IPPNW-Students India

Seminar on Peace, Health and Development - South Asian Perspective

TERRORISM - A Jammu & Kashmir Perspective
Jammu, May 21st, 2005

I welcome you all with to my native state “Jammu & Kashmir”

What is the first thought that comes to your mind on hearing it?

Well most probably its TERRORISM.

I am sure that my co speakers who have come here from various states would have tried tooth & nail to convince their parents for getting permission to visit this place because no one would like to go to a place where the risk of losing your lives is so high. Where even the schoolchildren don’t know whether they will reach home alive or not.

Don’t ask me! Ask the common man the shopkeeper, the shikarawala, the laborer: “Who has not been affected during the 15 long years of turmoil?

THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT

• The turmoil has been the greatest hurdle to development in the state, especially the valley.
• Indigenous industries have suffered a setback causing unemployment.
• Terrorism has left tourism nowhere. The Dal lake that used to be flooded with tourists lays barren like a body without a soul the anxious eyes of the houseboat wallas waiting for customers, a wait that didn’t last .

THE IMPACT

According to reports some 5 lac lives have been lost in Kashmir during the 15 years of this low intensity conflict. The most tragic victims in these situations are not those who die but those who survive.

Ask the mother, who can’t find the blown pieces of her child; Ask the orphaned child still waiting for his father to return home; Ask the newly married bride whose husband was killed in cross firing.

“Do we suppose that they can attain that level of mental & social well-being that we define as health?”

LET US ASK A QUESTION: WHY IS IT ALL HAPPENING? FOR WHAT?

When God never differentiated in his bounties when he created a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu or a Sikh; A black or a white; a scheduled caste from a higher caste.

Then who are we to fight over self-created feuds ?

Killing innocents in the name of religion is a heinous crime upon the fundamentals of any religion.

India is a country of diverse religions & cultures. We cannot & should not ignore this fact. As far as peace is concerned it can only be attained if we know our religion, our culture & come to common terms with each other & bring out similarities rather than pointing out differences as our worthy politicians mostly do.

Today we need young, vibrant fearless youth who can take up the responsibilities of progress & development. WE the medical students who realise that terrorism & economic want are global issues & threats without borders & who would promote people to people talks & collective efforts towards long lasting peace.

Doctors play an important role towards perpetuating peace & development through health;
So it is the moral duty of a doctor to propagate goodwill because it is impossible to achieve mental & social well-being in a war ravaged state, keeping aside the physical aspects of morbidity & mortality associated with a low intensity conflict, as in J&K.

A doctor if he wishes can become an instrumental in promoting peace.

Doctors go beyond promoting peace, they instill human values even in the non-believers of peace, those who believe that might is always right.

Did the World Wars lead to any solution?

Did the Indo-Pak Wars lead to any good?

Nothing but death destruction & a Moral

“That war never leads to lasting peace”

The truth has come. And the falsehood has perished;

Verily the falsehood was meant to be perished”.

Original Script : Ms. Sehrish Asghar, Dr. Syed Junaid.,ASCOMS, Jammu.#

Compiled by : Ms. Neha Venkatesh, Member, IDPD.