Social evils

Earlier this week a religious figure pointed out to the rising incidence of social evils in Kashmir. From rise in divorces to cases of extra-marital affairs to drug addiction, according to his analysis, Kashmir had witnessed a sharp rise in such social evils over the last few years. His take on the current state of our social structure and the issues that are plaguing it demands several questions that we must ask ourselves. We need to step back and think what exactly is wrong with us as a people and why are we becoming our own enemies. Why is it that girls even in their late 30s are yet to start their marital lives? Why is it that even though we do not demand a dowry, an average marriage in Kashmir is a back-breaking affair, more so for the bride’s family. And while these issues have started to plague us now, we all know how the problem of drug addiction among youth in the valley of Kashmir is one of the biggest concerns today. The problem is not confined to the males alone but has started to grapple the female youth also. Nobody can deny the fact that the impact of drug addiction is not confined to the addict alone, but also affects the quality of life of the whole family. Additionally, a wide range of dysfunctional behaviour can result from drug abuse and interfere with normal functioning in the family, the workplace, and broader community. Untreated substance abuse adds significant costs to families in the form of domestic violence, property crimes, child abuse and neglect, reduced productivity and even unemployment. Drug addiction is a complex but treatable disease. While the path to drug addiction begins with the act of taking drugs, over a period of time a person’s ability to choose not to do so becomes compromised, and seeking and consuming the drug becomes compulsive. Drug addiction has many symptoms, and hence, it is also called drug syndrome. Drug addiction is a lifestyle disease and in recent times it has become a universal social and public health problem. Drug addicts tend to be more rebellious. They are hostile to authority and oppose conventional social values and traditional values. Due to the reason, drug abuse and addictions have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual’s life. The ultimate goal of drug addiction treatment is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug abuse, improve the patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications. We as Kashmiris need to be aware of all the social evils prevalent in the society and ensure we develop a very friendly relationship with our kids so that they can speak to us about any and all issues they may be facing.