Kashmiris Face a Mental Health Crisis under Siege and Lockdown
Around 1.8 Million People Are Suffering From Mental Disorders
Thousands of the civilians living in Kashmiris face a mental health crisis amid the siege and lockdown implemented in the region for more than 8 months by the Indian armed forces. By using armed brute force, the Indian government is arresting and detaining thousands of Kashmiri citizens to cement their unrightfully control over the territory.
Kashmir is generally a Muslim dominated territory inhabiting around 8 million people from both India and Pakistan. Kashmiris face a mental health crisis as the Indian controlled troop’s uses blunt force to disrupt the everyday life of the general population of the region, making Kashmiri feeling besieged and terrified to leave their homes.
Kashmir lockdown
Due to the continuous daily interference and disruption caused by the armed soldiers posted in the area by the President Modi regime against the citizen’s wishes and has been declared the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet by the United Nations. Due to this, the Kashmiris face a mental health crisis as these acts have a severe impact on the citizen’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
As the region is under siege, Kashmiris face a mental health crisis, causing a crease in suicide attempts by certain inhabitants along with prescribed constant usage of antidepressants to reduce the mental strain put due to the constant attacks on the local citizens and persisted lockdown.
The area occupied by the Kashmir was a semi-autonomous state, which was revoked eight months before by Indian President Narendra Modi. Now Kashmir has been brought completely under the Indian government authority by the use of brute force, which have caused a state of hopelessness on the citizens due to the severe psychological catastrophe as Kashmiris face a mental health crisis while being under siege.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of suicides in the local population of the area along with the disturbingly increased rate of domestic violence as Kashmiris face a mental health crisis.
Lockdown in Kashmir amid COVID-19 pandemic
The region-wide lockdown, which has been previously imposed over the citizens of Kashmir for the last eight months, have become more severe and brutal due to coronavirus pandemic. The police officers imposed on the area by the Indian government have placed several roadblocks on major roads across the region by using coils made up of glistening concertina wire to prevent movement.
The Kashmiris face a mental health crisis as any resident who steps out of their homes, especially in the major areas of Kashmir, is brutally beaten up by the armed officers. In the Indian held Jammu and Kashmir, more than 523 confirmed coronavirus cases had been reported, out of which only 6 has died yet in the region.
Due to the continuous besiegement of the area, there is no proper facilitation of medical equipment, which is essential for the treatment of COVID-19 infection, implemented a huge risk of further transmission of coronavirus.
Due to the ongoing decades of violence on the citizens of Kashmir, nearly 1.8 million people comprising about 50% of the adult population of Kashmir have developed some form of mental disorder. 9 out of 10 people have first hand experienced conflict-related traumas, while living inside Kashmir due to the ceaseless disruption and chaos caused by the armed troops’ orders from the Indian government.
Even though around 50% of the adult Kashmiris face a mental health crisis, only less than 60 psychiatrists are available inside Kashmir to help the local population cope up with the decades of violent activities experienced by them.
Due to the persistent aggressive and forceful blunt and emotional traumas caused by the Indian government, along with the COVID-19 pandemic affects, the teenage population is traumatized by the constant rampage, business people owning mountain high debts due to closure of everything, mothers worried about their incarcerated children. The crisis in continually growing, but no international organization has the means to stop these acts have done, as this worst humanitarian crisis is growing ceaselessly.
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