and has been asked to report for counseling session twice in a
week.


Almost all the people comprising of family members and patients whom this
researcher interacted speak about their visits to shrines and consultation
with priests in search of solace and end to their diseases. In the next
posting, I will be bring the expert opinion on the burgeoning number of
psychiatric patients.

Ends- - -

-- 
Peerzada Arshad Hamid
+91-9419027486
+91-1932-234488

Address
Baba mohalla Bijbehara
c/o Tak Trading Company Bijbehara
Jammu & Kashmir
INDIA


www.kashmirnewz.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/attachments/20060516/c481a7df/attachment.html