HIV ENTERS VALLEY SCHOOLS

The growing incidence of HIV infection in J&K has been an open secret for some time, but now the monster has extended its reach to schools and colleges. Officials say two cases have surfaced in a private elite school, and three others in a professional college.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV that causes the dreaded AIDS disease is unshackling itself from high risk categories in Kashmir. While its incidence is growing, it is also surfacing in unsuspecting corners.
The HIV testing laboratory in Srinagar has detected five HIV positive cases from a private school and a college.
Dr. Munir Masoodi, Head of Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM) department in Government Medical College Srinagar while confirming the reports said, “Three cases of HIV were reported from a professional college of Srinagar and two cases from an elite private school.”
It is for the first time that cases from schools or colleges with minor victims have been detected in Kashmir. Experts call the development frightening. The HIV positive school children are in the age group of 14 -15.
“Alcoholism, drug addiction and behavioural changes are fast catching up among the teenagers,” says Masoodi. “The prevalence of HIV infection is also correspondingly increasing.”
Ninety percent of the new HIV infections in the state are however being attributed to sexual transmission.
The worrying factor is that HIV detection depends on voluntary checks by victims, which is not very effective. Even in cases where doctors suspect a person as potentially HIV positive, such as a partner of an HIV positive patient, they can’t force him or her to take the test. Doctors don’t have any authority to enforce HIV determination tests and can only offer counseling for such people. The limitation means more many HIV cases remain undetected.
Most of the people with whom the infected students had sexual relations are out of the ambit of detection. “We just offer them counseling for encouraging voluntary testing and guide them in coping with the dreaded situation,” says Masoodi. “A couple of them are coming for counseling,” he confirmed.
It is feared that dozens more roam free as carriers of the virus.

DANGER BELLS

Two cases detected in a school Three cases detected in a professional college Detection mostly on voluntary tests Partners of detected cases untraced Infection moving from high risk groups to low risk

Another worrying trend has the indigenisation of HIV spread. “Earlier most of the cases used to be those people who had visited outside or had contact with outsiders in Kashmir, but now virus is very much in Kashmiri society and it is spreading,” says Dr Salim Khan of Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar.
The virus is traveling from high risk group (security forces, long distance truckers, out-going students and businessmen) to low risk population (that is entire population).
“The prevalence is going down but numbers are up because of awareness. In last nine months 51000 people reported for voluntary testing and it is a record,” says Dr Mohammad Amin, who heads the State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (SAPCS).
Some Kashmiri students in mainland India have also been detected HIV positive.
“When a person from here visits outside for say education, entire culture changes for him or her and family pressure, rules and regulations also loosen up,” says Dr Khan. “The result is that people take liberty in their behaviour with dangerous consequences.”
The profile of HIV positive patients in Kashmir is extremely heterogeneous with people from every possible category.
The HIV testing laboratories in Srinagar have detected the virus in businessmen, long distance truck drivers, students, teenagers, elderly men and women from upper and middle class families of Kashmir.
“There is no particular category in which we can put such patients as they are from every possible genre,” says Mushtaq Siddiqi, HOD Immunology department of SKIMS. “The youngest patient visiting our clinic for treatment is a child who contracted it from his mother and the eldest is a person in his late 60’s.”

SYMPTOMS OF HIV

There is no way to know for sure if someone else has HIV. Many people with HIV look perfectly healthy. Some people experience common cold type infection besides fever, fatigue, rash, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat. These symptoms can occur within days or weeks of the initial exposure to the virus during a period called primary or acute HIV infection and they usually disappear within a few days or weeks. Due to common nature of such symptoms carrying out test in a clinical laboratory is a reliable way to diagnose HIV infection. Once the primary or acute infection is over, most people do not experience any visible symptoms for another 8-10 years. Left untreated, the immune system becomes increasingly weaker and the disease progresses to AIDS. After that “opportunistic infections” like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis cause the death.

The HIV cases are usually detected by voluntary testing, screening of blood donors and pregnant women.
Recently a pregnant woman at Lalded Hospital needed blood transfusion. Her husband offered blood and during routine check he was found to be HIV positive. Later the woman too was found to be HIV positive. On investigation the husband was found to have contracted the virus due to his sexual relations outside the marriage and then passed on the virus unwittingly to his wife.
It is second case of a pregnant woman being detected HIV positive in Kashmir.
According to experts the transition of society from a conservative one to more open kind is a contributing factor. “The loosening of family and social values is a big factor in the current situation,” says Dr. Khan. “In the mad rush we are trampling all norms in behavior with disastrous results.”
Recently, an 18 year old college student was confirmed HIV positive. “Next day he brought his friend for the test and he was also confirmed positive,” says a doctor who handled their case at SMHS Hospital. “We were shocked to hear that the two were indulging in homosexual activity, which is more dangerous.” Last year, an old city eunuch treated at SKIMS admitted 27 physical contacts including those with security forces.
In another case, the doctors had tough time getting information about the cause of infection from an 18-year-old unmarried girl, who was tested positive for HIV infection.
“Most of the cases occurring in Kashmir are in the age group of 15-30,” says Dr Masoodi.
The increasing level of sexual activity among teenagers is driving HIV infection in Kashmir. Late marriages too have catalyzed the behavioral change.
Dr Khan blames society for the situation. “Actually we have made marriages difficult and adultery easy and it is the reason we have to suffer,” says Dr Khan.
One of the biggest problems facing HIV counselors is how to keep an HIV positive person under surveillance, treatment and counseling. In many cases patients flee on detection of the virus. As the entire process has to be voluntary, doctors are forced to be mute spectators and HIV positive people roam freely in society without any guidance.
Doctors attribute rising flesh trade as another cause of rising HIV infections. “The number of makeshift brothels has increased particularly in the areas adjacent to highways and they have become hotbeds of infection,” says a doctor on the basis of his observation. Experts fear that the way all the accused got scot free during the infamous sexual abuse scandal, the criminals have become more daring.
Tourism is another driver. Jammu and Kashmir gets around eight million visitors annually. Tourist traffic to Ladakh has crossed 91,000 and arrivals in Srinagar have touched an all time high this year. Tourism involves a host of population including boatmen, hoteliers, taxi drivers and tour-operators. Tourists are in direct touch with the host population. Interestingly, a few years back when a French visitor was hit by a bullet, he was rushed to hospital where incidentally he was detected HIV positive.
Cases of HIV infection occurring due to marriage with outside girls have also surfaced in Kashmir. Every year hundreds of women from Bengal, Bihar, UP and other such places are brought to Kashmir for marriage. It has been found that some of them were infected and they passed on the infection to their husbands.
“More such cases are coming out,” says a doctor at Immunology Department of SKIMS. In one case a man was infected with HIV virus from his non-local wife. “Upon investigation, it was learnt that the particular woman was indulging in prostitution before coming to Kashmir,” he further added. As no prior screening is done and nobody knows what the non-local woman was doing before being passed on for marriage to a Kashmiri.
While we get women (for marriage), labor force from comparatively HIV-prone areas, students and seasonal traders spend most of their winters in the same belt doubling the risk.
Another cause of HIV infections is drug abuse. Recently two cases of HIV positive infections from south Kashmir were detected by doctors at SMHS. The duo had contracted the virus after sharing needles for drugs. “They confirmed that they were a large group and all of them share the same needle for taking drugs,” says a doctor. “The problem is that the rest of the group, whose number runs into dozens, are not coming forward for tests.”
So if some cases have been detected, many times more remain undetected. “The symptoms are not quite specific, peoples’ ignorance and societal pressures can keep the higher level of infection hidden in the population,” says Siddiqui.
Dr Masoodi says the figure might be as high as 5000 for the state. Other experts say that the figure can be very high, as much as five times more.
On an All India scale too the picture looks grim. From a low prevalence state, Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards the high prevalence zone.
A report published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research recently disclosed that an increasing epidemic trend was noticed in seven of the low prevalence states such as Pudducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
The prevalence rate among Kashmiris during the last six months has also shown an increase. At a single counselling centre, 15 cases have been detected and all of them are Kashmiris. “This is the highest number detected so far by us,” says the doctor manning the centre.
The first HIV positive case in Kashmir was detected in 1986. He was a Kashmiri doing business in Germany and had returned with the virus. The case is also one of the earliest detected in entire India. After that, there was a long gap in HIV detection and a regular flow came after 1995. In 2008, 211 new cases of HIV/AIDS were detected in entire state.
Officially, J&K has 1812 detected HIV positive cases. SAPCS has 95 documented deaths as 264 full blown cases are passing through different stages of ultimate immunological collapse. But a conservative Kashmir having 0.6 percent prevalence only in high–risk groups is wishful thinking. The iceberg is showing just its tip. J&K, especially Kashmir, has all the ingredients for becoming an AIDS hotbed.

Above article is written by : Haroon Mirani (www.kashmirlife.net)
http://kashmirlife.net/back isssue/May 02/Cover Story.html

Dear Deception

Arsalan!Arsalan!Save Me!Save Me!
These heart rendering cries woke up Arsalan from his deep slumber in the middle of night.From the past several months he was getting this nightmare frequently.Adnan and Arsalan were two brothers who grew up together during the miserable times of 1990's when Kashmiri intifada was at its zenith.Before this they used to play cheerfully with other boys in the neighbouring park till late evening and were always ready to make new friends.But suddenly something changed as their parents debarred them from playing till late hours and making new friends.They began to be watchful of their wards activities,friends and used to advice them not to make acquaintances with strangers and keep everybody at arms length as they were too young to understand Who is Who!
Adnan and Arsalan couldn't understand these changes,but they could still experience that something was missing from their lives.
Though the atmosphere,environment,trees,birds,flora,fauna,rivers and snow covered mountains were the same but still the contentment was missing.One day while returning from school they saw hundreds of people being brought down from public buses,made to que up in straight lines,ordered to keep their identification cards in their hands while being throughly frisked by the police and other uniformed men whom they couldn't recognise as Kashmiris because their height,facial complexion and language were different.They saw a man being ordered by these men to become a "cock",the punishment they encountered in their classroom when their teacher would punish any student by ordering him to bent on his legs with his arms criss-crosed across his legs with the fingers holding the ears thus making his head bow down.They saw another elderly man being beaten by rifles,gun butts and bamboo sticks and then thrown in an army vehicle.They were witnessing these gruesome acts but couldn't make out why all this was happening,when suddenly a black soldier sporting big fearsome whiskers covering half of his face shouted at them and ordered them to stop.Both of them froze and fearfully approached the soldier who shouted at them"What are you carrying in these bags?"

"We are carrying our school books and note books in them",both of them responded."Open them",the soldier ordered."Ok",and they began opening and soldier began checking the bags."Do you work for any Tanzeem(Organisation) and help them in transporting arms and ammuniation from one place to other?",the soldier enquired rudely.They both had heard the word Tanzeem for the first time in their lives,but hearing arms and ammunition they were a bit aware as they had seen an illustration of a gun in their book and watched these things in movies."No,they both simultaneously responded We are students".Jane Do Salae Bade Hokar Aatankwadi Banege! (Let them go,these Bastards will grow up to become terrorists).A new word "Salae"had added to their vocabulary but they didn't knew what it meant,but from the soldiers conversation"Aatankwadi"meaning a terrorist they knew this word and could infer that he had predicted that both of them were growing to turn up into terrorists.

They went home and related the whole incident to their parents and enquired about the meanings of these two words that today had been added to their lexicon by the Teacher-Soldier.Though their parents changed the subject,but they were informed that these soldiers were Indian Army and they should always respect them as they are elders.Years kept rolling on,Adnan and Arsalan both passed their matriculation with good marks and came to know that Army was fighting a virtual war with Kashmiri freedom fighters whom they termed as Terrorists but usually in the battle among these two the common man used to become cannon-fodder.

One day at dawn a police vehicle using public address system informed the people that they were under "Crackdown" and ordered all male persons to gather at the school ground.The whole locality male population assembled at the ground and army went on searching the houses with only womenfolk left behind in them.In these conditions nobody was allowed to moveout or move in from the locality as the whole area was sealed.Now army began the identification parade in which each person was supposed to stand in front of certain army vehicles in which surrendered,captured,apprehended militants or renegades were present,who would blow horn as a sign that the person was related to the insurgency,and army men would at once pounce on him and bundle him away.Adnan,Arsalan and their father all passed the test and all people were ready to leave when some soldiers caught hold of Adnan and began to push him towards their vehicle.He resisted and countinued to yell at his father and brother.

Arsalan!Arsalan!Arsalan!Save Me!Save Me!Free Me! I am innocent please let me go!Arsalan and his father ran to help adnan but in the midway were overpowered by other army personnel,but they still could hear the cries of frightened Adnan and saw him being bundled by a dozen armymen in a vehicle which sped away.Now they lost sight of the vehicle.They began to protest and cry at this injustice but were silenced by the Commanding Officer(CO) that Adnan would be released after a few hours of questioning.The CO ordered them to go home like others but they still were reluctant and begged the CO to release Adnan.He answered them in harsh terms to go home and rest.They were left with no option but to leave.They went home where Safia had prepared the lunch as noon time had arrived,but she was so stunned to hear this tragic news about her beloved son being picked up by the army.She began to think about the fate of her son,as usually nobody from army's custody was freed alive.With these sorts of apprehensions and devil designs coming up in her mind she lost consciousness and fell down with a heavy thud.

When she regained consciousness,she began to nag and coerce Shoaib to have FIR(First Information Report) filed against the army for picking up Adnan.Shoaib was reluctant and told her to be patient as the army CO had assured him that they would release Adnan in a couple of hours.From noon it was night but there was no clue of Adnan.Safia's fears grew,but Shoaib assured her that tommorrow the army would definetly release Adnan.But two days elapsed but still there was no news about Adnan.Shoaib went to the police station to file an FIR.The policemen there were non-cooperative and reluctant to file FIR against army,cited the delay of two days as reason for not not filing the FIR.Shoaib argued with them and tried to justify how complicated the case was,at last the policemen obliged him by recording his FIR.

Next day shoaib along with the Police Inspector went up to the army camp where the battalion which apprehended Adnan was residing.The CO described his helplessness by stating that all the men who had picked up had been released on the same day.So Adnan wasn't in their custody.He even ordered his subordinate to bring the file which included the names of men who had been picked up.Shoaib was shocked to witness that there was no inclusion of Adnan's name in the list.He protested by shouting that before the thousands of people army bundled Adnan in their vehicle and he(CO) himself asured him of Adnan's release,but all his shouting and pleas fell on deaf ears.The CO told him that after his release Adnan may have crossed the border to recieve arms training from Pakistan.Shoaib argued that Adnan even wasn't well aware of the alleys of his own locality,howcome he would cross to other side in such a brief period of time,but the CO ordered his men to throw Shoaib out of the camp.Shoiab then pleaded with the Inspector to record another FIR regarding the Disappearance of Adnan at the hands of army.He was not ready to record FIR against army but due to everday protests of people against Adnan's enforced disappearnce he was compelled to do so.

Meanwhile the days began to turn into months and months changed to years,but there was no news about Adnan.Everyday began with hopes of Adnan's returns but ended in sheer despair.Shoaib and Adnan ran from pillar to post,searched every possible army camp,police station,jail,interrogation centre and torture chambers located in every nook and corner of the valley but in vain as they could find no trace of Adnan.He had disaapeared in "Thin Air".In these following years Safia's health began to deteriorate and she died with hopeful sighs of meeting her son before death,but her dream was shattered completely by fate.Now the family had totally been disorganised because of the loss of the only woman.To bring it on track Shoaib decided to marry challenged by circumstances.
The step-mother of Arsalan was able to bring the family on track,and Arsalan also felt the change.This change was but short lived because she soon joined Association Of Parents Of Disappeared Persons(APDP) an amalgamation of Parents whoses sons were subjected to Enforced Disappearances at the hands of the security agencies.She began to champion Adnan's cause as if it was her own.She soon began to join seminars,rallies,protests to lend a voice to this noble cause.It was all going too well,when Arsalan came to know that her step mother received monetary benefits for the cause which she was supposed to lead.She was a voice of dissent and speaking against an Empire,only because it seemed to her the best job available for an illiterate.She used to recieve money from international human rights organisations to look after the welfare of families of Disappeared persons,but she used it to fill her own pockets.

Now when again the nightmare used to come,Arsalan would ponder whether Adnan was seeking help to save him from the clutches of Bandits in Uniform or this Bandit Queen who still was clutching to him like a parasite exploiting his name,earning laurels and building assets.Does Arsalan's cries depict his helplessness at fate which couldn't still leave him despite his Disappearence from the wordly scene?Wasn't he still Free inspite of the fact being invisible to their eyes?What were his pleas which every night he used to protest for?Arsalan couldn't understand and with these thoughts fell asleep.

Author: Mushtaq ul Haq ahmad sikandar.(The author is a student of political science at Kashmir University and can be mailed at : sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com )
~ Mushtaq ul Haq is a frequent writer and co-editor for www.koshurpinta.com

Progeny...why i was not sent to london!

"Oh Mama! I will catch you up later," said the caller and the noise of throwing down the receiver was heard by Masarat. She was thinking and pondering with herself "Was it right to send Shakeeb to London?" The next moment it occurred to her mind that it was alright and perfect decision by her and her husband Fayaz to send their ward for higher studies to a foreign land! What could have Shakeeb learnt and experienced had he opted to stay back at Kashmir for studies like rest of his friends did. He too would have became lazy, dull and unskilled like the majority of students who pursue their studies here because in most cases the educational institutions remain closed due to the political instability. Even if the educational institutions functions, but the teaching staff is absent, so they automatically become defunct. Also in Kashmir there is no literary culture, as oratory culture prevails. Even if he finished his professional degree here, then he had to run from pillar to post in search of a job as "unemployment" is a norm in our valley, Masarat continued to deliberate with herself and was convinced that she had made the right choice. She was moreover happy about the fact that her son was pursuing education in a free, liberal, tolerant and pluralistic environment, unlike her domicile one, where every innovator, intellectual, writer and thinker are tight lipped, their minds shackled, their imagination curbed with every new idea silenced and where the illiterate Mullah frightens these people with Hell and Politician with Jail.

After a couple of weeks to this incident, Shakeeb again called home. He was excited to break the surprising, shocking and sensational news to his family regarding his marriage.

Meanwhile, Fayaz came home after a long day's work. Masarat told him about Shakeeb's phone call and they both began to count days up till his master's was over, as they were desperately awaiting his return. After a couple of weeks to this incident, Shakeeb again called home. He was excited to break the surprising, shocking and sensational news to his family regarding his marriage. Masarat was stunned to hear what Shakeeb thought to bring happiness and joy to his whole clan. She couldn't speak for a couple of minutes, and when she came out of the shock, becoming conscious that she was talking on phone, she still found herself dumbfounded. In this state, she couldn't enquire and question his beloved son, "How, when, why it happened?" Shakeeb judged that his family was against his decision, but he was reluctant to change it, even if it meant severing his ties with his family. "Ok! Mama I will call you later," said the voice and dropped over the receiver. She still was holding the receiver, as tears began to swell in her eyes. Her legs begin to tremble and she could feel her whole body shaking from head to toe. She could no longer hold her body in a standing position and just fell down on the floor with a 'thud'. She tried to sit in a proper posture. In the meantime, Shoaib, her youngest son, rushed to the mother's room on hearing the heavy sound. He tried to make her comfortable by placing her on the sofa. After giving her water and rubbing her palms and toes, Shoaib rushed to call to the family doctor, but Masarat debarred him from doing so. "What happened Mama?, asked Shoaib with deep anguish in his eyes. "Shakeeb was calling and he told me that he had married", replied Masarat with a deep choking in her voice. "Bayaji (Big Brother) has married; it's a moment of joy for all of us. Was it because of this news that you became shocked? said Shoaib, with an insight of reluctance in his words. "Yes, you think it's a merry-making moment for us all. You don't know what blunder your Bayaji has committed by marrying an alien girl. He has broken his family norms and caste commitments. Were all Kashmiri girls dead, which forced him to marry there", Masarat countered non-stop, her eyes red with rage. "Oh Mama! Despite being a post-graduate your thinking still is old and rotten. Gone are the days when caste, family background or locality used to be decisive factors while tying the nuptial knot. Now it is the other way round. I think Bayaji took the right step as he couldn't find a partner of his choice in Kashmir”, added Shoaib with a stint of victory clearly depicted by his eyes. "You instead of being remorseful, reluctant and regretful about your Bayaji's actions are trying to justify his decision so shamelessly. Get out of my sight, the T.V, print, electronic media and internet has ruined your thinking and judging faculty, so you are unable to distinguish between right and wrong!" replied Masarat with her rage turning now into anger." But what is wrong in Bayaji's decision, I can't understand. If he is happy with the girl, then what is the logic in blaming his decision?" questioned Shoaib with fearful eyes. "Get out of my sight! You too are like your Bayaji. Go and marry on your own. Who am I to you? What right do I have in your lives and issues? Do whatever seems right to you? You have depicted through your actions what I mean to you? What is my worth in your lives? "Masarat's chatting turning into full fledged shouting. She lost the distinction between Shakeeb and Shoaib continued to curse them both as if both of them have committed the same crime. Shoaib left the room following her mother's dictates, and was trying to settle scores with himself as to why his mother was so angry with him. He reached to the conclusion that mother was much resentful and angry with bayaji's marriage and finding him near hand she spitted her whole anger, on him though it was the share of Bayaji but finding him absent he had to share his burnt.

 

Masarat's whole body was shivering with pain. "What plans had I made for his marriage? Even my cousin was willing to marry his daughter with Shakeeb and he had even sent his proposal!" lamented Masarat. Though he hadn't answered her cousin in affirmative, but she was much willing for this relationship. Masarat was most afraid of the comments of her acquaintances, friends and other relationships because she in social get togethers she belonged to the "Morality Sanctioning Authority" who always passed judgments on the actions and behavior of people, describing them as "civilized" or labeling  them as "deviants". Masarat knew that marriage outside one's caste, community, culture was deviation and rebellion against the prescribed norms of the society. She also inferred that only low caste and class women in England married to the foreigners as the Royal families all over the world preserved the Royal norms and Lineage. Now she too was vulnerable to the heart rendering comments passed by this "Moral Sanctioning Authority". Now she maybe debarred from the elite circle of this society and would miss the joyous moments in which she freely indulged in backbiting and making a laughing stock out of the people's mistakes. Thinking about these circumstances made her feel sick. She was impatiently waiting for Fayaz. The time seemed to run slow, at one instance she thought of going to Fayaz's office, but held herself down thinking of the consequences her action would provoke.

 

Fayaz came and Masarat unlike the routine started narrating the whole incident, at the door not even asking Fayaz to sit out of courtesy even though she knew that he was much tired." Ok! Let me sit down and sought out things", said Fayaz helplessly. "We should take the situation realistically and stop being emotional", retorted Fayaz with a veteran look in his eyes. "What realistically and practically", gnawed Masarat. "I thought you are going to take some concrete action. You would pressure Shakeeb to divorce that discreet girl whom he married childishly out of innocence", blurted Masarat with confidence in her eyes. "What! Divorce! Be Practical. Shakeeb out of Love married this girl. If we coerce or force him to abandon his love he may out of revenge abandon us, and never come home", said a resentful Fayaz. "No! No! Don't do that. I can't bear the separation of my beloved son" said Masarat with Tear swelled eyes. "but what can we do now?" questioned Masarat. "Nothing! Just Wait and Watch" answered Fayaz. We have to own his choice and that is the way to stop the deterioration from further culmination" responded Fayaz.

 

These Firangi Gauris (White Englishwomen) are so deceptive that they make innocent boys victim of their beauty and these boys are caught up in their deceptive trap, while regretting their decision for the whole life. She might have done some Black Magic on Shakeeb, thought Masarat. Masarat lost in a deep thought began to curse the day when she offered her consent to send Shakeeb to London for higher studies. That girl must have distracted Shakeeb with her looks, otherwise my boy is still a child and so innocent. These Firangi Gauris (White Englishwomen) are so deceptive that they make innocent boys victim of their beauty and these boys are caught up in their deceptive trap, while regretting their decision for the whole life. She might have done some Black Magic on Shakeeb, thought Masarat. But this was only one face of the calamity. She thought that a lot of boys and girls now-a-days go for studies to the foreign countries, in her own clan two sons of her distant acquaintance had gone for higher studies, but came back single unlike her son. She began to pressurize her mind to think more and a dozen examples of these students came to her mind. They all finished their studies but did marry back at home. Why was it her son only the solitary case of deviation? He was a hard working dedicated and intelligent student but why did he got so distracted from studies as to think about marriage. He is still too young for marriage. Has his mind stopped working when he took this drastic step without consulting us? Was he compelled for the marriage? Did he opted for pre-martial affairs which resulted in a sin and to legitimize that Sin he was left with no option but marriage?" all these questions were hunting in her mind, but she now assured herself that she would take this situation realistically as it was Shakeeb's life and he was responsible for any dire consequences he might face. Everyday she assured her mind with these kinds of justifications but her heart was still worrying for the lost cause.

 

Meanwhile six months passed and Shakeeb came back home with his newly wed spouse Safia .Masarat saw her daughter-in-law and was stunned that she wasn't so much beautiful and blonde as she thought her to be. She was more surprised by the fact that Shakeeb introduced her with a Muslim name and was wondering that were there so many Muslims in London, but soon the reality dawned on her when she came to know that Safia's real name was Sherry and was a Coptic Christian who reverted to Islam so as to marry Shakeeb. Masarat began to suspect her religiosity as she never saw her praying or uttering such words through which she could find a clue of her Islam. Masarat though was well read and Post-Graduate which was still essence of a few elite but she wasn't fluent in English as she had lost touch with this language a long time ago. So there was a language barrier between Safia and her. Also she couldn't understand her language at times as her accent was also different. She could only communicate in broken words, with Safia.

 

Safia on the other hand found herself homesick. She was longing for her motherland despite the fact that not a week had passed since their arrival. She felt herself alienated in a hostile environment where electricity and water used to vanish into vanity quite often. The internet and phone connections weren't also working properly. When she went for jogging in the morning or for shopping the whole lot of pedestrians would assemble like spectators, as if she was an alien from a distant Planet or somebody left out from the U.F.O. This staring of people made her life miserable and she opted to stay at home to escape the embarrassment. All these factors culminated to make her life a virtual Hell. She started nagging, and was always resentful with Shakeeb for not being ready to leave for England. After ten days had passed to their arrival Shakeeb went up to his parents informing them that he was leaving tomorrow. It came as surprise to both of them, Masarat was most shocked because she thought that Shakeeb had came to stay forever, but his decision came to them awesome. Masarat had thought that Shakeeb would remain here, try for a university job here to serve his people by his capabilities. But she was wrong. "But beta (Son) you have just arrived, how can you go so soon" enquired Fayaz." And what will you do there your studies are complete" Masarat added abruptly. "Safia's Dad has arranged a job for me and I have to join soon. Inshallah I will be visiting you soon", responded Shakeeb and excused himself. The day arrived and Shakeeb left his family. His parents still advising him to take care throughout the journey, keep the strangers at arms length and be vigilant about your luggage and expenses, thinking that he still was the innocent and inexperienced Shakeeb who left for studies to an alien land virginally.

 

In the meantime more than two years have passed since Shakeeb left with the promise to visit soon. He informed his parents about the birth of his daughter. His parents were much happy but a strange misery was eating up Masarat from inside which expressed itself in her irritating behaviour and depressing attitude. She was ramifying her hopes and expectations with Shakeeb which left her high and dry. She had made plans about her son's marriage, how she would adorn Shakeeb's hand with Mehandi (Bridal Colour) and then would throw open a feast where all her near and dear one's would have been invited to relish on the mouth watering Wazwan (Kashmiri Dishes prepared during marriage).When Shakeeb would have kids, how she would feed them, teach them and love to hear from them calling her Dadi (Grandmother), but all her hopes and dreams had been shattered. She had become childless despite the fact that Shakeeb was her son. She couldn't enjoy their joy and feel the delight of her daughter-in-law and the kids playing, roaming and shouting all over the house. She missed these moments much and used to weep for Shakeeb and his gamily solitarily but always prayed for their peace and safety in her Namaz (Prayers). Could Shakeeb also feel the pain and anger, Masarat encountered everyday? But she would assure herself that he was happy in what he was doing and in his happiness lay my joy, despite the fact that the phone calls and emails from Shakeeb have become much irregular and rare.

 

Instead of coming home Shakeeb invited his parents to visit England, but due to non issuance of Passport and delay in visa, this opportunity was ruined. Whenever Masarat used to enquire Shakeeb about his visit to home, he would use dilly dally tactics citing the workload as his reason for not homecoming. Shoaib who now completed his Masters from Kashmir University was now in hunt for a job. Scores of jobs came, but he refused justifying his decisions that he didn't wish to loose his talents here by working in some third class government firm. Also Shoaib had in mind that he would be earning less money for his time if he stayed back in Kashmir, thus would remain of no match to Shakeeb in the gain of materialistic luxuries. He too was trying for a big job in some foreign country, got one and flew to conquer his dreams least thinking about the condition of his parents. Masarat wished to stop Shoaib from going abroad, but Fayaz stopped her from doing so, legitimizing his cause by stating that if they don't care for us old one's why should we? Also in this materialistic world no one was anyone's all are the worshippers of materialism. Fayaz who had retired from his service some months back would now stay at home looking after the garden and reading newspapers. Now the world seemed only to move around the house and in between them. Shakeeb and Shoaib would call only when they remembered that there were parents back home.

 

Masarat inferred from their behaviour that they only called because they wished to know whether they still were alive or dead. She lambasted were it for this reason that parents prayed for sons who couldn't even shoulder their coffin. They too were growing old and old age brings with itself a lot of diseases and sickness. Old Age in itself is a worst form of sickness. Nobody was there to look after them. Have they given birth and reared these two sons for this day? She remembered how she and Fayaz would remain awake for the whole night when they were ill so that child would sleep undisturbed and to give the medicine dosage properly. Now there was nobody to look after them! Was it the decision to send Shakeeb abroad for studies, his marriage, race for materialism, what people called Westernization or were it changing social values and norms which made children post emotional so as to leave behind their old-aged parents for their cherished dreams. What kind of goals, aims and dreams were these, where even the honorable relations like Parents couldn't carve a niche for themselves", Masarat pondered and wept over her helplessness.

Author: Mushtaq ul Haq ahmad sikandar.

(The author is a student of political science at Kashmir University and can be mailed at : sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com )

~ Mushtaq ul Haq is a frequent writer and co-editor for www.koshurpinta.com , besides he also writes for www.theintellectualonline.info