Caring for our moral health

Kashmir is a prominent Tourist Destinations. Every  year  lacs  of  national  and  international  tourists visit the Valley. Kashmir is also famous for its hospitality.

The people are caring. During the period of turmoil people not only helped outsiders financially, but even sacrificed their lives to save them in any eventuality.

During Past couple of years several incidents were witnessed at different tourist destinations where locals, especially tourist guides, not only rescued tourists but during these rescue operations many youth lost their lives.

During the period of turmoil and even today, people living here are providing every logistic support to tourists as well as Amarnath Yatris. Cutting across party lines even outside, political, social and religious leaders of the country have appreciated the goodwill gestures of the people of paradise.

During the turmoil period when thousands of people were killed in different incidents, the graph of crime recorded was low. People, especially youth, maintained moral values, respecting elders and teachers, helping poor and needy. But from last few years we seem to be losing our culture and moral values one after other. Our society is grappling with drug abuse which has ruined thousands of families.

The dreams of parents have shattered as they fail to curb the immoral activities of their children. Some parents are coming forward for the rehabilitation of their addicted children but some, due to family & social pressures, are hiding their activities.

Thus paving way for disaster. The sudden rise in drug abuse cases not only has deteriorated the health condition of our youth but devastated the society as a whole. The every-day incidents like assault, murder, kidnapping, theft, burglary, stabbing, and suicide have put the entire society in a state of shock. We as conscious citizens have failed to discharge our duties.

While talking to a retired school teacher of age 75, he blamed the entire society for this mess and appealed the administration to take effective steps to tackle this grave issue. While recollecting his service days he said that parents used to trust teachers while admitting their children in schools.

Every student was put under  proper monitoring by the management both in Government as well as Private schools. But unfortunately teachers now work for salaries and the management for profits.

Parents too are responsible as they are providing costly mobile phones, bikes, and handsome pocket-money to their children for picnic and shopping.

The management of schools is duty bound to provide both modern and moral education, besides maintaining attendance of students in schools. Any suspicious behavious of students should be taken seriously and parents intimated about that. Timely redress can safeguard their future.

The rising drug abuse cases in the valley give sleepless nights to parents as it has shattered their dreams too. The Imams of Masjids, the civil society groups, journalists, columnists, educationists, poets, and writers must come forward to eradicate drug menace from Jammu & Kashmir.

The Prime Minister during his “Man Ke Baat” Programme on 30-July has appealed the people of the country to work for the success of “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan”, the initiative taken by Union Government for drug free India. This mission can be successful when different departments & groups work with synergy.

On one hand strict laws should be framed against drug peddler and smugglers. On the other hand, rehabilitation centres for our youth at every district headquarter should be established. Local intizamia Committees have a role in giving timely information to police and other enforcement agencies, as this can help to minimise drug trafficking. In the Valley, as the law and order situation has improved, Police Department should focus on social evils.

Only seminars, conferences, lectures, and debates on the issue can’t serve the purpose, unless a policy is framed to eradicate drug menace from our society. We have already wasted a lot of time, and further delay can only worsen the situation. 

Author is a senior journalist, and a human rights activist.