Believe it or not!

Kashmir is witnessing alarming proportion of mental health

scenario which is no less than an ep[idemic in nature people, especially those in
unorganized sector, are fast losgin economic suport to the conditions created
around them. This loss of economic support to run even routine domestic affairs
has caused massive disruption in their lives.
Actually for the past few years. I have come across some stunnig shades of
life, some sections of our society who are basically daily wagers, like our
artisan community and those associated with trasnport sector. Over a period of
time, standard of living of these segments has not grown to a size which could have
supported them in the event of need.
Take the case of artisans. This community is now an endangered community. Today,
it's most the matter of sdurvival of the arts and crafts of our state, but he
growing miseries of our craftsmen which have been taxing them. their skillful
craftsmanship has caputured hearts of millions of people, but theiri own hearts
are bleeding. In the prevaling environment, their craftsmanship has filed them to
even feed their families.
Let's have a look at the transport sector, especially the passenger transport in
Kashmir. Those associated with this sector, be it an owner, driver or conductor of
a commercial vehicle. are in pitiable condition. For the last three months, they
are not able to ply their vehciles and are almost facing starvation.
Almost all commercial transport is linked to the bank finace. They are on roads.
Out of this income they are able to pay monthly loan installments and also feed
their familes. Any disruption in their activity directly impacts their income.
Forecing them to remain off the roads for months together is a huge monetary loss
to them and imbalance their social order. They are trapped in debt and becoem Non
perfoming Assests for being unable to pay their EMIs.
Any emergency on their domestic front adds to their woes as they lack income
support during the period they are forced to remian off the roads.
There are scores of such stories where passenger vehcile owners as well as
drivers have been financially crippled due to continous shutdowns. Let me
reproduce story of mini bus owner-cum driver, which I have shared in this column
some time back. Few years back, He had raised a loan little over RS. 5 lakhs from
the bank for the purchase of mini bus to earn livelihood for his family of seven
members including his old aged parnets.
It was the most memorable moment of his life when he first time plied the mini
bus and that too full of apssengers. He had fervently hoped that the earnings
generated would solve all his financial problems on his domestic front.
But his "HOPE" was short lived. Frequent shut downs year after year dashed his
hope of achieving financial propsperity. Today, the mini bus is a huge liabliity
for him. He failed tor repay the monthly equated installments of his vehicle loan
as he couldn't ply his vehicle during the hartals and curfews. Even during normal
days his income witnessed drastic fall as the maintenacne charges of hjis bus had
gone up considerably. On so mny acccasions, his bus was damaged in stone pelting
incidents.
The things got worse when his vehicle suffered considerable damage as windown
glasses and major headlights of his mini bus were broken adn teh very sight of
the vehicle today tells his pathetic story. His bank liability is swelling. He
has nothing substantial in hand to feed his family porperly and the most terrible
part is theat he has to ensure regular chemotheraphy of his ailing brother
suffering from Cancer. For this he needs minimum Rs. 12,000 per month.
Precisely, he is clueless today and it has condiderably affected his mental
health. He has lost his abilitiy to perform even routine tasks at home. Today for
his extreme mood seings and behavioural problems, his family wants to take him
to a psychiatrist but they don't have sufficient money for his treatment.
These kinds of situations dot every locality. But stand neglected and untold.
This has lead to serioous economic depression.