Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 10: Chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, scholars and Ulemas today expressed serious concern over the growing menace of drug addiction in the Kashmir valley.
A one-day seminar of Ulemas, scholars, Imams, civil society activists and NGOs was held at historic Mirwaiz Manzil, Rajouri Kadal, to address the alarming concern in society about the growing menace of drug addiction in the Valley and also issues related to women in society.
The meeting was presided over by Mutahida Ulema council head Mirwaiz, a spokesman of the HC said.
The seminar focused on understanding the reasons and extent of the problem especially with regard to drug abuse, in order to find ways and means of addressing it and domestic violence and inheritance discrimination faced by women.
In his inaugural speech, Mirwaiz said the prevalence of rampant drug abuse is being reported across the valley among both boys and girls and it’s easy availability needs to be addressed by one and all to save our future generations and our society.
Mirwaiz said it was very disturbing that despite being a Muslim society and following the great religion of Islam that gives women all dignity and guarantees their rights, reports of rampant domestic violence forcing some to take the extreme steps of committing suicide and other discriminations and abuse against women are happening.
Mirwaiz stressed that it was the responsibility of the Ulema, Imams and Khateebs to create awareness among people in this regard both among men and women about the rights guaranteed to the women by the great religion of Islam and respect for women.
Mirwaiz said he was hopeful that Kashmir’s Ulema, Imams, NGOs and Civil Society activists would work together to deal with both the issues to the best of their ability.
Speaking on the occasion, Karwan-e-Islami patron Ghulam Rasool Hami said the organisation led by him has been raising voice against the growing drug and liquor menace for a long time. Hami said it was a matter of great concern that huge quantity of drugs and liquor was easily available in the market while as drugs like Heroin was just a phone call away from the addict and the Government was aware of it.
Doctors from drug de-addiction center SMHS gave a detailed presentation, quoting official figures in the year 2018-2019, at the SMHS drug de-addiction center, where 6476 such cases were registered while as 755 patients were admitted in the hospital. Official figures had revealed that over 46000 patients were alone treated at the SMHS hospital for being addicted to one or the other drugs in 2018 and in the ensuing year, more than 12000 in the Out Door Patients Department (OPD). While as 88 percent of the drug addicts treated at SMHS hospital were found as males, what was more shocking that 12 percent were females that include school and college going girls and also the women with some domestic disputes.
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